Source: Zee News

The auspicious occasion of Sharad Navratri is knocking at the door and the excitement is palpable. This year, Maa will be worshipped for 9 long days beginning September 26 to October 4 with Dussehra falling on the 5th. The 9-day festivity is dedicated to Maa Durga and during this time her nine different avatars are prayed to. 

Navratri coincides with Durga Puja or Pujo (As Bengalis would call it) — and both celebrate the victory of good over evil. Durga Puja is the major festival of the Bengali community and is widely celebrated across the globe. Durga Puja begins on October 1-October 5, 2022. 

Come Navratri (be it Chaitra or Sharad), the first thing which goes straight out of the kitchen are a few food items ( read ONION and GARLIC) which are embargoed for these 9 days. But have you ever wondered why?

In Hinduism, food items are categorised into three parts namely Rajasic, Tamasic and Sattvik Bhojan. It is believed that Sattvik food items are the ones that provide spiritual advancement—this puts all the vegetarian food items, with few exceptions, into the Sattvik category.

Sattvic diet gives importance to seasonal foods, fruits, dairy products, nuts, seeds, oils, ripe vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and non-meat-based proteins.

Rajasic food items, on the other hand, have a stimulating effect on the body and mind. It has neither a positive nor a negative impact on the body.

Food that harms the mind or body is considered to be Tamasic in nature. It is believed to cause mental dullness. Since onion and garlic are classified as Tamasic in nature, they are prohibited during the nine-day-long holy festival.