Maa Mahagauri, worshipped on Navratri’s eighth day, blesses devotees with purity, peace, and happiness.
Navratri is a festival celebrated with great devotion, enthusiasm, and joy. Each day during the nine days of Navratri is dedicated to one form of Goddess Durga. On the eighth day, which is known as Ashtami, devotees reverentially worship Maa Mahagauri, who represents beauty, calmness, and purity of character. It is believed that the eighth day brings peace, an abundance of blessings, and purification of the mind, body, and spirit.
Who is Maa Mahagauri?
Maa Mahagauri is also known as the goddess of purity and peacefulness. The name “Mahagauri” refers to “extremely fair” or “exceedingly pure.” Her brightness is compared to that of the shining moon, and she is believed to radiate holy light and peacefulness in the area where she is worshipped.
Maa Mahagauri is depicted riding a white bull, named Nandi after a god, and represents truth and honesty. She is depicted with four arms, in two of which she carries a trident (Trishul) and a small drum (Damaru), and the other two arms are in an open-handed posture that blesses and protects her devotees, which are referred to as Abhaya Mudra and Varada Mudra. The hand gestures serve as reminders of protection and grace.
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Why Her Worship Is Important
The eighth day of Navratri is considered one of the most powerful days. Some devotees believe that by worshipping Maa Mahagauri, their mind, body, and soul become pure just from worshipping her. Each ritual is believed to eliminate previous sins, past neglect, and negativity and invoke fresh and positive energy into life.
She is also known to bestow peace, prosperity, and happiness to families. Many people pray to her for marital desires or in hopes of having peace in their homes. From a spiritual perspective, her worship benefits her devotees by helping them become stronger, wiser, and more disciplined.
Story of Maa Mahagauri
According to ancient stories, Goddess Parvati desired Lord Shiva to be her husband. In order to physically please him, she performed very strict meditation in the forest for many years. As a result of her strict lifestyle, her body became dark and covered in dirt.
Lord Shiva saw her great dedication and compassion and bathed her in the Ganga River holy water, which cleaned her of all dirt and darkness, allowing her skin to return to its fair and healthy appearance. Since then, she has been referred to as Mahagauri and symbolically represents purity and beauty.
The Color Associated with the Day
Each day of Navratri is associated with a certain color, and this color scheme is consistent across all nine days of the festival. The eighth day is commonly associated with the color pink, while in some traditions, it is associated with peacock green. The symbolism of both these colors indicates hope, harmony, love, and kindness, which are included in the gifts bestowed by Maa Mahagauri to her devotees.
How to Worship Maa Mahagauri
Devotees begin their day early by taking a bath and wearing clean clothes, often in pink or green.They set up their puja area with an idol or picture of Maa Mahagauri.
White flowers, sweets like coconut or kheer, and milk-based offerings are placed before her. A lamp filled with ghee and incense sticks is lit, followed by sacred chanting of mantras such as “Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah” or Durga Saptashati verses. The worship usually ends with an aarti and prayers for blessings.
On this day, many will also honor Kanya Pujan, in which young girls are honored and fed since they are allicipated as a form of the goddess herself, a ritual performed on Ashtami or Navami.
The Meaning of Day 8
The eighth day of Navratri is a celebration of divine purity and peace. Maa Mahagauri is believed to free devotees from old karmic burdens and bring peace, happiness, and spiritual progress into their lives. Her story is a reminder of how devotion and patience are always rewarded, while her worship inspires people to live with love, kindness, and strength.
