Durgashtami is the eighth day of Devi Navaratri and belongs to Durga in her fiercest form, the one who rode out against the buffalo demon Mahishasura. For Telugu families the day's centre of gravity is Indrakeeladri, the hill above the Krishna at Vijayawada where Kanaka Durga is worshipped.
The story
The Devi Mahatmyam tells how the gods, beaten by Mahishasura, poured their powers together into a single goddess and armed her with a weapon from each of them. The battle ran for nine nights. Ashtami is remembered as the night it turned.
At Vijayawada the goddess is dressed in a different form on each day of the festival, and on Ashtami she is shown as Sri Durga Devi. The queue of pilgrims climbs the hill through the night.
సర్వమంగళ మాంగళ్యే శివే సర్వార్థ సాధికే
Auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, consort of Shiva, fulfiller of every aim
From the Devi Mahatmyam, recited throughout Navaratri
How it is kept
- Fasting and pujaMany keep a fast through the day and break it after the evening puja. Lalitha Sahasranamam and Durga Saptashati are read at home and in temples.
- Kumari pujaIn some households young girls are honoured as forms of the goddess, their feet washed and a meal and new bangles given.
- Bommala KoluvuIn coastal Andhra the stepped display of dolls set up for Navaratri is at its fullest, and neighbours visit one another to see it.
- In TelanganaThe day usually coincides with Saddula Bathukamma, so the evening belongs to the flowers and the tanks.
Why this date
Durgashtami is the eighth tithi (Ashtami) of the bright half of Ashwayuja. The calendar gives the day on which Ashtami is in force at sunrise.
Durgashtami in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday | |
| 2027 | Thursday | |
| 2028 | Tuesday | |
| 2029 | Sunday | |
| 2030 | Friday | |
| 2031 | Thursday |
More Telugu festivals
8 OctoberMaha Navamiమహర్నవమి
9 OctoberVijayadasamiవిజయదశమి
7 OctoberSaddula Bathukammaసద్దుల బతుకమ్మ
29 SeptemberBathukammaబతుకమ్మ
4 SeptemberVinayaka Chavithiవినాయక చవితి
28 OctoberNaraka Chaturdasiనరక చతుర్దశి
Where to see Durgashtami
In the Telugu states
- Kanaka Durga Temple, VijayawadaAndhra PradeshOn Indrakeeladri hill above the Krishna, the goddess is dressed in a different form on each day of Dasara; on Ashtami she is Durga herself.
- Jogulamba Temple, AlampurTelanganaOne of the eighteen Shakti Peethas, beside the Tungabhadra, among the Chalukya-era Navabrahma temples.
- Bhramaramba Temple, SrisailamAndhra PradeshA Shakti Peetha and a Jyotirlinga on one hill in the Nallamala forest; Dasara here is kept for the goddess Bhramaramba.
Across India
- KolkataWest BengalAshtami is the heart of Durga Puja: the morning anjali, Kumari Puja, and Sandhi Puja at the meeting of the eighth and ninth tithis.
- Vaishno Devi, KatraJammu and KashmirThe hill shrine draws its largest crowds of the year during the nine nights.
- Kamakhya Temple, GuwahatiAssamAmong the oldest seats of goddess worship, where Durga Puja runs for a full fortnight.