🔆Happy Navratri🔆

Today is the first day of Navratri, the festival that is celebrated all across India for nine days and nine nights, the festival that signifies the victory of good over evil, the festival that celebrates the divine femininity.

Goddess Durga’s Nine Manifestations :

Navratri is mainly devoted to the nine manifestations of goddess Durga. The nine forms of Goddess Durga worshipped during these nine days signify various virtues of the goddess:

Maa Shailputri (daughter of the Himalayas) — representing the power of the earth.
Maa Brahmacharini — symbolizes penance.
Maa Chandraghanta — destroyer of all evil, depicted with a crescent moon on her forehead.
Maa Kushmanda — the creator of the universe.
Maa Skandamata — carrying Lord Kartikeya, representing motherhood.
Maa Katyayani — the warrior goddess.
Maa Kaalratri — embraces a dark complexion to depict the fierce form of Durga.
Maa Mahagauri- symbolizes purity.
Maa Siddhidatri — signifies perfection or enlightenment.

Navratri Celebrations Across India:

Navratri is celebrated differently in various parts of the country, each with its unique flavor in the East, West, North, and South.

Traditions in North India:

In many parts of North India, it is celebrated by performing Ramlila in temples or theaters. In small villages, it is performed on temporary stages at night.

Gujarat’s Vibrant Garba and Dandiya:

In the West, especially in Gujarat, people celebrate the festival by performing the Garba dance. They also use dandiya (sticks), symbolizing the battle between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura in a dramatic form.

Bengal’s Extravagance :

In the East, the festival is celebrated as Durga Puja. If you visit West Bengal during this period, you will experience an abundance of delicious and mouthwatering food. Kolkata’s Durga Puja received the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Tag in 2021.

Festivities in the South :

Navaratri is celebrated with the same fervor in the South. Homes and temples are adorned with lights, and people exchange sweets and clothes. Decorated dolls are also placed in homes.

Kanya Puja:

One of the most essential aspects of Navratri is Kanya Puja. On the eighth or ninth day of the festival, people invite a group of young girls to their homes for Kanya Puja. The young girls are worshipped as living embodiments of the goddess.

The tenth day is then celebrated as Dussehra Or Vijayadashmi, signifying the victory of good over evil.

Thus, during these nine days, the nine forms of the goddess are worshipped in various ways, emphasizing the power, strength, courage, and wisdom of women. The rituals of the festival serve as a unifying force for the community, bringing people together for dancing, singing, and worship.