Hindu community leaders in the United States are sounding the alarm over the increasing trend of celebrating Navratri during the sacred Shraadh period (Pitru Paksha), which this year spans from September 7–21, 2025. The actual Navratri festival begins September 22, yet numerous temples and event organizers are planning Garba events prematurely.
“This is more than just a scheduling issue—it’s a question of dharma,” says Bharat Gohil of the cultural advocacy group Vandemataram. Gohil has launched a campaign urging Hindus in the diaspora to boycott all Navratri celebrations held during the Shraadh period, warning that doing otherwise may lead to spiritual consequences, including Pitru Dosh, a karmic imbalance caused by ignoring ancestral reverence.
The Sacred Significance of Shraadh
Shraadh (Pitru Paksha) is a solemn 15-day period devoted to paying homage to one’s ancestors through prayers, offerings, and reflection. Hindu scriptures strictly prohibit celebrations, festivities, and Goddess invocations during this time, emphasizing spiritual silence and gratitude toward forebears.
“To invoke Devi Maa while disregarding our Pitrus is both spiritually contradictory and scripturally forbidden,” Gohil explains. “This isn’t just culture—it’s cosmic law.”
The Commercial Exploitation of Faith
Shockingly, many early Garba events are organized or supported by Hindu temples and cultural groups, who, critics say, are placing profit before principle. Even well-known Gujarati artists—such as Atul Purohit, Aditya Gadhvi, Geeta Rabari, Kinjal Dave, Falguni Pathak, and Kirtidan Gadhvi—are under scrutiny for conducting Navratri tours abroad during Shraadh.
These artists, who abstain from performing in India during Shraadh out of respect for tradition, reportedly capitalize on the diaspora’s relative lack of awareness, performing abroad before returning to India for the official Navratri and then heading back to the U.S. for encore shows. This cyclical commercialization, according to Gohil, treats faith like a financial calendar.
A Call to Conscience
Vandemataram is urging the community to: Boycott Raas-Garba events scheduled before September 22, 2025.
Educate others about the sanctity of Shraadh and the scriptural importance of honoring ancestors.
Observe Navratri with full devotion—only after Shraadh has concluded.
“Faith must not be marketed. Let’s protect the sanctity of both our ancestors and our Devi,” says Gohil.
