The fall season at Kashi Ashram brings many celebrations and rituals including sacred Vedic ceremonies called a pujas and fire ceremonies called homas. Following the cycles of the moon, the celebration of the divine Mother at Durga Puja, or Navaratri, starts at the end of September this year. Each night participants can experience a different sacred vedic fire puja or homas, to one of the goddesses Kali, Laxmi, and Saraswati. The final night of puja to Mother Durga culminates with a loud and colorful procession around Kashi’s Ganga pond. This ancient tradition of fire ceremonies is used for purification and cleansing and is full of rich symbology. These pujas have been done at Kashi for more than 35 years.

The Durga Puja 2016 includes: Kali Puja on September 30; Laxmi Puja on October 1; Saraswati Puja on October 7, Durga Puja on October 8. All pujas start at 6:30 p.m. Suggested puja donation is $25 (includes vegetarian dinner at 5 p.m.) Appropriate attire requested (no tank tops or shorts).

In addition, there will be a yoga retreat centered around the celebration of Diwali, the beautiful festival of lights. The Diwali Yoga Retreat is for everyone and includes meditation and chanting, Bhangra dancing, ceremony of lights, and moonlit Kali Natha Yoga. The retreat will be held October 28-30. Cost is $220 commuter rate, $299 early bird rate with lodging (before October 7).

For more information, call 772-589-1403, ext 0 or visit Kashi.org. Kashi is located at 11155 Roseland Road, in Sebastian.