About NAVRATRI
‘NAVA’ means ‘nine’ and ‘Ratri’ is made up of ‘Ra’ which also means ‘night’ and‘Tri’ meaning the ‘the three aspects of our life, Body, Mind and Soul. So‘NAVARATRI’ means ‘giving rest to all the three aspects of our life, for nine days’.
The festival of NAVRATRI lasts for nine nights. According to the Hindu calendarNAVRATRI celebration begins from the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin. Thisfestival is fully dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga Mata and her nine forms. Thesenine days are celebrated in all over the country with an ardent zeal and enthusiasm. Thedevotees all over India celebrate the last three days with much solemnity, calm and joy. But on the tenth day, Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is celebrated to commemorate the victory ofLord Rama over Ravana.
Among the things offered to the fire are hundreds of different herbs, fruits, garments, and mantras, all creating a gloriously divine atmosphere to drown in? Our ancestors felt the inadequacy of words and so they expressed themselves with symbols … for instance, we offer flowers and fruit to God. The ‘flower’ is a symbol of what we are – so full, attractive and so light – so beautiful. Fruits are symbols of completeness. In the life cycle of a plant, fruits signify completeness. Also the fruit is the ultimate result. That is how we feel when we offer the symbolic fruit to God with all the gratitude for contentment in life.
During the festival of NAVRATRI, Goddess Durga Deviis worshipped in nine avatars. During these nine holy days, each day of goddess Durga Mata is worshipped in differnt avatara.
1st day : Kalasha Sthapana (Kalasha Puja) or Ghata Sthapana – Shailaputri Puja 2nd day : Preeti Dwitiya – Brahmacharini Puja 3rd day : Chandrakanta Puja or Chandraghanta puja 4th day : Kushmanda Puja 5th day : Skandamata Puja – Lalitha Panchami 6th day : Katyayani Puja – Maha Shashti or Durga Shashti 7th day : Kaalratri Puja – Durga Saptami or Maha Sapthami 8th day : Maha Gauri Puja – (Durgashtami Puja/Maha Ashtami/Veerashtami) 9th day : Siddhidatri Puja – (Mahanavami / Maharnavami or Durga Navami) 10th day : Aparajitha Puja or Shami Puja– Vijaya Dashami or Dasara
The 9 Avatars of MAA Durga Devi are :
| Mata Shailputri– First Avatara of Durga : Mata Shailputri is a daughter of ‘Parvata raju’ (mountain king) – Himalaya / Himvanth. She is the first among nine avatars of Durga and worshiped on the First day of Navaratri . In her previous birth, she was ‘Sati Bhavani Mata’, the daughter of King Daksha. Mata Shailputri, also known as Parvati got married with Lord Shiva. On the first day of Durga Navratri, Paravathi Devi she is worshipped. Mata Shailputri holds a ‘Trishul’, a weapon, in her right hand and a lotus in her left hand. She rides on bull. She has pleasant smile and blissful looks. | |
| Mata Brahmacharini– Second Avatara of Durga : Mata Brahmacharini is worshipped on second day of Navarathri. Brahmacharini is the goddess who performed ‘Tapa’ (penance) (Brahma – Tapa , Charini – Performer ). Mata personifies love and loyalty. She holds japa mala in her right hand and Kamandal in left hand. She is also called as ‘Uma’ and ‘Tapacharini’ and provides knowledge and wisdom to her devotees. | |
| Mata Chandraghanta– Third Durga : Mata Chadraghanta is worshipped on the thrid day of Navratri. She is very bright and charming. Durga Maa is astride a tiger, displays a golden hue to HER skin, possesses ten hands and 3 eyes. Eight of HER hands display weapons while the remaining two are respectively in the mudras of gestures of boon giving and stopping harm. Chandra + Ghanta, meaning supreme bliss and knowledge, showering peace and serenity, like cool breeze in a moonlit night | |
| Mata Kushmanda– Fourth Durga : Mata Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of Navrathri. . She shines brightly with a laughing face in all ten directions as the Sun. She controls whole Solar system. In her eight hands, she holds several types of weapons in six hands and a rosary and a lotus in remaining hands. She rides on Lion. She likes offerings of ‘Kumhde’, hence her name ‘Kushmanda’ has become popular. | |
| Ma Skanda Mata– Fifth Durga : Skanda Mata is worshipped on the fifth Day of Navratri. She had a son ‘Skandaa and holds him on her lap . She has three eyes and four hands; two hands hold lotuses while the other 2 hands respectively display defending and granting gestures. Its said, by the mercy of Skandmata, even the idiot becomes an ocean of knowledge. The great and legendary Sanskrit Scholar Kalidas created his two masterpieces works “Raghuvansh Maha Kavya” and “Meghdoot” by the grace of Skandmata. Mata is considered as a deity of fire. She rides on Lion. | |
| Mata Katyayani– Sixth Durga : Mata Katyayani is worshippedon the the Sixth Day of Navratri. Rishi Katyayan observed a penance to get Jaganmata as his daughter. She blessed him and took birth as his daughter on the bank of river Jamuna for getting Lord Krishna as a husband. She is considered as prime deity of Vraj mandal. Ma Katyayani has three eyes and four hands. . One left hand holds a weapon and the other a lotus She rides on Lion. | |
| Mata Kalratri– Seventh Durga : Mata Kalaratri is worshipped on the Seventh Day of Navratri . She is dark and black like night, hence she is called as ‘Kalratri’. Her hairs are unlocked and has three eyes and four hands.while the remaining 2 are in the mudras of “giving” and “protecting”. HER vahana is a faithful donkey. The destroyer of darkness and ignorance. She spills out fire from her nostrils. She holds a sharp Sword in her right hand and blesses her devotees with her lower hand. As she blesses her devotees with prosperity, she is also called as ‘Shubhamkari’. | |
| Mata Maha Gauri– Eighth Durga : Mata Maha Gowri is worshipped on the Eight Day of Navratri. Maha Gauri looks as white as moon and jasmine. She has three Eyes and four hands. Peace and compassion radiate from HER being and SHE is often dressed in a white or green sari. SHE holds a drum and a trident and is often depicted riding a bull . Her above left hand is in fearless pose and she holds ‘Trishul’ in her lower left hand. Her above right hand has tambourine and lower right hand is in blessing mudra. | |
| Mata Siddhidatri– Ninth Durga : Mata Siddhidatri is the worshipped on the Ninth Day of Navratri. Maha Shakti gives all the eight siddhis – Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Iishitva and Vashitva. According to ‘Devi Puran’, the supreme God Shiva got all these siddhis by worshipping the supreme Goddess Maha Shakti. With her gratitude, his half body has become of Goddess, hence Lord Shiva’s name ‘Ardhanarishvar’ has become famous. According to some sources she drives on Lion. Other sources say, she is seated on lotus. Siddhidatri Devi is worshipped by all Gods, Rushis, Muniswaras, Siddha yogis, and all common devotees who want to attain the religious asset. |
.
The festival is also celebrated with intense fervour and zest, in whole India, in the form ofDurga Puja. The vibrant festivities last for ten days, of which nine nights are spent in worship, NAVRATRI. But this festival varies from place to place.
The most famous NAVRATRI celebrations are held on the western states of India (Gujarat and Maharashtra) in the form of Dandiya and Garba dances. In the time of dancing the dancers are moving around in a circle, with different steps around a lamp, which represent the Eternal Light of the Durga Mata. Generally Gujarati women dance around the circles by clapping their hands or decorated sticks to the rhythm of the devotional songs. After worshipping and ‘Aarti’, ‘Dandiya raas’ is performed all through the night.
In West-Bengal, NAVRATRI is the real lyrics of the Bengali life. This festival is essentially religious in nature. It is celebrated with true devotion. In the time of Durga Puja huge idols of the Mata Durga posed as killing the demon Mahishasura are worshipped in everywhere of the state. Huge ‘pandals’ are set up every where to worship Durga Mata (Goddess Durga). The tenth day is devoted to the worship of goddess Durga. She is Shakti, the cosmic energy that animates all beings. Beautiful idols of the Mother Goddess are worshipped in elaborate pandals for nine days, and on the ninth day, these are carried out in procession for immersion (visarjan) in a river or pond.
In Maharashtra, NAVRATRI celebration is slightly different than other states. HereNAVRATRI are dedicated to Goddess Durga while in kerala the Vijayadashami is dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. This day is considered auspicious to begineducation, buy new homes, start new ventures, and weddings. The Dasara of Mysore is also quite famous where caparisoned elephants lead a colourful procession through the gaily-dressed streets of the city. During NAVRATRI, Chamundi, the royal deity of the Mysore royalty is worshipped with pomp and pageantry.
In the Kulu valley in Himachal Pradesh, the hill- folk celebrate Dasara with a grand mass ceremony wherein village deities are taken out in elaborate processions. In Punjab,NAVRATRI is taken as a period of fasting.
In Tamil Nadu, the first three days are dedicated to the worship of Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity, wherein they perform puja, every night and regular cleaning is maintained all throughout because it is believed that Lakshmi would not enter if the place is filthy. The next three days to Saraswati, Goddess of learning and arts and the last three days to Shakti (Durga).
In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, women arrange ‘Bommai Kolu’, a special placing ofdolls in various costumes decorated with flowers and ornaments on specially prepared steps. Nine young ‘kanyas’ or virgins are offered new clothes and sweets as thegoddesses and married women share flowers, kumkum and snacks among themselves.