Events
- Monday 10th Oct 2016
Saraswati Balidan Durga Balidan Saraswati Visarjan Ayudha Puja Saraswati Poojai
Uttara Ashadha Balidan Muhurat = 06:25 to 07:07
Duration = 0 Hours 42 Mins
2016 Saraswati Balidan Puja
The third day of Saraswati Puja during Navratri is known as Saraswati Balidan day.
Durga Balidan Time
Aparahna Balidan Time = 13:23 to 15:42
Duration = 2 Hours 19 Mins
Navami Tithi Begins = 22:30 on 9/Oct/2016
Navami Tithi Ends = 22:53 on 10/Oct/2016
2016 Durga Balidan
Balidan on Maha Navami should always be done on Uday Vyapini Navami. According to Nirnaysindhu, the best time to perform Balidan is Aparahna Kala.
It should be noted that Maha Navami fasting and Puja might fall one day before Durga Balidan depending on the start time of Navami Tithi on the previous day. If Navami Tithi starts before Sanyakal on Ashtami Tithi then both Ashtami Puja and Navami Puja are done on the same day i.e. on Ashtami Tithi. If it happens then Ashtami Puja, Sandhi Puja and Navami Puja are done together on Ashtami Tithi. However Durga Balidan is always done on Navami Tithi.
Devotees who abstain from animal sacrifice perform symbolic Bali with vegetables like banana, cucumber or pumpkin. For Brahmins any type of animal sacrifice is prohibited by scriptures and Brahmin community does only symbolic Bali. Even the famous Belur Math in West Bengal does symbolic Bali with white pumpkin and sugar cane during Navami Puja. White pumpkin used for Durga Balidan is known as Kushmanda (कूष्माण्ड).
Saraswati Visarjan Time
Shravana Nakshatra Visarjan Muhurat = 19:40 to 25:45+
Duration = 6 Hours 4 Mins
2016 Saraswati Visarjan
The fourth and final day of Saraswati Puja during Navratri is known as Saraswati Visarjan day. Saraswati Visarjan is also known as Saraswati Udvasan (उद्वासन).
Ayudha Puja Time
Vijay Muhurat = 14:09 to 14:56
Duration = 0 Hours 46 Mins
Navami Tithi Begins = 22:30 on 9/Oct/2016
Navami Tithi Ends = 22:53 on 10/Oct/2016
2016 Ayudha Puja, Shastra Puja
Ayudha Puja falls during Maha Navratri and it is popular only in South India mainly in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Ayudha Puja is done on Navami Tithi during Navratri. Most of the time, it falls on Maha Navami during Navratri. Ayudha Puja is also known as Shastra Puja and Astra Puja.
Historically Ayudha Puja was meant to worship weapons but in its present form all sort of instruments are worshipped on the very same day. In South India it is a day when craftsmen worship their tools and instruments similar to Vishwakarma Puja in other parts of India.
In its modern form Ayudha Puja has become Vahana Puja when people worship their vehicles including cars, scooters, and motor bikes. During Vahana Puja all sort of vehicles, which are in use, are decorated with vermilion, garlands, mango leaves and banana sapling and worshipped. Most significantly during Vahana Puja a white pumpkin is decorated with vermilion and turmeric and smashed in front of the vehicle as a custom to get rid of all sorts of evils.
In South India most calendars mark Saraswati Puja along with Ayudha Puja. However according to most Dharma Shastras Saraswati Puja during Navratri is suggested during Purva Ashadha Nakshatra.
2016 Saraswati Puja in South India
In South India, Saraswati Puja is done on the last day of Navratri and it is observed on the same day as Ayudha Puja. On the next day of Saraswati Puja children between the age of 4 and 5 go through Vidyarambham ceremony.
However in the Northern and the Western India, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped for four days during Navratri. The Puja starts with Saraswati Avahan which is followed by Saraswati Puja, Saraswati Balidan and Saraswati Visarjan.