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Across North India, Navratri takes several forms, from fasting and daily worship to Kanya Pujan and Ramlila performances. In many places, the wider festival season builds toward Dussehra, when the story of Rama’s victory over Ravana reaches a public climax through Ramlila and Ravan Dahan. Practices vary considerably across this large region, spanning Uttar Pradesh,
Navratri in North India: Ramlila, Kanya Pujan and Dussehra Read More »
Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha each have their own Durga Puja and Navratri traditions, shaped by local temple practices, community celebrations, and regional cultural histories. While they share some rituals with Bengal and North India, they shouldn’t be treated simply as variations of either. Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha all have significant Durga Puja traditions during the
Durga Puja and Navratri in Bihar and Eastern India Read More »
In Gujarat, Navratri is experienced through dance, devotion, and community. The nine nights are closely associated with Garba and Dandiya Raas, alongside worship, fasting, and gatherings that bring neighbourhoods and communities together. The festival typically opens with Ghatasthapana (also called Kalash Sthapana), the installation of a sacred pot symbolising the invocation of the goddess’s presence,
Navratri in Gujarat: Garba, Dandiya and the Spirit of Nine Nights Read More »
In Bengal, Durga Puja is much more than a religious observance. It’s the year’s defining cultural celebration, shaping public life, neighbourhoods, art, food, fashion, and family gatherings across the state. It’s also called Sharadiya Pujo, Sharodotsab, or Maha Pujo. The main public observance runs across five days, Shashthi through Dashami, commonly falling in mid to
Durga Puja in Bengal: Pandals, Traditions and the Five Main Days Read More »
Sharad Navratri 2026 is observed from 11 to 19 October in the standard Navratri calendar, with Vijayadashami falling on 20 October in most of India. In Bengal, the Durga Puja panjika calendar (which decides each day by the tithi current at sunrise) places Vijaya Dashami a day later, on 21 October, since Dashami tithi doesn’t
Navratri and Durga Puja Across India: One Season, Many Traditions Read More »
Quick answer: Once you’ve set your total Diwali budget, a clean starting split looks like this: 33 percent to gifting, 27 percent to clothing, 18 percent to home decor and lighting, 14 percent to food and sweets, and 8 percent to pooja essentials and miscellaneous costs. These aren’t fixed rules, your split should shift depending
Diwali Shopping Budget: Where Should the Money Actually Go? Read More »
Quick answer: The most versatile everyday watch for women usually has three things going for it: a metal tone that works with the jewellery you already wear, a medium-sized case that isn’t too formal or too casual, and a simple dial that doesn’t compete with your outfit. Get those basics right, and one watch can
Everyday Watches That Go With Everything Read More »
Set a Diwali spending number before you start shopping, and treat your emergency fund and other savings goals as off-limits from that number, rather than deciding what to spend as purchases come up. Diwali spending tends to creep because it happens across several categories at once, gifts, clothes, sweets, decor, travel and donations, rather than
How to Budget for Diwali Without Wrecking Your Savings Read More »
Quick answer: On September 1, 2026, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman officer without a medical background to reach a two-star rank in India’s Defence Forces, an equivalent rank exists across the Army, Navy and Air Force. She took over as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters, capping
Quick Answer: Was August 31 your deadline? It was – if you file ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, or ITR-7 and don’t require a tax audit. (Audit cases get until October 31, 2026; ITR-1 and ITR-2 filers had a separate deadline of July 31.) Can you still file? Yes – a belated return is allowed until December
Missed Today’s ITR Deadline? Here’s Exactly What Happens Next Read More »
