Shaildeep Singh Raina
Though, every region in India celebrates this festival in its own way, Navratri Festival is dedicated to the three avatars of Goddess Shakti – Durga (the warrior Goddess), Lakshmi (the Goddess of wealth), and Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge). Cultural diversity is shown along with the cultural unity of all the regions of India.
India is a land of festivals fasts and festivals are of great importance here. All these fasts and festivals are celebrated in all over India with great zeal and faith. Among all the fasts and festivals, Sharda Navratra holds a place of great importance. Navratri” or “Navratra” is a combined word which translated means nine nights. “Nav” means nine and “Ratri” means night, so combined it means Navratri or Nine nights. In northern parts of India this festival is called ” Navratra”.
Navratri is a nine day holy festival, which is celebrated to propitiate Goddess of Shakti or Divine Mother. Many devotees keep fast on all the nine days of this holy festival of nights. Devotees throng the Devi temples all over India where Goddess Idol is decorated beautifully. Navratri celebrations are observed very enthusiastically in the state of Gujarat where all nine nights of Navratras are spent in vibrant Garba and Rasa dance. In West Bengal Durga Puja is the most important festival and is celebrated with gaiety and enthusiasm.
The festival of Navratri is celebrated with prayers and gaiety in the beginning of the Ashwin (autumn) and the beginning of Chaitra (spring). This period is a time for self-referrae. During this time of transformation, nature sheds the old and gets rejuvenated and life emerges back afresh in the spring.
Chaitra Navratri is nine days festivity which starts on the first day of Hindu Lunir-Solar calendar and falls in the month of March or April. Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama usually falls on the ninth day during Navratri festivity. Hence Chaitra Navratri is also known as Rama Navratri.
SIGNIFICANCE OF NAVRATRAS
Symbolizing victory of positivity over negativity, Navratri literally means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit; Nav – Nine and Ratri – nights. During these nine nights and ten days, the three forms of the goddess -Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati – are invoked.
Amidst great celebration, the mind can be carried away and easily go off-center. Usually in any celebration, the mind goes everywhere. So to bring back the mind to the centre, we keep a joyful silence with awareness. The mind is always conditioned to patterns.
When a person gradually gains victory over evil tendencies, there is a void or emptiness. If left empty, the new found victory over evil tendencies will be lost soon. Therefore, this void should be filled with spiritual wealth.
Goddess Lakshmi. Represents ‘Sri, Tejas, Aishwarya’ – prosperity, peace, purity and serenity.
1. Navratri’s each night (ratri) is dedicated to one form of Goddess Durga. That is every night (ratri)of the Navratri corresponds to worship of different forms of Goddess Durga.
* Maa Shailputri : The daughter of Parvatraj Himalaya (King of the Mountain Himalaya). She married Lord Shiva and is known as mother of Lord Ganesha (The Remover of obstacles) and Kartikeya (The God of War).
* Maa Brahmachaarin : She gives the message of pure love to the world.
* Maa Chandraghanta : She establishes Justice. She wears the crescent moon on her head.
* Maa Kushmaanda : She provides the basic necessities, and every day sustenance to the world.
* Skand Maa : She gives the gift of differentiation & discrimination of right from wrong to the world.
* Maa Kaatyayini : She persistently & relentlessly battles against the evil and deceitful & devious entities.
* Maa Kaalratri : She killed Raktabeeja (A demon who had the power to produce a demon from every drop of blood that fell from his body. Goddess & Divine Mother eventually licked the blood before it could reach the ground and hence conquered & over powered him).
* Maa Chaamunda : She killed two demons–Chanda and Munda and restored tranquility & order in the world.
* Maa Maha Gauri : She also liberated the world from the evil forces.
* Mata Sidhidaarti : She is a treasure house of Mystic Powers (Yantra Tantra) and Knowledge (Gyaan).
The devotees worship these nine incarnations of goddess Durga till nine days to get blessing of Maa Durga. It is believed that People who worship Maa Bhagwati, do fasting and chant mantras during Navratri will be blessed with prosperity, health and wisdom in their life. Jaagran also made by the devotees during Navratri nights.
It also proves that “God is One”.
These nine days are an opportunity to be completely in Sadhana, Seva, Satsang and of course, the grace of the Master is already with us.
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