What
is Navratri?
Navaratri or Navaratra
is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine
nights in Sanskrit
Nav = nine and Ratri = nights. It is celebrated during the
period of Sarad Masi Aswin by Hindu lunar calendar, all eight days and nine nights
have its importance and is divided into sets of three days to adore three different
aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.
1st – 3rd day
These days are
dedicated to Durga Maa; the Goddess of power and energy.
On the first three
days, the goddess is invoked as a powerful spiritual force called Durga in order
to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects.
4th – 6th day
During this period
people worship Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity. During the next
three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who
is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible
wealth.
7th – 8th day
Saraswati
Maa is worship during this period, to acquire the spiritual knowledge
9th
day
On this day Kanya puja
is performed, nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are
worshiped.T he final set of three days is spent in worshipping the daughter of
Brahma as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success
in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity,
hence, the worship for nine nights.
To
celebrate a good harvest and to propitiate the nine planets, women also plant
nine different kinds of food grain seeds in small containers during these nine
days and then offer the young saplings to the goddess.
During Navratri, some
devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of
health and property. A period of introspection and purification, Navratri is
traditionally an auspicious time for starting new ventures
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