India, Oct. 18 -- As the final days of Shardiya Navratri approach, devotees across India are preparing to worship Goddess Durga's eighth form, Maa Mahagauri, and perform the traditional Kanya Pujan. However, the festival calendar has created uncertainty this year, with October 18 and October 19 both being considered for Maha Ashtami celebrations.

The confusion arises because the Ashtami tithi begins on Sunday, October 18, at 8:27 AM and ends on Monday, October 19, at 10:51 AM, according to the timings provided for this observance.

While some devotees follow the tithi-based timing and perform rituals on October 18, Drik Panchang and other calendar-based calculations identify October 19 as the principal date for Maha Ashtami.

Maha Ashtam...