Traditions for Navaratri (opens in new tab) have always been diverse across cities and regions Gujarat brings the Garba, Kolkata brings Durga Puja (opens in new tab) pandals. If you wanted to experience both of these together for one Navaratri, well, I have just the place for you. In Kanpur, Navaratri is a cultural crossroad where 1,000-year-old local temples, Bengal community pandals, and vibrant garba nights all coexist under one splendid skyline.
Day 1 of Navratri begins with Ghatasthapana (opens in new tab) and the midnight rush at ancient shrines. This is through a custom called the Baradevi Chunri (opens in new tab) Unfolding, where one must run to the Baradevi to tie a red chunri (a scarf) to a temple pillar and offer a prayer for a wish to be fulfilled! If your wish is granted within the following year, you will have to return to untie the scarf and thank the goddess for granting the wish.
Now you cannot forget about food! Days 2 and 3 are celebrated through a falahari (opens in new tab) food trail. For these two days, Kanpur’s street markets are bursting with mouth-watering aromas of falahari chaats, sabudana (opens in new tab) tikkis and kuttu (opens in new tab) delicacies. This is a dream for chaat (opens in new tab) lovers since all the stalls tonight are tailored for people observing a fast. This is achieved because most dishes are made from kuttu flour and sabudana. Just imagining the variety of fasting-friendly treats is enough to make my stomach growl!
On Day 4 of Navaratri, temple priests across the Kanpur locality have a beautiful tradition of distributing coins blessed at the Akhand Jyothi (opens in new tab) (an eternal flame) as Khazana (divine luck/wealth) to devotees. This tradition is used to worship the Goddess Lakshmi (opens in new tab), and it is believed that keeping them provides prosperity and financial blessings. The tradition also strengthens community bonds by bringing devotees together through shared faith.
Unlike in other regions in the north, where Durga (opens in new tab) Puja starts officially on Day 6, Kanpur brings it to you a day earlier. With over 300 public pandals opening, the creativity in the designs can blow your mind! Kanpur has a tradition of blending Bengali architecture (opens in new tab) with the local heritage. This includes having pandals mixed with industrial history and even modern social themes!
It really isn’t Navaratri without dancing, is it? Well, on Day 6, in places like Swaroop Nagar and Civil Lines, many young people head to Garba (opens in new tab) arenas in Chaniya Cholis, and across the street devotees perform the traditional Dhunuchi Naach (opens in new tab) (a dance with burning coconut-husk incense burners) to the beat of Dhaks. This is a lovely mixture of both Gujarati and Bengali cultures, as both cultures dance to the beat of Dhaks.
In the late hours of Maha Ashtami (opens in new tab) (Day 7) and early hours of Maha Navami (opens in new tab), major pandals (such as the Kanpur Bengali Club) conduct a Sandhi puja using 108 lotus flowers and 108 brass oil lamps. The time of this puja is around midnight, as it is considered a spiritually potent tipping point where cosmic energy reaches its peak. As this sacred window opens, the clock starts ticking: devotees have precisely 48 minutes—the single muhurat (opens in new tab)—to light all 108 diyas (opens in new tab) and offer 108 lotus flowers before the divine energy passes!
Day 8 of Navaratri is, as we all know it, when Maha Navami starts, and in the morning households across the city invite nine young girls (kanyas) for Kanya Pujan (opens in new tab). Serving the girls sweet halwa (opens in new tab), puri, and black chana (opens in new tab).
Coming to the final day, Day 9, many married women celebrate Sindhoor Khela (opens in new tab). They gather at pandals dressed up in red and white Lal-par sarees to smear vermilion (opens in new tab) on the goddess Durga and each other. This comes across as a wish for a long marital life and prosperity!
As the festival comes to an end this year and Idols of Goddess Durga are carried down the river, Kanpur leaves you with memories that will stay with you long after the music fades. Between the late nights, the incredible food, and the sheer fun you have with everyone, Navaratri in Kanpur is a must-experience!
Written by Rakshaa Mukesh
