Navaratri 2026 – Saptami: Sunset to Moonrise

Navaratri 2026  ·  Saptami  ·  October 17, 2026

A Whirlwind Day in Coney Island

I had a whirlwind day filled with a chock-full of activities, from morning walk to grocery shopping, then lunch with friends at a very nice Pakistani restaurant named Sweetness in Coney Island. After lunch, all three of us walked a couple of blocks to a huge Indian grocery store at the corner of Foster Avenue and Coney Island. My fridge is overflowing with veggies, but I couldn’t resist the temptation of buying sarson ka saag.

I noticed that my friend picked up nice glittering bangles with pearls and silver. Of course, how could I be left behind? I had to buy it too, even though I hardly wear any jewelry. I ended up buying three sets of beautiful bangles worth $40. Again, notice the symbol 4: my circle of my parents, Melvin and myself was complete. I came home mighty satisfied with my jewelry shopping, but my wanderlust was still unsatiated.

An Evening Walk to Marine Park

The evening was beautiful, the sun shining bright. Even though it was cold, chilly and very windy, I just wanted to be out and about. I made sure to wear the heavy winter jacket and a long scarf and went out for a walk to Marine Park. It is an oval-shaped park with two pathways, one for cyclists and the other for pedestrians. It is an oak tree-lined park with the heavy foliage of oak trees hanging above. Its swaying branches with countless leaves in the gusty wind were hugging me and showering their blessings upon me. I walked merrily, greeting my fellow netizens, then I crossed over to the Nature Center and was greeted by a spectacular splash of colors in the sky at sunset, with a pale moon rising up in the sky.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so without further ado, I would like to share this Navaratri’s Saptami sunset and moonrise with you.

Navaratri and Goddess Durga

We Hindus celebrate Navaratri in honor of Goddess Durga, the slayer of the demon Mahishasur, thereby restoring world peace! To learn more about her incredible achievements, you may read this Wikipedia article on Goddess Durga.