Navratri

Is an auspicious 9 day long festival dedicated to Maa Durga and her nine avatars known as navadurga . This festival is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and fervour all across the country by Hindus .

Forms of shakti worshipped during this festival include Durga, Bhadrakali, Amba, Annapoorna Devi, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika, respectively.

Hindus observe four Navratris throughout the year. Only two of them , Chaitra navratri and Shardiya Navratri. Is celebrated widespread as it is associated with the beginning of seasons .
26 September 2022 marks the start of Shardiya Navratri , starting from Ashwin Shukla Paksha’s Navami until the Pratipada i.e till 5 October.

Each day devotees will worship Maa Durga’s one out of her nine incarnations . During these nine days people maintain ritualistic fasts, recite slokas dedicated to each goddess , clean the house and also offer bhog . They worship goddesses and pray for prosperous , joyous and fulfilled lives.

This festival gets a lot of attention throughout India and even attracts attention from world wide. Even in India the rituals vary from area to area . As in North India Ramlila is performed where scenes from Ramayana are performed . Ramlila is the main highlight of Uttar Pradesh , Uttarakhand , Bihar , Madhya Pradesh . On Vijayadashami the story concludes by burning King Ravana’s .
Eastern India has a folklore that on this day goddess Parvati , who resides in Mount kailasa with lord Shiva comes down to Earth i.e to her parental home each year .

Thus, this day signifies the homecoming of all married women .
Garba dance is done during the celebrations which has a great meaning to it . Where all people come and enjoy themselves together . Laughing and dancing , it brings bonding and also helps them enjoy their time through devotion.

This celebration is the celebration of good over evil. Devotees pray to God and goddess to restore “Dharma” . They keep fasts, some keep it on the first and last day of Navratri and some even keep it for the whole 9 days .
Unmarried girls are worshipped and fed as they are said to be incarnations of Goddess Durga .