Maha Ashtami is the 8th day of the Durga Puja celebration. It is also known as Durga Ashtami or Maha Ashtami. It falls on the Ashtami tithi in the month of Karthik as per the Hindu calendar.
Public Holiday Dates
This year, Maha Ashtami falls on the 24th of October in India. This festival is mainly celebrated in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and so on.
| Festival Name | Date | States |
| Durga Ashtami or Maha Ashtami | Saturday, 24th October | West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha |
Mythology
The Maha Ashtami is the second day of the Durga Puja festivity. Maha Saptami is the day when the battle commences between Goddess Durga and Mahishasura, who is a demon king. The festival of Durga Puja is the celebration of the victory of the Goddess over the demon king.
As per the Hindu mythology, the world was under the threat of the evil buffalo demon, Mahishasura who could not be defeated by any man or god. However, all the gods came together and collected their energies to give rise to Durga, the ten-handed goddess who had one of the deadliest weapons from each god.
The festival comes to an end on the day of Vijaya Dashami. It is the 10th day of the festival. Maha Ashtami is one of the most important days during the 5-day festival.
The legend behind Durga Ashtami
The festival of Durga Puja is associated with the legend of Lord Rama. As per the Ramayana, Rama’s wife, Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana. In order to get his wife back from the abduction of Ravana, Lord Rama went into a battle against the demon king. Before he went for the battle, he prayed to goddess Durga.
The festival of Durga Puja is the celebration of good over bad. This is also one of the most important days during the festival. On this day, devotees fast till the puja is over. As per the mythology, this is the second day of the battle between goddess Durga and Mahishasura which starts on the Maha Saptami.
