Goddess Durga - Hindu Deity - Navaratri Celebrations
Navaratri is a hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in sanskrit. Nava means nine and Ratri means nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of shakti/devi female divinity are worshiped.
Tradition of Navaratri
There are five Navaratris devoted to the worship of shakti out of which only three are being celebrated now:
SHARAD NAVARATRI
This is the most important of Navaratris and is simply called Mahanavaratri. It is celebrated during sharad (beginning of winter , sept-oct). It celebrates the slaying of Mahishasura by Goddess Durga. It is celebrated all over India.
VASANT NAVARATRI
It is celebrated during Vasantritu (spring season-March-April). It is celebrated in Northern India.
ASHADA NAVARATRI
This Navaratri is particularly important for all Upasakas of Varahi celebratd in July -August. It is called Guhiya Navaratri in Himachal Pradesh.
The various nine forms of shakti worshiped are:
DURGA
BHADRAKALI
AMBA OR JAGDAMBA
ANNAPURN
SARVAMANGALA
BHAIRAVI
CHANDRIKA
LALITA
BHAVANI
MOOHAMBIKA
In Rajasthan, Navaratri is celebrated with zeal by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the mother Goddess.
The Chaitra navaratra culminates in Ramnavami and Sharad navaratri culminates in Durga puja and Dussehra.
In the state of Rajasthan and Gujarat the Navaratri is celebrated with a famous Garba and Dandiya dance.
The nine days puja are distributed to different deities as follow:
First 3 days – Durga devi (destroy all impurities)
Second 3 days – Lakshmi devi(wealth)
Third 3 days – Saraswati (Goddess of wisdom)
