NAVRATRI

Navratri is the Hindu festival of worship and dance. In Sanskrit Navratri means nine nights since it’s celebrated over nine days, during the lunar month of Ashwin or Kartik (September – October). During these nine days, nine forms of Shakti (metaphor for goddess Durga) are worshipped.

These nine forms of the goddess are:

Durga (the inaccessible one)

Bhadrakali

Ambsa or Jagadamba ( Mother of the universe)

Annapurna, the one who bestows grain(an)in plenty ( Purna)

Sarvamangala, the one who gives joy ( mangal) to all ( sarva)

Bhairavi

Chandika or Chandi

Lalita, the one who plays

Bhavani

Mookambika

Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess.  

The first three days are devoted to worship of Maa Durga, the goddess of Valor. Her various manifestations, Kumari, Parvati & Kali are all worshipped during these days.

During the second three days, Lakshmi Maa, the goddess of peace & prosperity is worshipped. On the fifth day known as Lalita Panchami, it is traditional to gather and display all literature available in the house, light a lamp or diya to invoke Saraswati Maa, the goddess of knowledge and art.  

In the final three days, Saraswati Maa, the goddess of wisdom is worshipped to acquire the spiritual knowledge. On the eight and ninth day, it is traditional to perform Yagna  (Sacrifice offered to the fire) to honor Divine mother & bid her farewell.

All hindus celebrate this festival at the same time in different ways, in different parts of India as well as abroad.  

In the Northern India the nine days of Navaratri is observed as a time for rigorous fast, followed by celebrations on the tenth day. During this time “Ramlilla” or Rama drama is enacted and ends on the tenth day with Dusshera celebrations.

In the Western India, especially in Gujarat, the nine nights of Navaratri are spend in song and dance merriment. They perform their traditional dances Garba and Dandiya - Ras. The women dress up in exquisitely embroidered choli, ghagra and bandhani dupatttas, dance gracefully in circles around a pot containing a lamp. The word garba or garbha means womb, and in this context the lamp in the pot , symbolically represents life in the womb. In the dandia dance the men and women participate in pairs with small, decorated bamboo sticks called dandias in their hands . At the end of these dandies are tied tiny bells called ghunghroos that make a jingling sound when the sticks hit one another. The dance has a complex rhythm.

In Southern India, the major celebration is Dussehra. Chamundi, a form of Durga, is the family deity of the Maharaja of Mysore  There is a grand procession of elephants, horses and courtiers wending a circuitous way to the hill top temple of the goddess Chamundi.

In the Eastern India, Durga Puja is the major celebration, especially in Bengal and rest of the eastern India. Singing, dancing, sweets and gaiety are an integral part of the Durga Puja Festival.   

DUSSHERA

The festival of Dusshera is also known as Vijayadashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. According to the great Hindu scripture, Ramayans, Lord Rama performed chandi puja, a holy prayer in order to invoke the blessings of Durga Maa for the killing of Ravana, the ten headed demon king of Sri Lanka who had abducted Sita, wife of Lord Rama. Durga maa divulged the secret of how to slay Ravan, to Lord Rama.

The day he slayed Ravan is celebrated as Dusshera. On this day Actors dressed as Rams shoot flaming arrows at the effigies stuffed with fireworks.

DURGA PUJA  

Durga Puja is the principle festival in Eastern India during Navaratri .It is celebrated through public ceremonies of “Sarbojanin Puja” or community worship. Huge pandals (temporary decorative structures) are constructed to house these grand prayer services, followed by mass feeding, and cultural functions. The earthen icons of Goddess Durga, accompanied by those of Laxmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikya, are ceremonially immersed. Bengali ladies give an emotional send –off to Durga amidst drumbeats. This marks the end of goddess’ brief visit to the earth. As Durga leaves for Mount Kailash, the abode of her husband Lord Shiva, it’s time for “Bijoya” or Vijayadashmi, when people visit each other’s homes, hug each other and exchange sweets