Navratri Day 3 — Maa Chandraghanta Puja Vidhi 2026

Navratri Day 3 — Saturday, March 21, 2026 — is dedicated to Maa Chandraghanta, the third and most warrior-like form of Goddess Durga. Her name says everything: Chandra (moon) + Ghanta (bell). The half-moon on her forehead is shaped like a bell — and when she shakes it, its sound alone destroys all evil and negative energy within its reach.

Also known as Chandraghanta Mata, Chandika, and Rannchandi, she is the married, warrior form of Goddess Parvati after her union with Lord Shiva. Worshipping her on Navratri teesra din (Day 3) invites courage, protection from nazar (evil eye), and the power to face life's fiercest challenges without fear.

Navratri Day 3 — Quick Reference (Chaitra Navratri 2026)

Detail	Information
Date — Chaitra Navratri 2026	Saturday, March 21, 2026
Date — Shardiya Navratri 2026	Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Tithi	Tritiya, Shukla Paksha — Chaitra
Devi	Maa Chandraghanta — 3rd Navdurga
Navratri Day 3 Colour	Grey — strength and calm under pressure
Vahana	Tiger (Sher / Baagh)
Planet Governed	Venus (Shukra) — love, harmony, relationships
Chakra Activated	Manipura (Solar Plexus) — confidence, willpower
Best Prasad / Bhog	Kheer (milk pudding) — her most beloved offering
Arms	Ten (Dashabhuja) — protection from all directions

The Story of Maa Chandraghanta — The Warrior Bride

After Parvati's intense penance as Brahmacharini won Lord Shiva's heart, their divine wedding was arranged. But Shiva arrived in his most fearsome form — matted hair, ash-smeared body, surrounded by ghosts, demons, and serpents. Parvati's family fainted in terror.

Parvati understood: this was Shiva testing whether the world could truly accept him in his totality. Without flinching, she transformed herself into Chandraghanta — ten-armed, golden-complexioned, riding a tiger, the bell-shaped crescent blazing on her forehead. She matched his fierceness completely. Moved and delighted, Shiva arrived in a gentle form for the ceremony.

From that moment, Chandraghanta became the symbol of courage born not from the absence of fear, but from love and conviction that are stronger than fear. She is the goddess who stands unflinching before life's most terrifying challenges — and that is exactly what she blesses her devotees with on Navratri Day 3.

💡 Why this matters for your puja: When life shows you its most frightening face — illness, financial pressure, a difficult relationship — Maa Chandraghanta gives you the strength to face it without retreating. Worshipping her on Navratri teesra din is specifically asking for that courage.

 

Maa Chandraghanta Ka Swaroop — Divine Form & Symbolism

Feature	Appearance	Meaning
Complexion	Radiant golden (Swarnim)	Divine light and prosperity
Moon / Ghanta	Half-moon shaped like a bell on her forehead	Its sound destroys all evil and negative energy
Arms	Ten (Dashabhuja) — each holding a weapon	Protection from every direction, simultaneously
Key Weapons	Trishul, gada, sword, bow, lotus, ghanta	Destroys evil while offering grace to devotees
One Hand	Abhaya Mudra (blessing gesture)	Even fully armed, she is always protecting
Vahana	Tiger	Fearlessness, raw power, unshakeable courage

Maa Chandraghanta Puja Vidhi — Step by Step (March 21, 2026)

Chandraghanta pooja vidhi on Day 3 continues from the Kalash set up during Ghatasthapana on Day 1:

1.     Wake at Brahma Muhurat (4:00–5:30 AM). Bathe and wear grey or light blue clothes — the Navratri Day 3 colour.

2.     Clean the puja space, sprinkle Gangajal. Water the barley seeds from Day 1. The Kalash stays in place — do not move it.

3.     Place Maa Chandraghanta's idol or picture next to the Kalash, facing East or North.

4.     Light a pure ghee diya and natural incense (mogra or rose). Let the flame stabilise before beginning.

5.     Take your sankalpa — state your name, gotra, and intention (courage, protection, relationship harmony, or Shukra dosha remedy).

6.     Perform Panchamrit Abhishek — anoint the idol with milk, curd, honey, ghee, and sugar in sequence. Wipe gently with a clean cloth.

7.     Apply sandalwood paste (chandan) and kumkum tilak to the idol's forehead. Offer fresh red or yellow flowers and a lotus if available.

8.     Offer kheer (milk pudding) as the main bhog — prepare with full-fat milk, rice, and sugar. This is Chandraghanta Mata's most loved prasad.

9.     Chant her mantra 108 times using a mala (see below). Ring a brass puja ghanta during aarti — especially symbolic for this Devi.

10.  Close with Durga Aarti, camphor flame, and distribute kheer as prasad.

 

📿 Day 3 Timing Note: The most auspicious time for Chandraghanta puja is Brahma Muhurat (4:00–5:30 AM) and the morning window 6:00–9:00 AM on March 21. The fact that Day 3 falls on a Saturday in 2026 makes it especially powerful for Shukra dosha remedy — offer kheer and lotus flowers with this specific intention.

 

Maa Chandraghanta Mantra — Chandraghanta Mata Mantra for Courage & Protection

Daily Jaap Mantra

"Om Devi Chandraghantayai Namah"

Chant 108 times with a mala during morning puja. Most accessible and widely chanted mantra for all devotees.

Dhyan Mantra

"Pindaaj Pravararudha Chandakopastrakairyuta | Prasadam Tanute Mahyam Chandraghanteti Vishrutaa ||"

Recite once before beginning the main mantra chanting as an invocation and meditation verse.

 

Chandraghanta Mata Ko Kya Chadhaye — What to Offer on Day 3

Offering / Samagri	Significance	Notes
Kheer	Most beloved prasad — dairy offerings please her deeply	Full-fat milk + rice + sugar; no salt
Lotus / Red-Yellow Flowers	She holds a lotus; red flowers match her warrior energy	Fresh lotus most auspicious; marigold accepted
Sandalwood Paste (Chandan)	Cooling, purifying; aligned with the moon she carries	Apply on idol forehead and feet
Kumkum / Sindoor	She is the married form of Parvati — kumkum is sacred to her	After chandan tilak
Pure Ghee Diya	Most sattvic offering; she is pleased by pure light	Light at sunrise; let burn through puja
Panchamrit	Five-ingredient abhishek — milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar	Before puja begins
Brass Puja Ghanta (Bell)	Her symbol — the sound of her bell destroys all negative energy	Ring during aarti
Natural Incense / Dhoop	Mogra or rose — sattvic fragrance for the puja atmosphere	Burn throughout puja

Avoid: Onion, garlic, non-vegetarian food, and regular salt in both bhog and your own vrat meals.

FAQs — Maa Chandraghanta Puja, Navratri Day 3

Navratri Day 3 ka rang kya hai? / What colour to wear on Navratri Day 3 2026?

Grey is the most widely observed colour for Navratri Day 3 — representing strength, calm under pressure, and a warrior's steady resolve. Some regional traditions follow blue for Day 3. Both are auspicious.

Chandraghanta mata ko kya bhog lagaye? / What is the best prasad for Maa Chandraghanta?

Kheer is her most loved prasad. Made with full-fat cow milk, rice, and sugar — it is the traditional Navratri teesra din bhog offered in homes and temples alike. All milk-based sweets are also accepted.

Does Chandraghanta puja help with Shukra dosha and delayed marriage?

Yes. Maa Chandraghanta governs Venus (Shukra) — the planet of love, marriage, and harmony. Those with an afflicted Shukra, delayed marriage, or relationship discord are specifically advised to worship her on Day 3 with kheer, lotus flowers, and the beej mantra "Om Aim Hreem Chandraghantaye Namah" chanted 108 times. The Saturday date in 2026 adds extra planetary weight to this remedy.

Navratri teesre din kaunsi devi ki puja hoti hai?

Maa Chandraghanta — the third Navdurga form — is worshipped on Navratri Day 3 (teesra din). She is also called Chandraghanta Mata, Chandika, and Rannchandi. She governs the Manipura chakra and the planet Venus, and is invoked for courage, protection from nazar (evil eye), and Shukra dosha remedies.

Does ringing a bell (ghanta) during Chandraghanta puja have special significance?

Yes — more than for any other Navdurga form. The ghanta (bell) is the defining symbol of Maa Chandraghanta herself. Ringing a pure brass bell during her aarti is considered a direct act of connection with her energy — its sound is said to cleanse the puja space of all negative energy, nazar, and evil eye instantly.

 

Jai Maa Chandraghanta — Face Day 3 With Her Courage

Maa Chandraghanta did not become the warrior goddess because she had no fear. She became Chandraghanta because her devotion was stronger than fear. That is the blessing she brings on Navratri Day 3 — not the removal of every difficulty, but the inner strength to stand steady when difficulty arrives.

On March 21, 2026, light your ghee diya, offer kheer, ring the ghanta during aarti, and chant "Om Devi Chandraghantayai Namah" with full attention. That daily act of showing up — consistently, across all nine days — is itself the courage she rewards.

🙏 Jai Maa Chandraghanta! Jai Mata Di!

🛒 Shop Navratri Day 3 Puja Essentials → Art of Puja