Navaratri 2026 – Ashtami: Sunrise, Temple Prayers and a Subway Poem

Navaratri 2026  ·  Ashtami  ·  October 18, 2026

Ma Durga was sending me enlightening brain waves, so I had an illuminating, productive night from midnight to dawn on October 18th. I worked on my Navaratri blog posts and also worked on how to make my memoir accessible to anyone and everyone in the world. Also, it was exactly twenty-one years since my de facto husband left me stranded in the middle of nowhere and passed away suddenly and randomly, for all that I know. He had no rhyme or reason to abandon me and depart in such a haste. Bugger didn’t even have the courtesy to say hasta la vista, baby!

A Sunrise Honoring Goddess Durga

I was so busy working that I lost track of time and stepped out for my morning walk a li’l later than my usual moonlit dawn time. The sky was pale yellowish pink as I walked out, but I had a wonderful glimpse of an amazing sunrise with sun rays forming a semicircle on the expansive grassy patch, honoring Goddess Durga.

On the Way to Satya Narayan Temple

After coming home from my morning walk, I quickly got ready to leave for Satya Narayan temple in Queens for special prayers of Ma Durga. It seems as if Ma Durga was keen to see me. Even though I was running behind my schedule, I didn’t miss the bus, and both the Q train in Brooklyn and the F train in Manhattan were awaiting my arrival with doors wide open. Both trains left the subway platform as soon as I boarded.

On the way to the temple in the F train, I saw a little girl travelling with her mom and brother, wearing a cap dotted with multicolored cone heads. She looked so pretty in her cute cap that my shutterbug self couldn’t resist the temptation of capturing her cap in my smart iPhone.

Ashtami Prayers and Havan

I reached the destination exit point right at the dot of 11 am, with a five-minute walk to the temple. The prayers were just beginning as I stepped inside the temple. It was an amazing sight: several ladies and gents in a neat row participated in the prayers while the priest chanted shlokas and mantras honoring Ma Durga. After the prayers, a community havan was performed (a holy, sacred fire is lit in a square pit, in which all community members pour sacred offerings to light the fire).

A Delicious Community Meal

And of course, we had a special treat in the temple after the prayers: a community meal. Several sincere people served food; I was one of the lazy ones who just gobbled the meal. It was a delicious meal. For the first time in my life I ate Sindhi Kadhi. I assumed it was South Indian Sambhar, but no, it was a yum, yum, yummy Sindhi Kadhi served over rice. I was fully satiated after that delicious meal, and it was getting late, so I headed home.

A Subway Poem to Close

On the way home in the subway, I was greeted by the poem Tiburón by Martín Espada, which I would like to share with you now and close the Ashtami offerings with this nice poem.