# Maha Ashtami: the heart of Durga Puja

> Maha Ashtami, the eighth day of the bright fortnight, is for many Bengalis the most important day of Durga Puja. In the morning people offer pushpanjali (flowers with mantras) to the goddess, many pujas worship a young girl as the goddess in Kumari Puja, and at the junction of Ashtami and Navami comes Sandhi Puja with 108 lotuses and 108 lamps. In 2026 Maha Ashtami falls on Monday 19 October.

Source: https://pujoparikramaguide.in/durga-puja/rituals/ashtami/ (updated 2026-10-06)

**Maha Ashtami** is the day many Bengalis think of first when they think of Durga Puja. Three rites define it: the morning **pushpanjali**, the offering of flowers to the goddess with mantras; **Kumari Puja**, the worship of a young girl as the goddess, held in many places; and **Sandhi Puja**, the worship at the junction of Ashtami and Navami. In 2026 Maha Ashtami falls on **Monday 19 October**.

Tradition also associates Ashtami with the goddess's fiercest battle: in the Devi Mahatmya her Chamunda form slays the demons Chanda and Munda, an episode remembered at Sandhi Puja.

## Morning: the Ashtami puja and pushpanjali

The priest begins with the Ashtami puja, offering to the goddess and every deity of the image. Then the pandal fills for **anjali**. People stand in rows with flowers and bel leaves in their cupped hands and repeat the Sanskrit mantras after the priest, usually in three rounds, then offer the flowers at the goddess's feet. Large pujas run several batches through the morning.

The words, their meaning and how to do it are on our [pushpanjali mantra page](/durga-puja/rituals/pushpanjali-mantra/).

**Fasting until anjali.** In many families people eat nothing on Ashtami morning until they have offered anjali, then take prasad (consecrated food) such as fruit and sweets. Many also keep Ashtami vegetarian, with dishes such as luchi and a dal or a vegetable curry. Customs vary, so follow your own household's practice.

## Kumari Puja

In many pujas, a young girl, usually before puberty, is worshipped as a living form of the goddess. She is bathed, dressed in a red sari and ornaments, seated on a decorated seat and worshipped with the same offerings made to Durga. The best known Kumari Puja in Kolkata is at **Belur Math**, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, where crowds gather on Ashtami morning. Read more in [Kumari Puja](/durga-puja/rituals/kumari-puja/). Some traditions hold it on Navami instead.

## Sandhi Puja: the junction

*Sandhi* means junction. **Sandhi Puja** is performed in the window where the Ashtami tithi (lunar day) ends and the Navami tithi begins, usually described as the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami. The goddess is worshipped as **Chamunda**, and the offerings include **108 lotuses** and **108 lamps**. The dhak plays at its most intense, and in many pujas the moment of the junction itself is marked with special emphasis.

Because it follows the lunar calendar, Sandhi Puja can fall at any hour, including late night or early morning, and on either calendar day. It depends on the tithi junction in the panjika for that year, so ask your puja committee or check a reliable local almanac rather than relying on a general time. The full story, including the Ramayana legend of the 108th lotus, is on our [Sandhi Puja page](/durga-puja/rituals/sandhi-puja/).

## Ashtami evening

After the morning rites, the day turns into the festival's biggest social occasion. Families eat together, visit relatives and set out in the late afternoon to see pandals. The evening **sandhya arati** is followed in many pujas by [dhunuchi naach](/durga-puja/rituals/dhunuchi-naach/), the dance with smoking incense burners, and cultural programmes. If Sandhi Puja falls at night that year, many people return to their neighbourhood puja for it.

In family pujas, Ashtami may include other rites by custom, such as a *bhog* offering of special dishes or the worship of weapons and household instruments. These vary from family to family; the [bonedi bari pujas](/durga-puja/bonedi-bari-pujas/) page describes some of them.

## What people wear

Ashtami is the day for the best new clothes of the puja. Many women wear a sari, often a silk or a traditional handloom, and many men wear a dhoti or a panjabi (kurta). Choose shoes you can slip off quickly at the altar and carry a small bag for flowers and prasad.

## The most crowded day

Ashtami and [Navami](/durga-puja/rituals/navami/) are usually the most crowded days in Kolkata. Expect long anjali queues in the morning and dense crowds from afternoon to well past midnight. Plan your route with the [Kolkata guide](/guide/), the [dates page](/guide/dates/) and our [pandal hopping tips](/durga-puja/pandal-hopping-tips/).

For a traditional Ashtami, old family pujas such as [Sovabazar Rajbari](/guide/pandals/sovabazar_rajbari/) and community pujas such as [Bagbazar Sarbojanin](/guide/pandals/bagbazar/) are popular; see also [bonedi bari pujas](/durga-puja/bonedi-bari-pujas/). Outside Bengal, the same day is observed as Durga Ashtami during [Navratri](/navratri/), often with [kanya pujan](/navratri/kanya-pujan/).

For the full sequence of the festival, see [Durga Puja rituals day by day](/durga-puja/rituals/).

## Frequently asked questions

**When is Maha Ashtami in 2026?**
Maha Ashtami is on Monday 19 October 2026. Sandhi Puja falls at the junction of Ashtami and Navami, so depending on the tithi timings it may fall on 19 or 20 October; check your local panjika or puja committee.

**What time is Ashtami anjali?**
Pushpanjali is offered in the morning, after the Ashtami puja, and most pujas hold several rounds through the morning for different groups. The exact window depends on when the Ashtami tithi runs that year, so check with your puja committee or local panjika.

**Do people fast on Maha Ashtami?**
Many Bengalis fast on Ashtami morning until they have offered anjali, then break the fast with prasad or a vegetarian meal. Some keep a vegetarian diet all day. Practice varies by family.

**What is Sandhi Puja?**
Sandhi Puja is the worship of the goddess as Chamunda during the junction of Ashtami and Navami, usually described as the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami, with 108 lotuses and 108 lamps.

**What should I wear on Ashtami?**
Most people wear new clothes on Ashtami, often the best outfit of the puja: saris for many women, and dhoti-panjabi or kurta-pyjama for many men. Comfortable footwear that is easy to slip off helps at the altar.

**Is Ashtami the most crowded day of Durga Puja?**
Ashtami and Navami are usually the most crowded days in Kolkata, with pandals packed from the afternoon to past midnight. Morning anjali queues are long too, so arrive early.