Sandhi Puja is the worship of Durga as Chamunda in the 48 minutes where Ashtami ends and Navami begins, with 108 lotuses and 108 lamps. Timing and legend.
Tiers of lamps are lit for Sandhi Puja at a Kolkata community puja. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Hindu ritual days follow the tithi, the lunar day, not the calendar day.
Tiers of lamps are lit for Sandhi Puja at a Kolkata community puja. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
In the Devi Mahatmya, the goddess's fierce form Chamunda slays the demon generals Chanda and Munda, and takes her name from that victory.
An illustrated leaf of the Devi Mahatmya. Photo: SpeakingArch, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The best-known offerings are 108 lotuses and 108 lamps (pradip), lit and arranged before the goddess. 108 is a sacred number throughout Hindu worship, and in Bengal the lotus offering is tied to a story from the Ramayana.
Clay diyas lit for Diwali. Photo: Alokjain19883105, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Besides lotuses and lamps, offerings typically include flowers, bel leaves, fruit, sweets, rice and cooked food, according to the tradition of the puja.
Phuchka, Kolkata's favourite street snack. Photo: TAPAS KUMAR HALDER, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Old family pujas, such as Sovabazar Rajbari, and community pujas such as Bagbazar Sarbojanin perform it with full ceremony; see also bonedi bari pujas.
Tiers of lamps are lit for Sandhi Puja at a Kolkata community puja. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Sandhi Puja is the worship of Durga as Chamunda in the 48 minutes where Ashtami ends and Navami begins, with 108 lotuses and 108 lamps. Timing and legend.
Sandhi Puja → Next story: Saptami: the Kola Bou and the start of the main puja All photo storiesMusic: Rhythm of Dhak a huge membranophone instrument from Bengal and Assam, used in Hindu religious festivals, especially Durga Puja, Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.