Question 1

When is Mahishaghni Puja observed?

Accepted Answer

Mahishaghni Puja falls on the Ashtami, or eighth lunar day, of Shukla Paksha, the waxing half of the Moon, in Ashadha. The tithi current at sunrise governs the day. Since Ashadha follows the lunar calendar, the corresponding Gregorian date changes every year.

Question 2

How is Mahishaghni Puja performed?

Accepted Answer

Begin with personal purification and a clean shrine, then bathe the image or representation of Mahishaghni with the prescribed water, apply sandalwood and camphor where appropriate, and offer fragrance, sweets, drinks, and lamps. The classical passage also recommends feeding girls and Brahmins and giving a donation according to one’s means.

Question 3

Is fasting required for Mahishaghni Puja?

Accepted Answer

The cited prescription does not state a formal fast. It explicitly mentions offering food and drinks, feeding girls and Brahmins, and feeding oneself. A household may choose a simple or restrained diet, but that should be understood as a later or local practice rather than a fasting rule established by the quoted passage.

Question 4

What offerings are made for Mahishaghni Puja?

Accepted Answer

Commonly suitable offerings include sugar-filled sweets, panaka, or a sweet cooling drink, and a row of lamps lit with ghee. The text also names sandalwood, camphor, and fragrant substances for worship. Offerings should be made according to household means rather than treated as a test of expense.

Question 5

Who is worshipped during Mahishaghni Puja?

Accepted Answer

The name Mahishaghni means “she who destroys Mahisha,” and it presents the deity as a powerful form of the Goddess. The available ritual passage does not preserve a full, independently stated origin story for this particular puja, so broader stories about Durga and Mahisha should not automatically be treated as its specific legend.

Date	Tithi	Lunar month	Governing time
Sun, 14 Jul, 2024	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Thu, 3 Jul, 2025	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Tue, 21 Jul, 2026	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Sun, 11 Jul, 2027	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Fri, 30 Jun, 2028	ShuklaShukla Navami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Thu, 19 Jul, 2029	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Mon, 8 Jul, 2030	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Sat, 28 Jun, 2031	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)
Fri, 16 Jul, 2032	ShuklaShukla Ashtami	Ashadha	sunrise (udaya tithi)

Mahishaghni Puja

Dates by year