Navratri

Navratri

Long ago, Havana, the ten-headed demon king of Lanka abducted Lord Rama's wife, Sita. Rama was then the exiled prince of Ayodhya. With the help of the monkey-king Sugreeva and his minister Hanuman, Rama was able to trace where the evil Ravana had imprisoned Sita. But it was not easy to rescue Sita from the demon's kingdom. Rama had to take up a battle with Ravana. But before resorting to the battle, Rama wanted the blessings of Goddess Durga. He came to know that the Goddess would be pleased only if he performed the Chandi Puja with one hundred blue lotus flowers.

Rama invoked Goddess Durga and started the worship. But he could gather only 99 flowers. So, he offered one of his eyes in place of the hundredth lotus. The Goddess was overwhelmed with the extraordinary devotion of Rama. She appeared before him and revealed the secret about how he could slay the evil Ravana. The battle started on the 'Saptami' (seventh day), and Ravana was killed on the crossover period between the eighth and the ninth day.

Since then, these nine sacred nights are celebrated as the festival of Navratri in India. In Sanskrit, 'nav' means nine, and 'rath' means night. This nine-day festival is essentially celebrated to worship Goddess Durga, and to commemorate the victory of good over evil. It is performed twice a year: in the beginning of summer season, and in the beginning of winter season. The festival at the beginning of winter season falls on the first nine days of the month of Ashwin (September-October), and is more famous of the two.

The festive atmosphere starts right from the potters' house where they produce small holed pots called 'matkas' and decorate them in bright multi-coloured patterns. Earthen lamps are placed in these matkas and kept before the idol of the Goddess.

On the first day of Navratri, a small bed of mud is prepared beside the idol of the Goddess. Grains of barley are then sown in the mud. Every day, some water is sprinkled on it. By the completion of the nine days, the shoots become 3 to 5 inches in length. On the tenth day, these seedlings are pulled out and given to devotees as a blessing from the Goddess.

Some devotees observe a fast, while some choose to eat only fruits during the festival. From the fourth to sixth day, people worship Lakshmi, the Goddess of peace and prosperity. The seventh and eighth days belong to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom. On the eighth day, some devotees perform a yagna (holy fire), in which they offer ghee, kheer (rice pudding) and sesame seeds to the Goddess. The ninth day is called Maha Navami. On this day, nine small girls are worshipped as a symbol of the nine forms of Goddess Durga. This ritual is called 'KanyaPuja'.

In Punjab and Delhi, this festival is celebrated for a period of fasting for seven days. People keep awake and sing devotional songs through the night. This ritual is called 'Jagaran1. Temples are illuminated with bright lights and earthen lamps. On the eighth day, the devotees break their fasts by worshiping young girls as the Goddesses. They wash their feet, worship them and then offer traditional food 'puri', 'halwa' and ’chana1. Devotees also give them bangles and money as a good omen.

In southern India, people observe a ritual called 'Kolu', in which they arrange images of Gods and Goddesses along with toys for nine days. They invite their friends, relatives and neighbours to come and see their Kolu.

'Dandiya' and 'Garba' are the featured dances of Navratri evenings throughout the country. These are called 'Paas', a form of dance performed by Lord Krishna with the gopis thousands of years ago. Dandiya is actually a pair of bamboo or any wooden sticks of the length 1.5 to 2 feet. Two circles formed by men and women move in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions with dandiyas held in their hands.

Navratri is the longest Hindu festival celebrated all over India for nine consecutive nights in praise of Lord Rama and Goddess Durga. The Goddess symbolizes the divine power against all evils. It is believed that Her worship frees the devotee from all earthly bondage. The festival leaves a divine message to kill the demons like greed, lust and anger that lie within our souls.