Hello readers, today we are going to discuss about a very prominent Hindu festival Navratri which is widely celebrated by Hindus all over the world and your curiosity must have been awaken that what is this Navratri and why is it celebrated.
Why is Navratri Celebrated
Navratri is a festival that celebrates the victory of good over the evil. It is widely celebrated not only by Hindus but by people following other religions too. It is celebrated twice a year, once in the spring which is called Chaitra Navratri and once in autumn which is called Shardiya Navratri. Shardiya Navratri is the most famous and widely celebrated.
So, let’s know the story behind this festival. Navratri is the nine-night ferocious battle between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. This Mahishasura was one of the strongest demons who was blessed with immortality by God Brahma. After this blessing of immortality he became arrogant and began to terrorize everyone from humans to gods.
Due to this terrorizing behaviour of Mahishasura, all the gods went to Goddess Parvati to help them to defeat Mahishasura. Mahishasura got the blessing of immortality on one condition that he can be defeated only by a woman.
On the appeal of all gods Goddess Parvati took the form of Durga and fought Mahishasura for nine days and nine nights. On the tenth day, with her divine power she defeated Mahishasura and restored peace in the universe.
Also in Navratri, all the nine forms of goddess Durga are worshipped. Each night is dedicated to each one of her nine forms which represents each and every aspect of her divinity and power.
When is Navratri celebrated in 2023?
Navratri will be celebrated in 2023 from October 15 to October 23. This is the autumn aka Shardiya Navratri which is the most popular and widely celebrated Navratri.
Ghatasthapana is the first day of Navratri which begins the nine-night festival. Devotees build a ghat or altar in their houses and worship goddess Durga. Barley seeds are also sowed in a post, which is called as a Kalash. It is a symbol of Goddess Durga’s power and divinity.
As each day is dedicated to different forms of Durga, the nine forms are:
- Shailputri
- Brahmacharini
- Chandraghanta
- Kushmanda
- Skandamata
- Katyayani
- Kalratri
- Mahagauri
- Siddhidatri
What are the different colors associated with Navratri?
First of all, with the nine forms of goddess Durga, each form of her also has a special color. As each day is dedicated to one of her nine forms, each day also has its own colors. The nine colors are:
- Orange: This color is dedicated to the goddess Shailputri. Goddess Shailputri teach us to discover ourselves and learn more about us. As well as it also represents energy and happiness.
- White: This color is dedicated to the goddess Brahmacharini. She represents purity, peace, and meditation. Her presence reminds us to stay calm and composed in order to make the right decisions in life. Her presence serves as a constant reminder for us to maintain composure so that we can make the best decisions in rough times of our life.
- Red: This color is dedicated to the goddess Chandraghanta. She represents passion, perseverance, and power. She also teaches us to keep yourself cool and unperturbed, but being extremely alert to everything. In short your observation is the key.
- Royal Blue: This color is dedicated to the goddess Kushmanda. Goddess Kushmanda is believed to be the creator of the universe. She represents good health, prosperity, and wisdom.
- Yellow: This color is dedicated to goddess Skandamata. She is a true inspiration of maternal love. She represents happiness, brightness, and optimism.
- Green: This color is dedicated to the goddess Katyayani. Katyayani Devi is admired by devotees all over the world for her fierce grace. She teaches us to be fearless and take advantage of every opportunity. She represents new beginnings, growth, and harmony.
- Grey: This color is dedicated to the goddess Kalratri. She is known to remove all the darkness and negativity from the lives of her devotees. She represents transformation, resilience, and strength.
- Purple: This color is dedicated to the goddess Mahagauri. She teaches us to respect whatever we have and seek our inner beauty. She represents spirituality, knowledge, and intuition.
- Peacock Green: This color is dedicated to the goddess Siddhidatri. She is the mind governess, inspiring people to live disciplined and spiritual lives. She represents fulfillment, perfection, and abundance.
Here is the list of color of each day of the Shardiya Navratri 2023 for your convenience:
| Day | Hindu Calender Day | Color of the Day |
|---|---|---|
|
1st |
Pratipada |
Grey |
|
2nd |
Dwitiya |
Orange |
|
3rd |
Tritiya |
White |
|
4th |
Chaturthi |
Red |
|
5th |
Panchami |
Royal Blue |
|
6th |
Sashti |
Yellow |
|
7th |
Saptami |
Green |
|
8th |
Ashtami |
Peacock Green/Parrot Green |
|
9th |
Navami |
Purple |
What are the different ways to celebrate Navratri?
There are no limits for your worship to your god. But Navratri has its own unique style to celebrate the nine-nights and worship all the nine goddesses.
The most common way is to setup an altar in your homes and offer prayer, flowers, and food to the goddess. The chanting of different mantras also provides us a new replenishing energy and peace. You may also visit Hindu temples and participate in special pujas (prayers) or rituals.
Fasting is also a health beneficial way to celebrate Navratri. This is a very good way to cleanse the mind and body to show devotion towards goddess Durga. There are also different types of fast like some observe fast to not eat any food or water and some observe it as only a fast from foods, such as meat, eggs, and onions. You could also think that what should you eat and not eat during Navratri. We already have a article on this, click here.
Devotees also sing and chant hymns and different mantras in praise of goddess Durga and this is the best way for yourself to totally dive into the divinity of devotion of own god in which you believe.
And like any other Hindu festival dance is an integral part of Navratri. The most famous variants area Garba and Dandiya Raas. A group of people take part in Garba and form a circle which continues until they want to stop it and Dandiya is played with two sticks and two people with various dance steps.
On the tenth day of Navratri when everyone breaks their fast and a huge delicious feast is organized for everyone which satisfies all the people who fasted or not.
You can decorate your home with flowers, lights and other decorations of your choice. This all ways may also have awakened a curiosity of why does Navratri celebrated every year and why it is believed that she returns every year, that’s why we have answered this question in one of our articles, you should read.
How Durga Puja Is Celebrated In India
It doesn’t matter where you are. It is totally dependent on you and your surroundings how you celebrate Navratri.
But India is the home of Hindus and they have there own unique style to celebrate Navratri. So, let’s explore India’s way to celebrate Navratri.
Durga Puja is a special Puja organized on the tenth day from the start of Navratri which is the last ritual in Navratri. This Puja is performed both in homes and public, and a stage with decoration is setup to keep the idol of Goddess Durga which is called Pandal. Different types of recitations of mantras, dance, performing arts, revelry, gift-gifting, family visits, feasting and public processions etc, are held to celebrate this prestigious festival and millions of people perform which is also beneficial for the economy.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Durga Puja is not only celebrated in India but it is also celebrated in Bangladesh and Dubai.
Pandals are erected all over India, featuring huge idols of the goddess Durga as well as Goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and Goddess Saraswati, goddess of knowledge. Huge and famous pandals are setup West Bengal, a state of India which is the most state for the Durga Puja and millions of people visit there to just have the visit to these Pandals dedicated to Goddess Durga.
On the last day of Durga Puja, a special process of immersing the idol of Durga into rivers and oceans which is called as immersion procession or Visarjan in India are held there as it is believed that Goddess Durga return back to Kailash on this day.
The size and glory of the celebrations are among the unique characteristics of Durga Puja in India. The pandals are frequently enormous and adorned with intricate carvings and lighting. The immersion processions, in which thousands of people take part, are also spectacular to see.
Additionally, Durga Puja is a time for celebration when people from all walks of life assemble. It is a festival that cuts across social status, religion, and caste. This is one of the primary ways that India differs from other nations in how it celebrates Durga Puja. You can learn more about the celebration of Durga Puja in India as well as Navratri in India, in this article which we have dedicated to this topic.
