Mahastami is the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Ashwina and the height of Durga Puja. Cuttack, the old capital, is the centre: its neighbourhood pujas set the clay image against a Chandi Medha, a towering backdrop worked in the city's famous silver filigree, and some now in gold. In the Shakti shrines of the state the puja has been running for sixteen days already.
The story
Odisha is old goddess country. The temple of Biraja at Jajpur, where Durga is shown with two arms spearing the buffalo, is among the earliest of all, and the Shodasa Upachara puja at Shakti temples begins eight days before the new moon and lasts sixteen days.
The Durga Puja of Cuttack's Balu Bazar is said to have been begun in the sixteenth century, during Chaitanya's visit.
How it is kept
- Pandal-hoppingThe night of Ashtami is spent walking from medha to medha.
- Sandhi PujaAt the junction of Ashtami and Navami.
- FastMany women fast for their children; it is broken with pitha.
- Dahi bara aloo dumCuttack's street food, eaten at any hour of the night.
Why this date
Mahastami is the Ashtami of the bright fortnight of Ashwina, on the day it is present at sunrise.
Mahastami in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday | |
| 2027 | Thursday | |
| 2028 | Tuesday | |
| 2029 | Sunday | |
| 2030 | Friday | |
| 2031 | Thursday |
More Odia festivals
8 OctoberMaha Navamiମହାନବମୀ
9 OctoberDasaharaଦଶହରା
5 SeptemberNuakhaiନୂଆଖାଇ
4 SeptemberGanesh Pujaଗଣେଶ ପୂଜା
24 AugustJanmashtamiଜନ୍ମାଷ୍ଟମୀ
29 OctoberDiwaliଦୀପାବଳି
Where to see Mahastami
In Odisha
- CuttackOdishaMore than a hundred and fifty pujas, with silver and gold filigree medhas at Choudhury Bazar, Sheikh Bazar and Chandni Chowk.
- Biraja Temple, JajpurOdishaA Shakti Peetha whose goddess has her own chariot festival during these nine days.
- Cuttack Chandi TempleOdishaThe sixteen-day puja of the city's presiding goddess.
- BhubaneswarOdishaTheme pandals at Shaheed Nagar, Nayapalli and Rasulgarh.
Across India
- KolkataWest BengalThe great Durga Puja of Bengal.
- GuwahatiAssamKamakhya, where the puja lasts a fortnight.
- VijayawadaAndhra PradeshKanaka Durga on her hill above the Krishna river.