Navarathiri

Wish you all a Happy Navarathri

SIGNIFICANCE OF NAVRATRI

Navratri means ‘nine auspicious nights’. During this period of nine nights, different forms of Goddess Durga, is worshipped. Ma Durga, as she is popularly referred to, is the amalgam of the effulgence of all the major gods, including the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. The Devi is beautiful, bountiful, terrifying, compassionate and ruthlessly righteous. She is Durga and Kali in Bengal, Ambika and Bhadrakali in Gujarat, Vaishnodevi in Jammu and Kashmir, Chamunda in Karnataka, Santoshi Ma and Bhavani in Maharashtra, and Kamakhya in Assam. To most of us, she is just ‘Ma’, the Universal Mother.

She is said to have all the three gunas of satva, rajas and tamas—purity, passion and inertia.

Why are these nights so special, the navratris? The reason is that they fall during the time when the astrological and astronomical position of our country in the Milky Way is such that it allows our prayers and sadhanas to reach astral regions faster and without being distorted.

The navratris occur twice in a year. The first is at the onset of the Vikrama era, in the month of
chaitra from the first day of the shukla paksha of the month up to navami, the ninth day. The second occurrence comes exactly six months later, just before the winter.

Spiritual practice during the navratris, when sincerely carried out, reach the desired destination faster. Observing fast during these periods keeps one healthy. The navratris provide people a religious reason to observe fast which helps one to gain at two levels: one at the physical level, and the other at the subtle spiritual level.

In South they celebrate first 3 days for Goddess Durga next 3 days for Goddess Lakshmi and final 3 days for Goddess Saraswathy . During these nine days they keep kolu steps containing dolls and idols of Gods .They keep kalash and make sundal made out of pulses each day for neivedhya and give thamboolam to those who come to visit the kolu . The final day is called Vijiyadasami. This day is considered auspicious to join schools dance and other arts and crafts . The day before Vijayadasami is called Saraswathi pooja or Ayudha pooja . Farmers and other department peoples keep their tools and worship .

This year its a different story.
Due to the pandemic and the social distancing norms we cannot celebrate the festival we used to earlier. So, let’s celebrate the festival virtually.
Sharing some pictures of kolu ,amman alangaram . Pic courtesy unknown.