The Goddess Durga Puja-Navratri

Navratri 2019 - All regarding the Nine-Day festival Of Goddesses Durga

Navratri is one amongst the most vital Hindu fasts and festival that consists of 9 nights dedicated to the goddess Durga.

The festival is also known as Navaratri, Navarathri or simply Durga Puja. Navratri consists of a set of 9 days and nights where 9 different avatars of the Goddess Durga are worshiped.

Navratri shortened from the actual word Navaratri is an ancient Sanskrit word which means 9 Nights (i.e, Nava which means 9 and ratri which means night). While there are various Navratris in one year, the major and most popular one is the Sharada Navaratri (also called the Maha Navratri). Sharada Navratri usually falls between September to October and more precisely in the month of Ashvina according to the Hindu calendar. While other Navratris are skipped by most Hindus, the Sharada Navratri is celebrated even in many other countries other than India among citizens of the Hindu faith. During Sharada Navratri, special prayers are done for the Goddess Durga, also commonly called Shakti (meaning Power) or the Divine Mother.
The Durga Pooja celebration consists of 9 days of festival worshiping the 9 avatars of the Divine Mother plus another 10th day called Dussehra or Vijayadashami which marks the end of Navratri festival. The period of September/October (i.e the month of Ashvina) marks the beginning of autumn and is known to be a very sacred period for the worship of Goddess Durga

The Navratri 2019 dates of the Ashwin month ar from September 29 till October seven.

It is one of the festivals celebrated across the length and breadth of India, though the celebrations in one part of the country is quite different than the other.

With varied customs and traditions, each region of India has its unique way of celebrating the Navaratri by honoring the multiple forms of Mother Goddess with their rituals and ceremonies

History & Story of Chaitra Navratri:

In both Chaitra and Vasant Navratri, all nine days are dedicated to the worship of the nine forms of Mother Durga Shakti. Chaitra Navratri is also known as ‘Vasant Navratri’ and is rooted in the legend of prince Sudarsana, who emerged victorious in the war with the blessings of Maa Shakti and performed ‘havan Yagya’ in her honor during Vasanta Navratri. Lord Sri Ram and Lakshman, during their ordeal to save Maa Sita from her captivity, performed a similar ‘havan.

Both Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri are dedicated to 9 types of Maa shakti – Durga.

NAME OF MAA DURGA:

Bhadrakali, Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika and honor the nine forms of Maa Durga. During Navratri, Vijayadashami is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Shri Ram over Ravana.
HAPPY CHAITRA NAVRATRI PUJA & VRAT

The devotees sincerely worship the 9 incarnations of god Maa Durga for 9 days to overcome the impact of negative forces through her blessings.

Each day has its own significance as it is dedicated to one of her forms: like Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.

During Chaitra Navratri devotees observe fast, chant mantras, sing hymns, recite chapters from Markandeya Purana and sing devotional songs throughout Navratri to be blessed with health and knowledge in their life.

While fasting and appealing is a solid practice, it is accepted restraint from mixed beverages, grains, wheat, and onion. Volunteers to be better ready to immerse up the assets that goddess Durga in her various structures voice to like 'Jagran' and 'Mata Ki Chowki' which are an essential piece of the convention to invoke the goddess name and to be in concordance with the heavenly vitality of Maa Durga.

Navratri 2019: Dates and Schedule

Important Occasion	Date	Day	Dress code color	Goddesses form
Pratipada, Day 1	29 September 2019	Sunday	Orange	Shailaputri
Dwitiya, Day 2	30 September 2019	Monday	White	Bramhacharini
Tritiya, Day 3	31 September 2019	Tuesday	Red	Chandraghanta
Chaturthi, Day 4	1 October 2019	Wednesday	Royal Blue	Kusumananda
Panchami, Day 5	2 October 2019	Thursday	Yellow	Skandamata
Shashthi, Day 6	3 October 2019	Friday	Green	Katyayini
Saptami, Day 7	4 October 2019	Saturday	Grey	Kalaratri
Ashtami, Day 8	5 October 2019	Sunday	Purple	Mahagauri
Navami, Day 9	6 October 2019	Monday	Peacock Green	Sidhihari
Dashami, Day 10	7 October 2019	Tuesday

Navratri Celebrations in Western India: Gujarat and Maharashtra

Dandiya Raas in Gujarat (Source) In Gujarat, Navaratri is a terrific network occasion where separated from the custom, individuals assemble in huge number at network grounds to play out the conventional moves of Dandiya Raas and Garba Raas along while singing reverential tunes. Individuals well-groomed up in their customary outfits and go through the night moving to the beats of well-known conventional Gujarati tunes. They likewise watch Jagran singing bhajans and adulating the Goddess throughout the night.
Garba Raas in conventional attires

In Maharashtra, here the first and the most recent day of Navaratri is particularly significant. The primary day is committed to Goddess Durga while the tenth day known as Vijayadashmi is devoted to Saraswati – the Goddess of Knowledge. This day is viewed as promising to begin anything new. Understudies keep their books and Businessmen keep their record books close to the icon to look for gifts on their accomplishments.
In any case, a few pieces of Maharashtra particularly Mumbai observes Navaratri like in Gujarat by sorting out occasions for Garba Raas and Dandiya Raas yet with a turn to it. Aside from the conventional moves, Mumbai has additionally presented its adaptation of these moves that have turned out to be profoundly well known as Disco Dandiya where customary melodies are blended with famous Bollywood tunes. Urban areas like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara likewise correspondingly observe Navratri.

Navratri Celebrations in Eastern India

Durga Puja in Bengal (Source)In Bengal and the places around it, the last four days of Navaratri are celebrated as Durga Puja in honor of Goddess Durga. Huge idols of the Goddess are brought home or to community pandals (tents) to be worshipped for all the four days with different pujas for each day.

On the last day, the idol is taken out in a procession to be immersed in water.

Kolkata is legendary for its Durga Puja celebrations and therefore the grand evening Pujas are a highlight of the competition. Bengalis also perform their traditional dances during these days.

Navratri Celebrations in South India

Mysore Palace lit up for Navaratri (Source)Even inside South India, the traditions fluctuate from one another. During Navratra in Mysore, the lovers adore the regal divinity Chamundi praising the celebration with terrific parades of elephants and pony chariots on the tenth day when the King heads to revere the Goddess at her ridge sanctuary. While states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, a conventional showcase of dolls called Bommaikalu are masterminded by the ladies.
It is a progression of odd advances where the underlying advances are loaded up with dolls of gods; the following stages have holy people from over the world. The following couple of steps show the ace fine art of the lady of the house while the last advance features the youngsters' work of sorting out their toys. Ladies welcome other ladies to their homes, and they trade, blossoms and customary images of a wedded India lady Bommaikalu

While Kerala commends this celebration in a completely unique way, upon the arrival of Durgashtami, a stylized custom is performed, and any examination related work is procrastinated on for the night. The next day checks as Mahanavami, out of appreciation for Goddess of Knowledge, Saraswati by performing pujas at home and in sanctuaries.
Kids from ages 3-5 are taken to the sanctuary to look for the Goddess' favors and are educated to compose their first letter sets in rice on this promising day.

The tenth day is known as Dusshera, known as the day Lord Rama conquered Ravana and to remember the triumph of good over shrewd, a likeness of Ravana is burnt alongside crackers  

Navratri Celebrations in North India

In this piece of the nation, this celebration is known as Navaratras and is seen with a time of fasting for seven days. On the eighth day, the quick is broken by welcoming home little youngsters as a symbol of the Goddess herself known as Kanjak Devis, to be venerated with conventional functions.
Navami is the ninth day of the celebration where the seeds of heartbeats or oats that were planted on a principal day and revered all during that time have now grown, and after the puja, the seedlings are submerged in water. It is especially demonstrated towards the reaping traditions of the spot.
In numerous pieces of North India, Ramaleela – a play on the epic Ramayana is performed. Like the festivals in South India, the tenth day of Navaratri known as Dusshera is praised here similarly by consuming the likenesses of Ravana. Nonetheless, here the models of Ravana's sibling Kumbhakarna and child Meghanand is additionally burnt alongside Ravana.
Ramleela performed during Navaratri (Source)While these pieces of India have their very own various methods for praising the celebration of Navaratri, they haven't faltered in grasping the conventions of others while commending their own. Dusshera of Kerala is praised in Maharashtra with a similar reason and eagerness simply like Dandiya Raas and Garba Raas have discovered their way into practically all Navaratri commending portions of India.