Sharad Navratri Shashthi 2026 Date

About Sharad Navratri Shashthi

Day six honours Katyayani, the warrior form born from the combined radiance of the gods to defeat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Golden-complexioned and lion-mounted, she holds a sword and lotus, her other hands raised in blessing. Honey is offered as bhog, and green, the colour of growth and new beginnings, is worn by devotees today.

According to the Devi Mahatmya, when the gods could not defeat Mahishasura, their combined energies took form in the hermitage of the sage Katyayana, who first worshipped her — giving her the name Katyayani, daughter of Katyayana. She went on to slay Mahishasura and, in a later battle, drank the blood of the demon Raktabija so that no drop could touch the ground and spawn new demons. Yogic tradition ties her to the Ajna chakra, the third eye, the seat of intuition and insight. In Vrindavan, the Katyayani Peeth is remembered as the site where the gopis of the Bhagavata Purana once performed a month-long vrat to her.