On the fourth day of Navratri, Hindu devotees worship Goddess Kushmanda, the fourth of the nine forms of Durga called Navdurga. Devotees link her to creation, ight and the energy that sustains life.
The exact date changes every year with the Hindu lunar calendar. Customs differ by household and region.
Who is Kushmanda?
According to a widely told devotional tradition, the universe was wrapped in darkness before creation. Kushmanda is said to have brought the cosmos into being with her gentle smile, which produced the first light. Devotees therefore see her as a life-giving form of Shakti, the divine feminine power.
This is religious mythology, not a scientific account of how the universe began. For believers, the story expresses the idea that creation starts with divine energy and the power to bring life out of darkness.
What her name "Kushmanda" means?
Devotional explanations break hte name into three sanskrit words: Ku, meaning little: Ushma, meaning warmth or energy; and Anda, meaning egg. Together, they point to a small sphere energy or the cosmic egg. Kushmanda is also a word for pumpkin or a related gourd, which explains why some traditions offer pumpkin to the goddess.
Not every region interprets the name or the offering the same way.
Her form and what it symbolises
Images usually show Kushmanda as a golden, radiant goddess with eight arms. She is called Ashtabhuja Devi, meaning the goddess with eight arms. She often rides a lion or a tiger, depending on the tradition. It stands for courage and strength.
Her eight hands hold objects that devotees read as symbols. The water pot, or kamandalu, stands for purity and spiritual discipline. The bow and arrow stand for focus and determination. The lotus stands for purity and growth. The pot of nectar, or amrit kalash, stands for nourishment and vitality. The prayer beads stand for meditation and devotion. The mace stands for strength, and the discus for the power to protect cosmic order. The arrangement of objects varies across images and regions.
Devotional accounts place her in the core of the Sun and link her to the energy that sustains it. Her golden radiance stands for light, warmth and the removal of darkness.
Why is she worshipped?
Devotees pray to Kushmanda for several related reasons. They link her to new beginnings and creativity, to energy and vitality, and to light overcoming darkness. Many also pray for health, happiness, prosperity and harmony in the family.
When is she worshipped?
Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of Navaratri, the nine-night festival of Durga’s forms.
The nine forms are honoured in order, starting with Shailaputri. Brahmacharini is second and Chandraghanta third. Kushmanda is fourth, followed by Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.
In Nepal, the worship falls within Dashain, which begins with Ghatasthapana.
How families can worship at home
Customs vary, so families may follow their own tradition, priest or temple. One common simple sequence follows.
- 1.Clean the space. Bathe, wear clean clothes and prepare a clean altar with a picture or idol of Kushmanda.
- 2.Gather offerings. Flowers, water, rice grains (akshata), fruit, sweets, incense and a lamp. Pumpkin or petha may be offered where the custom is observed.
- 3.Begin with prayer. Sit calmly, remember Durga and state your intention to worship Kushmanda with devotion.
- 4.Make offerings. Offer flowers, water and incense, and light an oil or ghee lamp if safe. Keep flames away from curtains and other flammable items.
- 5.Recite the mantra. Repeat it with concentration. You may add a prayer or hymn from your family tradition.
- 6.Offer bhog and aarti. Present fruit or sweets as bhog, perform aarti in your household’s way, and pray for the well-being of your family and all living beings.
The mantra and offerings
A commonly recited mantra is ॐ देवी कूष्माण्डायै नमः (Om Devi Kushmandayai Namah), which means salutations to Goddess Kushmanda. A longer verse often associated with her praises the goddess who abides in all beings in the form of Kushmanda.
Common offerings include pumpkin or petha, fruit and sweets as bhog, flowers, water, incense and a lamp. Red flowers are preferred in some traditional descriptions, while yellow flowers may also be used in modern household worship. Some traditions recommend malpua or other sweets. No single menu is followed by every Hindu community.
Where she sits among the nine forms
Each Navadurga form expresses a different aspect of the goddess.
Commonly cited themes include devotion and discipline for Brahmacharini, courage and protection for Chandraghanta, motherhood for Skandamata, and spiritual accomplishment for Siddhidatri.
Kushmanda’s theme is creation, radiance and life-giving energy.
What comes next
The festival continues with Skandamata, the fifth form, associated with motherhood and nurturing.
