living hindu abroad
How to observe Navratri fasting and worship across nine days while living in a Western country
What Navratri is about
Navratri means nine nights. The festival honors Devi, the goddess in her many forms. Across the nine days, different aspects of the goddess are remembered, including Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. The tradition holds that these nine days are especially powerful for worship, inner purification, and asking for the goddess's blessing. Fasting, prayer, and the recitation of sacred texts like the Devi Mahatmya are central to the observance. The Devi Mahatmya tells the story of the goddess's victories and is traditionally recited or listened to during this period.
Fasting during Navratri
Navratri fasting varies a lot by region and family. Some people fast strictly, taking only water or fruit. Others eat one simple meal a day, avoiding grains, meat, onion, and garlic. Foods like buckwheat, water chestnut flour, potatoes, dairy, and certain fruits are commonly eaten during the fast in many North Indian households. South Indian families may follow different rules. What counts as a Navratri fast food differs from household to household, so people often follow what their own family has always done. Living abroad, some families simplify the fast to what is practical while keeping the spirit of restraint and focus on prayer.
Worship at home
Many families set up a small altar with an image or murti of Devi for the nine days. Flowers, a lamp, incense, and an offering of fruit or sweets are placed before her each day. Morning and evening prayers, along with the recitation of devotional hymns, form the daily rhythm. In South Indian homes, particularly Tamil and Telugu households, a tradition called Golu or Kolu involves arranging dolls and figurines on stepped shelves. Neighbors and friends are invited to see the display. This custom travels well abroad and many diaspora families keep it up.
Community life abroad
Garba and Dandiya Raas, the circular folk dances associated with Navratri, are a big part of the festival for Gujarati communities and many others. In Western cities, Hindu temples and cultural associations often organize Garba nights over the weekend closest to Navratri. These events bring large numbers of people together and are one of the most visible expressions of Hindu community life outside India. For many in the diaspora, attending Garba is how the festival feels real and shared, even far from home.
Keeping it going abroad
Ingredients for Navratri fasting foods are now widely available at Indian grocery stores in most Western cities, and online ordering fills the gaps. Temples often hold special Devi pujas and aartis during the nine days. Some families join online recitations of the Devi Mahatmya when a local pandit is not available. The exact way people observe Navratri abroad varies enormously, from a full nine-day fast with daily puja to a simpler observance on the first and last days. The tradition itself holds that sincerity of devotion matters more than the scale of the ritual.