Mystical Navratri Celebrations – Then and Now

8/11/2019 Mystical Navratri Celebrations Then and Now

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http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/mystical-navratri-celebrations-%E2%80%93-then-and-now

Mystical Navratri Celebrations Then andNowBy Suma Kumar

During Navratri, offer all anxieties, fears,worries, negativity into the sacrificial fire

and be rejuvenated with courage, enthusiasm

and knowledge and spread wisdom and light to

the suffering world. Lets bring peace, love, joy

and Happiness to all.

Navratri always brings memories of my childhood, which was so joyful, as we got 10 days of school

holidays, after the quarterly examinations. This was the only time when we were not expected to

do any studies and was only play all the time. In fact our books and pencils were taken off us and

kept in the Puja. I remember the pavements on both sides of the road having mounds of golden

chrysanthemums and garlands of yellow, orange flowers with mango leaves tied together in them.

Also this was the time when we as little girls, my sisters and our friends were often invited by

neighbours, friends and relatives to their homes for a special meal and given gifts, bangles and

plenty of attention by the women folk. I felt we were kind of worshipped and this made me feel very

special and happy. During these holidays we used to grind mehendi leaves to a fine paste and

apply it on our palms and keep it all night, sometimes waking up to see if it is still in place and

adding a few drops of water to places where it was too dry, so that we got the best colouring and

pattern on our hands. We also visited Devi (Mother Divine) temples, and were invited to homesthat had a bommai kolu - display of Devi and Vishnu idols in their many avatars. This was arranged

in 7 or 9 steps or more with lots of lamps, lighting and floral decorations and also kolams (patterns

made of geometrical lines and curves and dots on the floor with rice flour). We the children were

asked to dance or sing bhajans praising Mother Divine and were offered sundal (chick peas and

coconut), puffed, flaked and popped rice with jaggery, sugar cubes, banana and coconut and

kesari (a sweet dish) as Prasad, which we all enjoyed and looked forward to during the nine nights

of Navratri. Many years later and now living in a multicultural environment, I try to bring back that

magic for my daughter. However she needs a lot of explanation for the things we do and it has

been very educational and insightful for me as I share this age old tradition and celebrations with

her and with all of you through this piece on mystical Navratri.

Significance of NavratriThe beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic

and solar influence. These two periods are considered as sacred opportunities to worship the

Divine Mother. Navratri thus represents the celebration of the shakti (energy). Mother Divine is the

manifestation of the Divine consciousness as shakti.

Maha Navratri (the Great Navratri) is celebrated in the month of Ashvina. Also known as Sharad

Navaratri, as it is celebrated during Sharad (beginning of autumn, SeptemberOctober), it


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commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month, Ashvina.

This festival is devoted solely to the Mother Goddess known variously as Durga, Bhavani,

Ambika, Chandika, Gauri, Kaali, Parvati, Lalitha, Tripurasundari, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Chamundi,

Mahishasuramardini and her many other manifestations.

Mother is our first Guru, who guides us on the path of righteousness; she is the provider of

nourishment for her children, protector of her family and upholder of dharma and traditions. We

honour and worship these principles and rededicate ourselves to honour and uphold these

principles and human values and to spread joy, peace, love and happiness in the world.During this period, Hindus observe nine nights and ten days of ceremonies, rituals, fasts and

feasts in honour of the Supreme Mother Divine. It begins with the fast of Navratri, and ends with

the festivities of Dusshera or Vijayadashami.

During this vowed religious observance, a pot is installed (ghatasthapana) at a sanctified place at

home. A lamp is kept lit in the pot for nine days. The pot symbolizes the Universe. The

uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the effulgent Adishakti or Divine

Mother, i.e. Sree Durgadevi. During Navratri, the principle of Sree Durgadevi is more active in the

atmosphere. Pots of water, called kalash, are also worshipped as the Divine energy is absorbed

into the water during the chanting of mantras and yagnas that are performed to invoke the Divine

energy during the period of Navratri.

Nine Nights and ten days of Navratri"As we take nine months in our mother's womb, before we are born, we take these nine days to go

back to our source. These nine days are to be spent in meditation, satsangs, silence and

knowledge." - Sri Sri

Navratri purifies the individual & universal consciousness, the environment and the creation by

eradicating the misery, sorrow and pain in the world.Navratri is divided into sets of three days to

adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess. To know more about these three aspects,

read Honoring Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati.

Navratri 2014will be celebrated at Art of Living International ashram,Bangalore.

Unique Navratri Celebrations in Different Parts of IndiaThe last five days of Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Durga Puja in West Bengal, north-eastern

part of India. Devi Durga is shown with various weapons in her hand, riding on a lion. Lion signifies

the dharma, the will power, while the weapons denote the focus and severity needed to destroy the

negativity in our minds. Eighth day is traditionally Durgashtami. Exquisitely crafted and decorated

life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura are set up

in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the

river on the fifth day.In Western India, particularly in the state of Gujarat, Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba

and Dandiya-Raas dance. Garba is a graceful form of dance, wherein women dance gracefully in

circles around a pot containing a lamp. The word Garba or Garbha means womb, and in this

context the lamp in the pot, symbolically represent life within a womb. Besides the Garba is the

Dandiya dance, in which men and women participate in pairs with small, decorated bamboo sticks,

called dandiyas in their hands. At the end of these dandiyas are tied tiny bells called ghungroos

that make a jingling sound when the sticks hit one another. The dance has a complex rhythm. The

dancers begin with a slow tempo, and go into frenzied movements, in such a manner that each

person in a circle not only performs a solo dance with his own sticks, but also strikes his partners


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dandiyas in style!

The Ayudha Puja is conducted in many parts of South India on the Mahanavami (Ninth) day with

much fanfare. Agricultural implements, all kinds of tools, books, musical instruments, equipments,

machinery and automobiles are decorated and worshipped on this day along with the worship of

Goddess Saraswathy.

The 10th day is celebrated as 'Vijaya Dashami'. It is the day of Vidyaarambam in Kerala, where

young children are initiated into learning. In the southern city of Mysore Dussehra is celebrated

with grand processions on the streets carrying Goddess Chamundi.In North India, Navratri is celebrated as the victory of Lord Rama over the evil king Ravana. It

culminates in the celebrations of the Ramlila which is enacted ceremoniously during Dussehra.

The effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, are burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil

forces on the 'Vijaya Dashami' day.

These nine days are filled with special pujas, yagnas, homas, fasting, meditations, silence, singing

and dancing honoring Mother Divine, her entire creation- all forms of life, all forms of art, music and

knowledge. She is worshipped as the savior of mankind from ignorance and all forms of evil.

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Mystical Navratri Celebrations – Then and Now