NAVRATRI
What is the
significance of Navratri and what is it all about?
Navratri means
Nine (Nav) Nights (Ratri). Navratri festival sacred to the
Mother Goddess are celebrated in the month of October /
November. It is a festival of worship, dance and music
celebrated over a period of nine nights. It is celebrated
from the first to the ninth date of Ashwin Shukla Paksha
of the Hindu Calendar for the worship of the Goddess Durga.
It is during the
nine days that one is supposed to thank the female principle
of nature and the goddesses connected to them. As farming
communities were too busy during the day doing their
harvesting in the fields their only free time was in the
evening to celebrate the festival of the goddesses.
The nine nights
are devoted to the three main goddesses of Hinduism -
Parvati, Lakshmi and Sarasvati.
Navratri,
Navratras (as said in the north) or Navrathri (the
south Indian way) or Durga Puja (Bengali way) -
different names, different idols, different manner
of celebration, but the underlying theme remains the
same. This nine-day period from the new moon day to
the ninth day of Ashvina is considered the most auspicious
time of the Hindu Calendar and hence is the most
celebrated time of the year. Although it has different
names in different parts of India, it is celebrated by
Hindus from all regions.
It is said
that Navratri or nine nights (Nav-nine and Ratri-nights),
is celebrated with great enthusiasm as the conquest of
good over evil. Every region has its own myths and reasons
to explain this.
They are the
most important nights in the whole year, both for men
and gods. The nine nights when the goddess, or the cosmic
energy, is most vibrant - the navratri, the beginning of
festivity and prosperity!
The nine
different aspects of Devi (Goddess) are worshipped over
the nine days.
Goddess Durga
is believed to exist in many forms like Goddess Bhavani,
Jagdamba, Mahakali etc. The first nine days of the Ashwin
are devoted for worshipping the Divine Mother -'MAA'.
These nine days are divided and devoted to the Trinity of
God worshipped in a female form - three days for Durga
(Goddess of valor) three days for Lakshmi (Goddess of
Wealth) and three days for Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge
and Art). On the fifth day (Lalita Panchami - pacham), it
is traditional, to gather all books, light a lamp and call
upon Saraswati. The eighth (aatham) and ninth (nom) day,
it is traditional to perform Yagna (sacrifice offered to
the fire) to honor Divine Mother and bid her farewell.
Garba & Dandiya-
Raas
The most
characteristic dances of Gujarat during Navratri are the
Rasa and Garba (folk dance) dances which are performed at
all levels of society by men and women. Girls and women
dress in colourful ghagra-cholis with shining beads and
tiny mirrors. Men dressed in Kafni-Pyjamas (Rajasthani
costume). The images or idols of nine deities are placed
in the middle including Durga i.e. Devi Maata Ji's
which is Ghath Sthaapana (but this differs in some regions
of India) and the dancers form a circle around it singing
traditional songs, Garba and Dandiya-Raas is played with
wooden sticks (dandiyas) with great enthusiasm. Also in
other regions the dancers dance around a garba pot. The
pot is decorated with flowers, betel leaves, and has its
mouth covered with a cocount.
Prayers
At midnight,
aarti is performed to worship the image of Goddess Durga
with Pushpanjali and Thar offered to the Goddess and Prasaad
is shared amongst all the people present. The Devi-Sthaapana
is also performed in homes as an invitation to the Goddess.
A nine-day fast is observed where no food is eaten after
sunrise. Regular prayers are offered in morning and evening.
The mood of
Navratri is very colourful & unique and is a festival of
pure happiness and one of the most auspicious (subh)
occassions.
Please note:
The above information provided may differ in text in
different regions' interpretation.
