The different Navaratris
Navaratri, the nine nights of fervor celebration of Goddess Durga in all her manifestations is celebrated all across India. This Navaratri, which is celebrated during the month of September to October, in the lunar month of Ashwin is the greatest and most popular Sharada Navaratri.
This year in 2021, the important dates of the Navaratri are:
| DATE | TITHI | NAVADURGA FORMS & IMPORTANT RITUALS |
| October 7 | Pratipada | Ghatasthapana and Shailputri Puja |
| October 8 | Dwitiya | Brahmacharini Puja |
| October 9 | Tritiya and Chaturthi | Chandraghanta Puja and Kushmanda Puja |
| October 10 | Panchami | Skandamata Puja |
| October 11 | Sashti | Katyayani Puja |
| October 12 | Saptami | Kalaratri Puja |
| October 13 | Ashtami | Maha Gauri Puja |
| October 14 | Navami | Siddhidhatri Puja |
| October 15 | Dashami | Navratri Parana/Durga Visarjan |
Actually, in a year, there are four Navaratris which are celebrated in different ways. The two most popular Navaratri falls during the transition of seasons.
Like Sharada Navaratri falls between the end of the rainy season and the start of the winter season. And the second most celebrated Navaratri falls after the end of the Winter season and the start of the summer. This Navaratri falls in the lunar month of Chaitra is known as Vasanta Navaratri.
The other two Navaratris are celebrated regionally and are known as Gupt Navaratris :
a. Magha Navaratri – This falls in Lunar month of Magha ( January – February) . The fifth day of this festival is celebrated as Vasanta Panchami. This day is celebrated as Saraswati Puja in Northern and Eastern India.
b. Ashada Navaratri – This Navaratri is at the start of the Monsoon season. This falls in the lunar month of Ashada ( June-July).
As the name suggests puja of the Goddess is also done secretly, that is why these are called as gupt navratri. People who believe in sadhna and tantra performs this pooja during this Navaratri.
What is Gupt Navaratri and how it is different from other Navaratri
The Gupt Navaratri is different from the Navaratri in various ways.
- The Navaratri like Sharada Navaratri and Vasanta Navaratri is celebrated by all people. However, in the Gupt Navaratri i.e, Magha and Ashada Navaratri the puja is done only by people who believe in Sadhna and Tantrics.
- In Sharada and Vasanta Navaratri, the 9 forms of Goddess are worshipped. However, during Gupt Navaratri 10 forms of Goddess are worshipped
- In Sharada and Vasanta Navaratri, only pujas will be done at night. Whereas in Gupt Navaratri puja will be done during day and night for all 9 days.
The celebrations of Navaratri in various parts of India
The Navaratri i.e Sharada Navaratri is celebrated in the bright half of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin, which typically falls in the Gregorian months of September and October.
It starts with Pratipada and concludes on Navami. The 10th Day is celebrated as Vijayadashami.
In eastern and northeastern India, the Navaratri is celebrated as the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the demon. In northern and western India, the festival is synonymous with “Rama Lila” and Dussehra that celebrates the battle and victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana. In southern India, the victory of different goddesses, of Rama or Saraswati is celebrated.
The final theme to all celebrations is the victory of dharma over adharma.
The story of Navaratri
The story of Navaratri is about the great battle between Goddess Durga and the powerful demon Mahishasura. After years of Tapasya by Demon Mahishasura, Lord Bramha gave the boon of Ajeya i.e undefeatable and immortality. However, a woman can defeat him.
After getting this boon from Lord Bramha, demon Mahishasura becomes very powerful and armed with immortality he attacked the Trilok – hell, earth and heaven and win over all the three. His immense and powerful strength was crushing all the humans and devas under it. The earth was suffering due to the immense sins of the great demon. All the frightened and devastated gods approached the tridevs- Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva for help.
Since the demon can only be defeated by the woman. All the tridevs channelized their energies to create the goddess Durga. Since the most powerful woman can only defeat the demon. The Shakti or Maa Parvati incarnated herself into Goddess Durga. She got the power and weapons from all the gods.
Goddess Durga attacked Demon Mahishasura, who was camouflaging himself in different forms. After a long war for 15 days, when Mahishasura takes the form of buffalo. The goddess Durga pierced his chest with Trishula, which killed the great powerful demon.
The importance of Navaratri in our Life
The victory of Goddess Durga over demon Mahishasura is the symbol of the victory of righteousness and dharma over adharma. The nine days of Navaratri signifies the evolution of Goddess Parvati to Durga.
The Navaratri signifies the spiritual evolution to attain supremacy. The nine forms of goddess Durga signifies the awakening and importance of 7 chakras in the body.
The Golu which is celebrated in Southern India is the placement of dolls of gods with humans and creatures on the wooden steps. The Golu is always of 3,5,7 or 9 like odd steps, where the dolls are kept. The dolls are kept in the degree of evolution on spiritual level. It starts with creatures at bottom and concludes at top with gods and goddess.
In Gujrat, the Navaratri is celebrated with Garba. The word Garba is from the Sanskrit word ” Garbha”. In Garba, the people in colorful dresses dance around an earthen pot with a lightened lamp inside. The earthen pot signifies the womb, which contains life as light. The pot is also considered as Goddess Durga. The dance of people around the pot signifies the rotation of life to death to life around a shakti i.e goddess Durga. There is an evolution of life after death. Life is continuous, which rotates around that supreme power Shakti or Maa Durga.
The nine days of Navaratri teach every one of us how to evolve ourselves. Each form of goddess Durga is with special significance and presents life in the simplest form.
DAY 1 : PRATIPADA : DEVI SHAILAPUTRI
The first day is dedicated to Mata Shailaputri who is the incarnation of Sati. She is goddess Parvati also. Mata Shailaputri has known her power in this incarnation. She is depicted as sitting on the mount of the bull, holding Trishul in her right hand and lotus in her left hand.
She is associated with the Chakra- Muladhara, which is the first chakra for starting the spiritual journey. Opening of this chakra will give the greatest joy, natural pleasure, delight in controlling passion, and blissfulness in concentration Person can achieve everything in their life if they have attained spiritual power. This is the first step of the journey.
DAY 2: DWITTIYA : MATA BRAHMACHARINI
Mata Brahmacharini is the second aspect of Goddess Durga (Parvati). After knowing herself during Shailaputri. She knows her aim in life. To reunite with Lord Shiva, she did tapasya for 5000 years. After the mighty tapasya she got Lord Shiva.
Mata Brahmacharini wears white clothes, holds a japa mala in her right hand and Kamandal (water utensil) in her left hand.
She is associated with the chakra – Svadhishthana. This Opening of this chakra can boost creativity, manifested desire and confidence.
DAY 3: TRITIYA : MATA CHANDRAGHANTA
Mata Chandraghanta is the third aspect of Goddess Durga (Parvati). |she is named since after marrying Shiva, Parvati adorned her forehead with the ardhachandra. Her third eye is always opened and she always ready for war against demons”. She is also known as Chandrakhanda, Chandika or Rannchandi.
Chandraghanta has ten hands where two hands hold a Trishula, Gada, bow-arrow, khadak. Lotus, Ghanta and kamandal , while one of her hands remains in blessing posture. She rides on a tiger or lion as her vehicle, which represents bravery and courage, she wears ardhachandra on her forehead and has a third eye in the middle of her forehead.
She is associated with the Chakra – Manipura. It is associated with fire and the power of transformation. It corresponds to the vrittis of spiritual ignorance, thirst, jealousy, treachery, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness, and sadness. All this is to be suppressed to attain the growth.
DAY 4: CHATURTHI : MATA KUSHMANDA
She is the creative power of the universe. Mata Kushmanda is associated with the endowment of vegetation on earth. She is depicted as having eight arms and sits on a Tiger. She blesses with the improved health and bestows wealth and strength.
She is associated with Chakra – Anahata. This is associated with the 12 Vrittis of spirituality to have the creativity power. These vrittis are
- bliss
- peace
- harmony
- love
- understanding
- empathy
- clarity
- purity
- unity
- compassion
- kindness
- forgiveness
DAY 5 : PANCHAMI : MATA SKANDAMATA
Mata Skandamata is the mother of Skanda i.e lord Kartik or Murugan. She is four-armed and rides on a lion, carries a lotus. Her one hand is in a blessing posture. Lord Skanda can be seen in her lap.
She is associated with Chakra – Vishuddha. This chakra is known as the purification center. Meditation of this chakra is said to bring about various siddhis or occult powers: vision of the three periods, past, present and future; freedom from disease and old age; destruction of dangers; and the ability to move the three worlds.
DAY 6 : SHASHTHI : MATA KATYAYANI
She was created with the power of all the gods to kill Mahishasura by synchronizing their energies in Rishi Katayayana’s Ashram. That’s why she is known as Katyayani. She is the main form of Goddess Durga. Mata Katyayani is depicted with four, ten, or eighteen hands riding on Lion. She killed Demon Mahishasura.
She is associated with Chakra – Ajna (Agya). It is linked to the subconscious mind. The Ajna chakra is located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows. It is considered the eye of intuition and intellect and sense organ of the brain.
DAY 7 : SAPTAMI : MATA KALARATRI
She is the most ferocious form of Maa Durga. Maa Parvati removed her fair skin to kill the demons Shumba and Nishumbha. |Mata Kalaratri is widely regarded as one of the many destructive forms of the Mother Goddess and most ferocious form. Goddess Kalaratri as being the goddess that rules the night portion of every day and night.
She is associated with Chakra -Sahasrara. This is the most subtle chakra and provides knowledge, power, and wealth.
Day 8 : Ashtami – Mata Mahagauri
Mata Mahagauri has the power to fulfill all the desires of her devotees. The one who worships the maa , gets relief from all the sufferings in life. Mahagauri is usually depicted with four hands, the hands holding a trident, lotus, and drum, while the fourth is in a blessing gesture. After killing Demon Shumbha and Nishumbha, mata kali turns her skin white and fair by taking bath in Mansarovar lake. So, that day onwards mata is known by her name Mahagouri.
Day 9 : Navami : Mata Siddhidatri
This is the final day of Navaratri. She is depicted as sitting on a lotus and bestows all type of siddhis. Sidhidatri is mata Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva. Siddhidatri is also known as ardhanarishwara form of Shiva-Shakti.
The nine forms of Maa Durga shows the path to achieve the greatest height in life by following the evolution of mata Durga.
Happy Durga Puja and Navaratri to all of you. If you like this article, then please subscribe and share this article to spread the knowledge of Navaratri. During Covid 19, please celebrate the puja at the home and avoid social gatherings. Because the Navaratri is celebrated for our internal awakening which is inside us. If you have any suggestions or information to add, please feel free to suggest in the comment box. This is the way to spread the fervor of Navaratri. Happy Navaratri 2021 to all my readers.
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