Why should one not touch non-veg and alcohol during Navratri… If you know the truth, you will not even feel like watching it.

Navratri 2025: Why are non-vegetarian food and alcohol prohibited during Navratri? Understand this through the Chandogya Upanishad, the Devi Bhagavatam, and Ayurvedic arguments. This is not just a religious rule, but also a secret related to health and spiritual practice.

Navratri: The nine days of Navratri are considered a festival of meditation, purification, and self-control. During this time, worshipping Goddess Durga isn't limited to chanting mantras or fasting, but also directly impacts one's conduct and diet. This is why the scriptures clearly state that non-vegetarian food and alcohol are prohibited during Navratri. But the question arises: why? Is it merely a religious belief, or is there a deeper rationale behind it?

Diet purification

Chandogya Upanishad says that Aharashuddhau Sattvashuddhih Sattvashuddhau Dhruva Smritih. That is, as will be the diet, so will be the mind. Navratri is the time of meditation, when it is necessary to make the mind satvik, stable and pure.

Non-vegetarian food and alcohol are considered tamasic foods, giving rise to anger, laziness, and lack of self-control. Therefore, both the Devi Bhagavata and Garuda Purana mandate their avoidance during the worship of the Mother Goddess.

Madhyam mansam cha matravrateshu na sevenam

The Devi Bhagavata clearly states that "Madyam maasam cha matruvrateshu na sevanam." This means that consuming meat and alcohol during Goddess Durga's fasts and festivals invites sinful consequences. This is considered not only an insult to the Goddess, but also a detriment to the blessings of the ancestors and gods.

Detox of body and mind

From a religious perspective, the discipline of Navratri is a natural detox for the body. Nine days of sattvic food, fruit, and fasting give the digestive system a break.

Alcohol and non-vegetarian food increase toxins in the body, while fasting and light meals boost immunity. That's why Ayurvedic experts have considered fasting to be a boon for health.

Tamasic tendencies versus concentration on spiritual practice

The true goal of Navratri is to focus the mind on the worship of the Goddess. Alcohol and non-vegetarian food distract the mind by increasing tamasic tendencies, disrupting the depth of meditation. However, eating fruits and sattvic foods brings mental peace and facilitates meditation.

Socio-cultural reasons

Navratri is a community festival. Families and communities worship together. When everyone adopts a sattvic lifestyle, unity and harmony are created. Non-vegetarian food and alcohol disrupt this purity and create dissonance in the atmosphere of community worship. This is why society considers them prohibited during Navratri.

Navratri is not just a festival of worshipping the Goddess, but also an occasion for self-purification. Scriptures state that tamasic food destroys spiritual practice, and logic suggests that it is harmful to the body, mind, and society. Therefore, abstaining from non-vegetarian food and alcohol for nine days is the true fast of Navratri.