Hinduism has a number of rules when it comes to eating, sleeping, and other activities during worship. Rituals and prayers are very important during Navratri.
New Delhi: 1st April 2025
Strict food guidelines are observed in Hindu customs during important holidays and fasts, especially Navratri. Devotees refrain from eating grains and even touching salt. Only sattvic food is eaten for nine days. This begs the question: Is it sinful to eat non-vegetarian cuisine during Navratri?
Why Do People Avoid Non-Vegetarian Foods During Navratri?
People consider Navratri to be a very holy time of year. It is crucial to keep oneself pure over these nine days. Astrology states that a person can establish a distraction-free connection with the divine when they are able to master their senses. Inappropriate food consumption can make it more difficult to maintain spiritual attention.
Tasic foods, particularly non-vegetarian dishes, are thought to evoke emotions like anger, arrogance, laziness, and want from an Ayurvedic and astrological standpoint. For this reason, eating meat during Navratri is deemed improper since it is seen to deviate from a person’s spiritual path.
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It’s interesting to note that some traditions permit non-vegetarian cuisine during Navratri, even though many societies refrain from it. In Bengal, it is traditional to consume meat during Sharadiya Navratri. It is thought that Goddess Durga remains with her devotees during Durga Puja, visiting their houses with her children. Bengalis prepare a variety of treats, such as meat, fish, and sweets, as part of their offerings to honour her presence.
Additionally, the sacrificed meat of a goat donated to the Goddess is regarded as prasad and eaten as a heavenly offering in some Hindu communities. Each community in India observes Navratri in a different way, demonstrating the cultural diversity of the country.
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