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.

Significance of Navaratri

Hinduism salutes the motherly affection of god in form of divine mother Durga, the Adya Shakti in 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 is beginning of summer end of winter. Similarly Ashwina Navaratri is 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.

Nine forms or incarnations of Devi Durga

1. Shailaputri

The Navratri festival begins with worship of Durga in form of Shailaputri where Shaila means mountain and Putri means daughter. (Daughter of Mountain, the Himalaya).

Devi Durga is considered as a daughter of Himalaya. Shailaputri is the first among nine Durgas. Other name of Shailaputri is Parvati. Parvati or Shailaputri worshiped Lord Shiva to be his wife. Lord Shiva, being satisfied with her devotion and sacrifice married her.

2. Brahmacharini

Hindus worship Durga as Brahmacharini in the second day of Navratri. Here Brahma means Tapa (Penance), Charini means who performs. Hence meaning of Brahmacharini is who performs or observe penance. Devarshi Narad told her to performed it to get Lord Shiva as her husband and she did accordingly. She is also known as Uma.

3. Chandraghanta
Chandraghanta form of Shakti devi Durga is worshipped in the thirdday of navratri. Chandra means the moon. Chandraghanta carries a half circular moon in her forehead, hence called with that name. Her golden color body and three eyed face are charmful and bright . She holds weapons in her ten hands and seated on a lion. Chandraghanta form of Shakti is ready to fight all evils, demons and danavas.

4. Kushmanda
Kushmanda means pumpkin. The fourth form of Durga loves offering of pumpkins. Hence, the name Kushmanda became famous. It is told that she creates the universe. This image has eight hands, holding seven types of weapons and a Rosary. Hindu community worship devi Kushmanda on the fourth day of Navaratri.

5. Skanda Mata
Fifth name of Durga is Skanda Mata having white color, four hands and three eyes,seated on a lotus. Skanda Mata is worshiped in fifth day of navratri. Skanda, General of gods’ army, is son of Devi Durga and Lord Shiva. Hence Durga is also worshiped as Skand Mata where mata means mother. She holds Skanda in her lap.

6. Katyayani

Sixth form of goddess Durga is Katyayani. Rishi Katyayan had observed penance and get Parama Shakti as his daughter. As a daughter of Katyayan, she is referred as Katyayani . She has three eyes and eight hands and seated on a lion. Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri.

7. Kalratri

Hindus worship horrifying image of Durga as Kalratri on Maha Saptami, the Seventh night of Navratri. Here Kal means death and Ratri means night. Kalratri is black as darkness of night, hairs unlocked, three dazzling and rounded eyes and flames coming out of her nostrils. She stands on a Shava (dead body) with a sharp sword in her right hand and a burning torch (mashal) is in the left. She blesses with her lower hands in fearless style. She is known as Shubhamkari while auspicious.

8. Maha Gauri

Maha Gauri, form of Durga as eight years old virgin is worshiped on Maha Ashtami, the eightth day of navratri. Maha means great and Gaur means white. Gauri is derived from Gaur and means a female with white color. Dust made the girl observing penance diry and Lord Shiva brought river Ganga to clean her that made her bright like lightening. Her body, face, clothes, ornaments and even her vehicle bull, all are white . Her are white and clean. She has three eyes. She rides on bull She has four hands. She is calm, peaceful and blessing.

Navaratri: Pious days

Navaratri festivals in different parts of India

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.