Durga Balidan is on Tuesday 4th October in 2022
Durga Balidan Timings
Aparahna Balidan Time = 1:19 PM to 3:39 PM
Duration = 2 Hours 20 Mins
Navami Tithi Starts = 4:37 PM on 3-October-2022
Navami Tithi Ends = 2:20 PM on 4-October-2022
About Durga Balidan:
It is necessary that Balidan of Maha Navami should always be performed on Uday Vyapini Navami. As per Nirnaysindhu, Aparahna Kala is the best time to perform Balidan.
Depending on the starting time of Navami Tithi on the previous day, it may happen that Maha Navami fasting and Puja occur one day before Durga Balidan. If Navami Tithi begins before Sanyakal on Ashtami, then both Ashtami Puja and Navami Puja can be performed on Ashtami Tithi. If it is the case, then all rituals like Ashtami Puja, Sandhi Puja and Navami Puja are performed together on Ashtami Tithi. However, it may be noted that Durga Balidan is always done on Navami Tithi only.
Devotees who refrain from animal sacrifice can perform symbolic Bali with vegetables like banana, cucumber or pumpkin. As per Hindu scriptures, Brahmins are prohibited from doing animal sacrifice and hence they do only symbolic Bali. Even at the famous Belur Math in West Bengal only symbolic Bali is performed with banana, white pumpkin and sugar cane during Navami Puja. White pumpkin used for Durga Balidan is called Kushmanda.