Navaratri

Navaratri, which literally means 'nine night's, is a Hindu festival of worship and dance happening twice a year : the beginning of Spring and the beginning of Autumn, because they are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence.

These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. Hinduism is the only religion which gives so much importance to the Mother aspect of God because it believes that Mother is the creative aspect of the Absolute.

During these 9 nights and 10 days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi (female divinity) are worshipped. Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme Goddess. On the first 3 days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next 3 days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi , who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth. The final set of 3 days is spent in worshipping the Mother as the Goddess of wisdom: Saraswati.

Navratri Celebrations in Different Parts of India

The festival of Navratri acquires quite a fascinating and colourful dimension in the region of Gujarat, and in some parts of Rajasthan. The highlights of the festival are the very colourful dances like the Garba. During the festive season of Navratri, Garba dance performances begin at the night. The performances are arranged by different clubs and cultural committees. During the 'Garba night', the participants gather at an open space, a club or at street corners. They stand in a circle, around an idol or photograph of the goddess that is kept in the center. The dance begins with beats in slow tempo. As the dance proceeds, the energy level of the participants is heightened due to the fast beat and tempo of the music. The music is synchronized by a drummer, who sits in the center of the dancers. It is a very colourful form of dance, where the men and women wear colourful and attractive dresses (Ghagra), and it is all these things that makes this festival so colourful.

In West Bengal, it takes the form of Durga Puja, an occasion to celebrate the Triumph of Good over Evil. On the tenth day of the celebrations, the idols are carried out in colourful processions to be immersed in the Ganga River or any other pond or lake. In Pondicherry though, there is a huge Bengali community known as ‘Bangabharati’ who celebrate Durga Puja here. A Kalyana Mandapam is hired every year and the ceremonies are conducted over the five days. This year like all the other years the Bengali community enjoyed their Puja in Pondicherry. From dance performances to singing to quizzes and drawing competitions for kids, everything included made it special. Aratis are conducted every morning and evening and with the accompaniment of the drums the atmosphere makes it no less than the celebrations in West Bengal.

In the state of Punjab, people usually fast during this period, for seven days, and on Ashtami, the eighth day, devotees break their fast. In this region, the festival is predominantly linked with harvest.

In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the festival of Navratri is celebrated in a different manner. Women adorn their houses with dolls (Bommai Kolu), draw traditional designs or rangolis (patterns made on the floor by using various coloured powders and flowers), and light lamps. During this festival (also known as Kolu in the state of Tamil Nadu), families proudly display traditional wooden dolls and gather to sing songs and depict scenes from the various epics, for a period of ten days. Another runaway hit is the Sundal, a special sweet made from lentil and brown sugar. Families and friends exchange traditional gifts of coconuts, clothes and sweets on this occasion.