Maha Ashtami (or Durga Ashtami) is the eighth and one of the most auspicious days of the Navaratri / Durga Puja festival, dedicated to the worship of the Goddess in her potent forms. According to traditional texts, it is believed that on this day, Goddess Durga assumed the fierce persona of Chamunda to slay the demons Chanda and Munda, symbolizing the destruction of inner and outer negativity.

Devotees perform Mahasnan (a ritual bath), Shodashopachar Puja (sixteen-step worship), and Sandhi Puja, the ritual crossing from Ashtami into Navami, remembering the precise moment the goddess struck the final blow. A hallmark is Kanya Puja (or Kumari Puja), where young girls symbolizing the divine feminine are honored, fed, and gifted - emphasizing reverence to feminine power.

Spiritually, Maha Ashtami is seen as a day for inner cleansing, renewal, and transformation. Devotees seek the blessings of Maa Mahagauri, a form representing purity, calm, and peace, hoping for strength, moral clarity, and protection. Across India, temples and community pandals swell with worshippers chanting hymns, offering bhog (sacred food), and engaging in cultural performances. Maha Ashtami thus stands as the spiritual high point of Navratri, reminding devotees that the victory of righteousness over chaos begins within.