Navratras, also known as Navratri, is a significant Hindu festival celebrated across India with great fervor and devotion. The festival spans nine nights and is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her various forms. Each day of Navratri is associated with a different form of the goddess and holds special significance.
Mode of Celebration:
Fasting: Many devotees observe fasts during Navratri, abstaining from consuming grains, meat, alcohol, and certain vegetables. Some people observe a strict water-only fast, while others consume fruits, milk, and other fasting-friendly foods.
Prayers and Pujas: Devotees visit temples dedicated to Goddess Durga and perform special prayers and pujas. Elaborate rituals are conducted during these prayers, including chanting of mantras, offering flowers, and performing aarti (rituals of worship involving light).
Garba and Dandiya Raas: In Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan, Navratri is celebrated with vibrant Garba and Dandiya Raas dances. People dress in traditional attire, gather in large groups, and dance to the rhythm of folk music played on dhol (drums) and other instruments. These dances symbolize the celebration of life and the triumph of good over evil.
Golu Display: In South India, especially Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, families set up Golu displays during Navratri. Golu is a tiered arrangement of dolls and figurines depicting gods, goddesses, and various themes from Hindu mythology. Visitors are invited to view these displays, and children are often encouraged to narrate stories associated with the figurines.Feasting: The festival is also a time for feasting and social gatherings. Special dishes, including sweets and savory snacks, are prepared and shared with family and friends.
Rituals Observed:
Kanya Pujan: On the eighth or ninth day of Navratri, depending on the region, young girls are worshipped as manifestations of Goddess Durga during a ritual known as Kanya Pujan. These girls are usually below the age of nine and are treated with reverence and offered gifts and prasad (blessed food).
Akhand Jyoti: In some households, a continuous flame known as Akhand Jyoti is kept burning throughout the nine days of Navratri, symbolizing the presence of the divine goddess.
Charity and Donation: Many devotees engage in acts of charity and donate food, clothing, and other essentials to the less fortunate during Navratri, as a way of seeking blessings from the goddess.
Overall, Navratri is a time of spiritual renewal, devotion, and celebration, bringing communities together in worship and festivity.
(Compiled from web resources)
Guchi.
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