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Navaratri is one of the most important festival celebration that lasts nine days brings out a multihued festive look of India as a whole. Dedicated to Goddess Shakti or cosmic energy, during this period Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped as three different manifestations of the Mother Goddess. Traditionally, Navaratri is considered an auspicious time for starting new ventures.
Time For The Festivity
The beginning of summer and winter seasons are two every important
junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as
sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother Goddess and are
indicated respectively by the Rama-Navaratri or Ramnavmi in the Chaitra
(April-May) and the Durga Navaratri in Aswayuja (September-October). Sri
Rama is worshipped during Ramnavmi, and Mother Durga during Navaratri.
Ramnavmi
Ramnavmi is considered as one of the most important festivals of the
Vaishnava sect of the Hindus and celebrated as the birthday of Lord Rama,
which falls on the 9th day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. Some people
even observe a strict fast on this day. A major attraction of the
celebrations is the beautifully decorated temples and the richly adorned
images of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita Lakshmana and Lord Hanumana. The holy
Ramayana is read in all the temples. At the birthplace of Sri Rama,
Ayodhya, a big fair is held on this day.
In North India this festival's most eventful attraction is the
performance of 'Ram Leela' (the sport of Rama) based on the famous epic
'Ramayana'. In South India the 'Sri Ram Navmi Utsavam' is celebrated for
nine days with great fervour and devotion. Those talented in the art of
story telling narrate the thrilling episodes of the Ramayana and this day
is observed as the marriage celebration of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita.
Legends Of Shakti
Navaratras is the period, when the Navagrahas that rule every person's
life are said to descend on planet Earth. According to the legends the
forces of evil had run amok in the form of the demon Mahishasura. All the
Gods pooled their resources to arm Durga, who after nine terrible days and
nights of battle, defeated Mahishasura when he appeared as a demon buffalo
on the tenth day.
The other belief is that the nine Roopas or forms of Shakti; Mahakali,
Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Yogmaya, Raktdantika, Shakkubhari, Shri Durga,
Bhramri and Chanika are worshipped. During the Navaratras, Durga is
worshipped and invoked Vaishnavites however, remember Lord Rama.
Terracotta Kalashs are installed on small containers in which "Jau"
- a kind of barley sown and an oil lamp is supposed to be kept lighted all
through the nine days. Finally, on the tenth day, this installation is
taken for immersion in a river or lake, reiterating rejuvenation and
growth.
Navaratri Celebrations
The Navaratari celebrations that are celebrated during the months of
September - October have their own appeal and significance. In Gujarat
Navaratri is the festival of Garba and Dandiya galore and it is party time
all the nine nights. The pristine beats have buckled under some disco,
reggae and rap Garba and with all this dancing happening, matchmaking is
the inevitable fallout.
Durga Puja
Across the country, in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Assam, Durga Puja
commences on the fourth day of the Navaratras and enormous tents spring up
in practically every locality of both cities and towns and an amazing
array of images of Durga, crafted from the special clay of the Ganga are
installed. Image makers plan months in advance and attempt to outdo the
other in crafting these images using plethora of mediums including
Sholapith, coconut husk, cloth, flowers, betal nuts et al.
It is said that the Goddess comes back to her parents' house with her
children Kartik, Ganesha and siblings, Saraswati and Lakshmi, staying for
four days when a lot of celebration and merrymaking takes places and on
the tenth day of Bijoya or Vijaydashmi she is given a symbolic send off
when the idols are carried in procession and immersed in water, involving
a lot of tears and deeply moving scenes.