The celebration of Navratri continues for nine days and is the most-awaited festival. During Navratri, people worship the idol of Goddess Durga by offering her prayers and aarti. They even play Garba and Dandiya with their families and friends in their localities, party plots, or clubs. Navratri is a great festival of joy, happiness, excitement, and lighting. In these nine days, Mother Goddess is honored with yagnas, special pujas on specific days, homas, meditations, fasting, singing, and dancing Garbas. Navratri festival is celebrated to welcome Goddess Durga who won over all forms of evil and returns home victoriously. Girls and guys rejoice themselves exhibiting a different form of Garba for Her triumph.

Goddess Durga worshipped in nine avataars during Navratri

Goddess Durga worshipped in nine avataars during Navratri (LatestLY)

This year Navratri falls from Wednesday 10th October till Thursday 18th October with thrill, fervour, and passion. Goddess Durga is worshipping in nine different forms with nine different rituals. People dress in nine distinct colored dresses based on the day.

Dates/Days/Colors/Rituals for Navratri  

  • 10th October, Wednesday – Pratipada: Yellow
  • 11th October, Thursday – Dwitiya: Green
  • 12th October, Friday – Tritiya: Grey
  • 13th October, Saturday – Chaturthi: Orange
  • 14th October, Sunday – Panchami: White
  • 15th October, Monday – Shashti: Red
  • 16th October, Tuesday – Saptami: Royal Blue
  • 17th October, Wednesday – Ashtami: Pink
  • 18th October, Thursday – Navami: Purple
Nine Goddess Durga in nine different forms

Nine Goddess Durga in nine different forms (Spiritual Blogs of Sakhashree)

 

Great Celebration on 9-Days

  • Many people across the country fast the whole day for nine days and nights. Few people eat a vegetarian meal at night after doing puja of Goddess Durga which would be made without using garlic and onion.
  • Other people drink milk, and juice, and eat fruits and dry fruits during these 9 days and fruits. People mostly in Gujarat and Maharashtra do such fasting for these days. But it is advised that if he or she is fine with fasting, then they must do it, or else eat food sans onion and garlic 3 times a day for nine days.

    Fasting foods during Navratri (NDTV.com)

  • This 9-day phase is also good for keeping your thoughts, mind, and body clean and pure.
  • Light a Diya in front of Goddess Durga’s photo frame or statue, and decorate with a few fresh flowers.
  • Then people perform aarti with Diya in front of Mother Goddess.
  • One can also play prayer songs on a tape recorder and every people join hands to sing and pray.
  • People also offer prasad, like sweets and fruits to Goddess Durga, and later it is distributed among them.

    Prasad offered to Goddess Durga (GaneshaSpeaks.com)

     

  • People should avoid wearing black dresses. They can wear those colored dresses on the days of Navratri.
  • Few men avoid shaving or cutting hair these days.
  • Women worship the young girls and give them homemade traditional dishes, as they consider them as a smaller form of Goddess Durga.
  • Girls, guys, and children love to wear colorful dresses and dance in front of Goddess Durga, with full energy, joy, and hearts.
Gujaratis wear traditional outfits for Garba in Navratri

Gujaratis wear traditional outfits for Garba in Navratri (Nisha Heena Arts)

Nine Forms of The Mother Goddess

  • Shailaputri: Strength, courage and composure.
  • Brahmacharini: Recognition of your true nature i.e. infinity.
  • Chandraghanta: Alertness.
  • Kushmanda: Creativity.
  • Skandamta: Skills, innocence, courage, and compassion.
  • Kathyayini: Healthier relationships.
  • Kaalaratri: Dynamism through deep rest.
  • Mahagauri: Wisdom.
  • Siddhidhatri: Perfection and enlightenment.
Women and men play Garba and Dandiya

Women and men play Garba and Dandiya (The Asian Age)

The nine-night fest makes its ending with Dussehra where Ramachandra kills Ravana, winning over the evil. In a few areas of cities, a huge Ravana is built and fire is lit on his body to make him disappear.

Well, wishing everyone a very Happy Navratri, and have a great time with your friends and family! Also, do some shopping for yourself and your loved ones from Amazon, or Flipkart on great offers on the Navratri festival! 🙂

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Sanghamitra Roychoudhary
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