Navratri Day 6: Katyayani - The Warrior Goddess

Name: Navratri Day 6: Katyayani
Start: 2026-10-16
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra

The golden, lion-riding warrior born of sages' fire to slay the buffalo-demon and answer every seeker's prayer.

Friday, 16 October 2026·Ashwin Shukla Shashthi (Navratri Day 6)·Mumbai, Maharashtra

Wear todayGreen

Navratri Day 6KatyayaniThe Warrior Goddess

ॐ देवी कात्यायन्यै नमः

Bhog HoneyVahana Lion

Main Muhurta★★★★★

Auspicious Choghadiya

8:00 am – 9:28 am(1 hr 28 min)

Time to muhurta…

On the Day

Wear the day's colour
Offer honey as bhog and share it as prasad
Chant the seed mantra japa "ॐ देवी कात्यायन्यै नमः" with a rosary, ideally 108 times
Focus worship on valour, the removal of obstacles and prayers for an auspicious marriage

Muhurtas

Durga Puja - Abhijit Muhurat★★★★★

Not available at this location

Perform the main Katyayani puja, offer honey and pray for valour, the clearing of obstacles and an auspicious union.

Why this rank: The Abhijit Muhurat at midday is the most auspicious and self-purifying window of the day, fitting for the valorous Goddess who answers prayers for courage and marriage.

Deity: Durga as KatyayaniDo: Complete the shodashopachara puja and aarti within this window, Offer honey as bhog and chant the seed mantraAvoid: Avoid rushing the rituals or letting the window pass unused

Auspicious Choghadiya★★★☆☆

Labh 8:00 am – 9:28 am
Amrit 9:28 am – 10:56 am
Shubh 12:23 pm – 1:51 pm

An alternative time for japa, the Katyayani vrat prayers and any resolve undertaken in her strength.

Why this rank: An auspicious Choghadiya block such as Amrit, Shubh or Labh offers a favourable secondary window when the Abhijit Muhurat cannot be kept.

This day's panchang

TithiShukla Shashthi

NakshatraJyeshtha

YogaShobhana

KaranaKaulava

MasaAshwin

SamvatVikram 2082

Significance

Importance

The sixth night of Navratri belongs to Katyayani, the fierce warrior form of Durga who blazes with valour and courage. Born to fulfil the plea of the gods and to slay the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, she is the embodiment of righteous strength. She is famously invoked by the unmarried, and especially by young women, for a worthy spouse and a blessed married life. Her worship kindles courage, clears obstacles and steadies the seeker in the pursuit of dharma.

Religious significance

Katyayani represents the victorious, obstacle-destroying power of Shakti, the courage that rises to defend dharma against every darkness. She teaches that valour joined to devotion overcomes even the mightiest demon within and without. Her worship removes hindrances and grants the strength to pursue a righteous life and a blessed union.

Why it is celebrated

Devotees honour Katyayani for courage, the removal of obstacles and, most famously, for the blessing of a good spouse and a happy marriage.

The story

Katyayani takes her name from the sage Katyayana, who performed intense penance longing for the Goddess to be born as his daughter, and so she took form in his hermitage. When Mahishasura's tyranny grew unbearable, the combined radiance of the gods gathered in her, and she arose golden and blazing, mounted upon her lion and armed to destroy him. She is depicted with a fierce yet beautiful countenance, four-armed in her common form, bearing a sword and lotus while offering the gestures of boon-giving and fearlessness. Her complexion shines like gold and her valour is boundless, for she is the warrior who restores balance when adharma overwhelms the world. The Gopis of Vraja are said to have worshipped her to obtain Krishna as their lord, and to this day the unmarried invoke her for an auspicious marriage.

Who celebratesDevotees of Durga across the Shakta and wider Hindu tradition, and especially the unmarried seeking a worthy partner, observe this sixth day of Navratri.

Where observedObserved wherever Sharad Navratri is kept, with special devotion across North, West and East India and among Hindu communities worldwide.

Associated deities

Durga as Katyayani

What to do

Wear the day's colour
Offer honey as bhog and share it as prasad
Chant the seed mantra japa "ॐ देवी कात्यायन्यै नमः" with a rosary, ideally 108 times
Focus worship on valour, the removal of obstacles and prayers for an auspicious marriage
Offer red flowers to the golden warrior seated upon her lion
Recite the Durga Saptashati and the Katyayani vrat prayers with a steadfast heart

Avoid

Avoid cowardice, laziness and the abandoning of righteous effort
Avoid neglecting the fast or offering bhog without due care
Avoid an unclean puja space or a distracted, wavering mind
Avoid harbouring enmity, for her strength is meant for dharma, not spite

Regional variations

In the Braj region and among devotees of Krishna, the Katyayani vrat is kept by young women praying for a good husband, recalling the Gopis' worship.
In Bengal and eastern India the sixth day marks Shashthi, when the Goddess is ceremonially awakened through Bodhan and welcomed for the great Durga Puja.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra the nightly Garba and Dandiya-Raas continue with rising fervour.

Special notes

Katyayani is the presiding warrior form invoked in the Katyayani vrat, long associated with prayers for a worthy spouse.
In the Bengali reckoning the sixth day is Maha Shashthi, opening the principal days of public Durga Puja.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the sixth Goddess called Katyayani?

She is named for the sage Katyayana, who through penance longed for the Goddess to be born as his daughter, and in whose hermitage she took form to slay the demon Mahishasura.

What bhog is offered to Katyayani?

Honey is the traditional bhog offered on her day, presented with devotion and shared as prasad.

Why do the unmarried worship Katyayani?

She is invoked for the blessing of a good spouse and a happy marriage, following the tradition of the Gopis who worshipped her to obtain Krishna as their lord.

What is Katyayani's mount and iconography?

She rides a lion and shines with a golden complexion, bearing a sword and lotus while offering the gestures of boon-giving and fearlessness, fierce yet beautiful in her warrior form.

All timings are computed for Mumbai, Maharashtra and follow Drik-style rules (sunrise/sunset, Pradosh-vyapini placement, sthir-lagna muhurtas). Times shift with your location - change your city on the calendar to recompute.