Maha Nawami – माहा नवमी

Maha Nawami is the great ninth day of the Dasain festival. On this day, the eighteen-limbed Goddess Durga Bhawani along with other nine goddesses killed the demon called Mahisasur.

On this day, every Nevah household makes the sacrifice of a male duck or a rooster or a male goat or ‘ku-bin-do’ (a fruit that symbolizes fowls and animals) to the eighteen-limbed Goddess Durga Bhavani in the prayer room. Other communities also make the offerings of sacrifices of animals following their family tradition.

Artisans, craftsmen, drivers, and people of different professions clean up their tools, equipment, machines, and vehicles on the morning of this day.  Then they draw the auspicious symbols on them by the quicklime solution, and the amber in oil. Then, they offer the sacrifices of different animals or ‘ku-bin-do’ following their family tradition.

Every Nevah household makes offerings to the young girls decorating them as the Living Goddesses Kumaris on the morning of this day. They also make special offerings to ‘The Living Goddess Kumaris’ at the ancient palaces of the city-states.