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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Festival of India: Navratri

Festival of India: Navratri

Updated on October 13, 2015
JYOTI KOTHARI profile image
A businessman, a philanthropist, and a freelance writer. I love to write about India and its festivals.

Grand start to Navratri festival in Ahmedabad

Grand start to Navratri dance festival in Ahmedabad in presence of Shri Narendra Modi, 7 October 2013
Grand start to Navratri dance festival in Ahmedabad in presence of Shri Narendra Modi, 7 October 2013 | Source

Navaratri (Navaratra): Significance of Festival


Navratri (Navaratri, Navratra) is one of the most auspicious festival for Hindus of India. The festival is also called Navaratra. India observes Navratri festivals twice in a year. Once in Chaitra and another in Ashwina. Nava means number nine in Sanskrit language and Ratri means nights. Hence the word Navaratri means nine nights.
(Navaratri is commonly spelled in English as Navratri)
Hindus of India and abroad worship Devi Durga, a ten-armed goddess, who destroyed evils and brought peace in the universe. (Devi Durga is depicted with eight arms in some places). She is worshiped in different names and manner during nine days of Chaitra i.e. New moon day of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada to Navami the ninth day of lunar calendar. The same is repeated exactly after six lunar months according to Indian calendar.
This time it is in the Ashwina, i.e. Ashwina Shukla Pratipada to Navami, the ninth lunar day. These nine days of Navratri are considered as one of the most auspicious time of the Hindu Calendar. Nine different forms of Devi Durga are worshiped over these nine days and nights.
Navaratra falls between September 19 and September 27 in year 2009.

Navratri Kolu special

Navarathri is the Indian festival. in that time they arrange the steps decorated by dolls
Navarathri is the Indian festival. in that time they arrange the steps decorated by dolls | Source

Significance of Navaratri


During Navratri, People invoke Shakti, the energy aspect of God in form of Durga, the universal Divine mother. The word Durga in Sanskrit language means remover of miseries in life. Hindus believe her as energy behind creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Durga symbolizes eternal energy or force behind motions in the universe. Hinduism salutes the motherly affection of god in form of divine mother Durga, the Adya Shakti during Navratri.
Divine power Durga comes in three forms of energies, Maha Kali, Maha Laxmi and Maha Saraswati. Maha Kali is goddess of bravery, Maha Laxmi is goddess of wealth and Maha Saraswati is of wisdom and academics. Each form is allotted three days during the Navaratri (total of nine days). In typical cast system of traditional India, Brahmins (Academicians, wise and knowledgeable community) worship Mahasaraswati, Kshatriyas (Warriors) worship Mahakali and Vaishyas (Traders and Business communities) worship Mahalaxmi mainly. This is how India observes Navratri.
The earth moves round the sun and duration of days and nights are constantly changing round the year. Duration of a day and a night in India are almost equal during March-April and September-October. Navratri fall in these months. As the duration of days and nights are almost equal, the nature lives in equilibrium in these days. These are also moderate seasons. Neither scorching heat nor chill cold. These are perfectly suitable for worshiping balanced energy form of our eternity.
Chaitra Navaratri falls in beginning of summer end of winter. Similarly Ashwina Navaratri falls in beginning of winter and end of summer. Both seasons are crucial for our mental and physical health. Devotion and prayer keeps us mentally healthy whereas fast and other penance energize us to fight with diseases and keeps us healthy physically.

Mahishasur Mardini (Durga) Stotra

Navaratri: Pious days



Hindu community in India believe that Navaratri days are among the most auspicious days according to Vedic lunar calendar. It falls just after Shraddh Paksh or Pitri Paksh. Hindus perform their duties to ancestors in Shraddh Paksh and then start worshiping mother god. It comes at the end of rainy season and monsoon days. It is also beginning of autumn. Farmers in India become free in this particular time after long days of hard work. This is the time for rest and enjoy for them. We have to remember that maximum number of Indians are dependent on agriculture and farming.
Hindu communities perform auspicious activities during the days of Navaratri. They buy Gold, silver, Jewelry, Real estates/ land and building, new clothes and other products in these days. Engagement and ring ceremony, start living in a new house, Mundan sanskar are also common in these days. They also start new ventures in business such as opening a shop or starting an industry. Lots of economic and financial activities take place during these days. In fact, it boosts Indian economy.
It is not only a religious festival but also an economic festival. Shopkeepers prepare their shops especially for this festive season. Economic and festive activities starting from Navaratri continues up to Deepavali (Diwali) and Bhai Dooj. Vijaya Dasami or Dasahara also falls between these days.
Navaratri festivals in West Bengal
Festival of Navaratri is observed in different parts of India in varieties of way.Navaratri is observed in Bengal as Durga Puja. Durga is Mahishasurmardini in Bengal. It is the incarnation of Durga to destroy demon Mahishasura. Mahish means buffalo in Sanskrit and Asura means demon. Mahishasura is depicted in form of buffalo and ten armed Durga kills him with the help of her vehicle in the form of lion.Durga Puja starts on the sixth day of Navaratri that is called as Shashthi. People of Bengal worship Devi Durga during Maha Saptami (seventh day), Maha Ashtami (Eighth day) and Maha Navami (Ninth day), the final day of Navaratri.Typically, idols of Durga are made of clay in Bengal.These idols are taken into a procession after completion of Puja and drowned to river Ganges or some other sacred rivers. The act of drowning the idol is referred as Bhasan or Bisarjan in local language. It is done on Vijaya Dasami, tenth day of Ashwina Shukla Paksh in lunar calendar.Bengali celebrates Durga Puja with great enthusiasm. Kolkata is pioneer in arranging Durga Puja. Puja pandals are decorated with gorgeousness. Celebrities in Bengal are also called to Puja pandals.Bengali buy and wear new clothes and shoes customarily during Durga Puja. They also intend to buy gold and jewelry during these days. Shops are decorated and filled with new range of products. Government and private companies issues yearly bonus before Durga Puja. Schools, colleges and other educational institutes declare Puja vacation during these days. All these features encourage customers for window shopping. Both retailers and whole sellers get good business during these days.
Bengali also prepare different varieties of traditional Bengali sweets besides rasogolla and sandesh. They often gift sweets and other things to friends and relatives. They perform Kolakoli (Hugging) on Vijaya. It is customary for them to meet and greet each other.

Dandiya in Gujrat and Navpad Oli


Durga is famous in Gujrat as Amba or Ambe. Navaratri i.e.Navratra in Gujrat is celebrated with Garba dances. People of all ages assemble to perform dandiya nrutya. It is a traditional form of worshiping the goddess as well as enjoying the festival.
Dandiya and garba is performed with great enthusiasm. It is so popular that it is celebrated in huge pandels as events. Not only Gujratis but people from all sects, casts and communities participate in the same.
A sizable population of Gujrati people live in Mumbai (Bombay), the financial capital of India. Hence Dandiya and Garba dances are organized as events in Mumbai too. Even the film stars and other celebrities participate in these events. These occasions provide event managers an opportunity for their business.
Jain community of India also celebrates nine days as Navapad oli. These nine days are little different from Navaratri. Navapad Oli also comes twice in a year in Chaitra and Ashwina. It starts from Shukla Saptami (Seventh day of lunar calendar in bright fortnight) and ends on the Shukla Purnima (the full moon day). Jain community worship Navapad (Siddha Chakra) by performing Ayambil tapa (Penance), a special type of fast.
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  • Jai Desai profile image
    Jai Desai 19 months ago from Bangalore
    Since we have Navratri 2016 is starting in next week, this article helps in a big way to know about Navratri celebration happens in Bharat. I would like to share some information on significance of Yagnas happens in Navratri during nine days and also what all Yagnas happens.
    Significance of Navratri Yagnas/Puja:
    Yagnas are an ancient science that works on purifying the environment, the individual, and the subtle level of consciousness. They are done to nullify negativity, and to create more positivity.
    The Divine is nothing but a form of energy. A pure and highly vibrant energy. Through the technique of a Yagna, this energy (which is highly pure and vibrant) is brought down from the subtle to the gross using the five elements, Mantras (chants) and Yantras (diagrams). When this pure energy touches the Earth element, it has a purifying effect on the physical atmosphere, the subtle atmosphere and on the people who participate in the Yagna.
    Yagnas can be performed during Navratri:
    1. Rudrabhishekam
    2. Sri Maha Ganapathy Homam,
    3. Sri Subramhanya and Navagraha Homam
    4. Sri Maha Rudra Homam
    5. Sri Maha Sudarsana Homam,
    6. Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam
    7. Shatha Chandi Homam
    8. Rishi Homam
    9. Vijayadashami Pooja
    Know the schedule of all the Yagnas happens at The Art of Living International center on http://www.artofliving.org/navratri/celebrations-a... Also you can watch it online.
    Status: Spam.
  • profile image
    sati 7 years ago
    so interesting n niceia uncle
    Status: Approved.
  • profile image
    Sourav Bhattacherjee 8 years ago
    The Katyayani Puja, one of the most sacred occasions of Hindu community, has over time become the biggest festival for the people of Magura in Bangladesh. It is celebrated with more pomp and grandeur than anywhere else in the subcontinent. Every year thousands of devotees, from different parts of Bangladesh, even from India, come here to attend the festival. On this occasion, grand pandals are set up at different places of the town to house life-sized or bigger idols of Devi Katyayani and Her four children which are worshipped for five days, from the sixth to tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Kartik. Earlier the pandals were just used to be grand structures but with time more and more innovations began to be made, adding extra-ordinary beauty to the entire festival.
    And again the time has come this year for which the people of Magura have been waiting eagerly. The day is not so far- 9th Kartik (24 October). The countdown has already begun…
    Status: Approved.
  • JYOTI KOTHARI profile image
    Author
    Jyoti Kothari 8 years ago from Jaipur
    Sunanda,
    Thanks for your comments.
    Jyoti Kothari
    Status: Visible.
  • profile image
    Sunanda 8 years ago
    Exhaustive description of Navratri. Especially about nine incarnations of Durga.
    Thanks for a good hub on Nnavratri festival of india.
    Thanks,
    Thumbs up.
    Sunanda
    Status: Approved.
  • profile image
    Ashok saha 8 years ago
    Jyoti,
    This Navratri hub has exhaustive details. I could know about nine incarnations of Devi Durga through this hub. First time I came to know that Durga puja in Bengal is a part of navaratri.
    Thanks for the series "Festival of India".
    Ashok Saha
    Status: Approved.
  • profile image
    Ashok saha 8 years ago
    Jyoti,
    This Navratri hub has exhaustive details. I could know about nine incarnations of Devi Durga through this hub. First time I came to know that Durga puja in Bengal is a part of navaratri.
    Thanks for the series "Festival of India".
    Ashok Saha
    Status: Approved.
  • profile image
    Amit Sahney 8 years ago
    Hi Jyoti,
    Awesome hub. Superb description. We were worshiping
    Navratri in our family since many years but never know why nine days.
    You have nicely described about nine incarnations of Durga. Noe it is clear why nine days.
    You have also mentioned about Navratri festivals in different parts of India such as Durga puja in Kolkata aand Garba in Gujrat.
    Thank you for a nice hub.
    Amit Sahney
    Status: Approved.
  • JYOTI KOTHARI profile image
    Author
    Jyoti Kothari 8 years ago from Jaipur
    Dear Readers,
    Third hub in Festivals of India series is published about Navaratri. Navaratri will be commencing just two days from today. Religious Hindus will worship Devi Durga and others enjoy Garba and Dandiya.
    Please feel free to tell your vies in comments section.
    Jyoti Kothari

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