Ashtami, Navami and Dussehra 2025: Dates, Timings, and Day-Difference Explained

Digital Desk

The Hindu festive season of Navratri 2025 is set to bring special significance this year, with unique lunar alignments that have left many devotees asking: Will Ashtami and Navami fall on two days each? When exactly is Dussehra? Let’s break down the official timings, rituals, and religious meaning.

Why the confusion in 2025?

Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar. Each tithi (lunar day) begins and ends according to the movement of the moon, not at midnight. This means an Ashtami or Navami tithi may stretch across two solar days, leading to apparent “double days.” However, scripturally there is only one tithi, and rituals are performed in the auspicious muhurat within that window.

In 2025, both Ashtami and Navami span two dates, creating discussion about whether there are “two Naumis.”

Durga Ashtami 2025

Starts: September 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM

Ends: September 30, 2025 at 6:06 PM

Kanya Puja Muhurat: 5:00–6:12 AM and 10:40 AM–12:10 PM on September 30

Sandhi Puja (Ashtami–Navami junction): September 30, 5:42–6:30 PM

Ashtami is one of the most powerful Navratri days, dedicated to Goddess Durga’s fierce form who slays demons Chanda and Munda. Devotees perform Kanya Puja, feed young girls, and light lamps for the Goddess.

Maha Navami (Naumi) 2025

Starts: September 30, 2025 at 6:06 PM

Ends: October 1, 2025 at 7:01 PM

Most regions will observe Maha Navami on October 1, 2025. Rituals include Ayudha Puja (worship of weapons, books, tools, and vehicles), Saraswati Puja, and Hawan. Navami honors Goddess Siddhidatri, the giver of supernatural powers.

Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2025

Starts: October 1, 2025 at 7:01 PM

Ends: October 2, 2025 at 7:10 PM

Vijayadashami date: October 2, 2025

Puja Muhurat: 2:09–2:56 PM on October 2 (Aparahna window)

Ravana Dahan: Around 6:05 PM, after sunset

Dussehra marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and Goddess Durga over Mahishasura. Families worship the Shami tree, weapons, and perform Seema Avalanghan. Effigies of Ravana, Meghnad, and Kumbhakarna are burnt in public grounds, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.

Are there two Ashtamis and two Navamis?

While the tithis cross solar days, there are not truly two Ashtamis or two Navamis. Devotees should perform rituals once, during the active muhurat of the tithi. The overlap simply extends the festival feeling which is why some almanacs describe 2025 as a 10-day Navratri instead of the usual nine.

Significance in 2025

This rare alignment highlights how Hindu timekeeping weaves cosmic rhythms into daily life. The overlapping tithis remind devotees that true worship lies not in the calendar date but in tuning into the divine energy of the moment.

As millions prepare for Navratri, Ashtami, Navami and Dussehra, 2025 stands out as a year where devotion, discipline, and timing converge in a celestial rhythm guiding communities across India to celebrate with clarity and faith.