OMKAR DATTATRAY
Ours is the spiritual and religious land of unity in diversity and we celebrate and observe our festivals jointly and this is the shining example of our communal harmony and amity ..Navratri is celebrated in honor of Ma Shakti and dedicated to her power and supreme bliss .Hindus celebrate navratri through fasting, mediating and worshipping the nine divine forms of goddess. Navratri means nine nights -Nav means nine and Ratri means night .Night provides rest and rejuvenation .During the night you turn inwards through sleep and you wake up feeling refreshed and rested in the morning .In the same way ,Navratri or nine nights is that time of the year when you get the chance to experience deep rest .This deep rest brings freedom from all kinds botherations ,deep relaxations and creativity .Fasting ,meditations ,prayers and other forms of spiritual practices performed during this period help bring about deep rest. Even refraining from over indulging in sense objects during this time and the process of deep rest .Our spirit has existed since times immemorial .It is boundless and eternal source of energy of this universe .During Navratri even the subtle energies in the environment enhance and assist one’s experience of reaching the spirit .The prayer, chanting and meditation performed during Navratri connect us with our spirit .Getting in touch with the spirit invokes positive qualities within us and destroy laziness ,pride ,obsession ,carvings ,and aversions .When stress in the form of negative emotions is destroyed ,we experience the deep rest of the transforming nine nights .Devi represents the omnipresent cosmic energy .The whole creation is permeated by this energy .The prosperity we enjoy in our daily lives is a manifestation of Devi .Mother earth serves us in many forms .The forms of our mother ,father ,friends ,husband ,wife ,son ,daughter ,and also the Guru .The revolving planets and the moon is Devi performing aarti to us. Through puja we say,’ ‘Oh mother whatever you give to me I give back to you .For example during the puja we offer food ,grains ,to Devi as nature provides us food .Devi puja is an expression of expended consciousness showing reverence to the whole creation .The puja that we perform during nine days of Navratri is a way of honoring the Devi and showing our gratitude to the mother divine .While attending the puja ,we give up all our worldly activities for a while and enter into deep meditation .Guru Shri Shri Ravishankar says, ”There is the Devi energy -Shakti within us all .Devi is not somewhere else ,not in some other world .If we sit deep in meditation ,the glow within the body will brighten and will expand and spread outside .This is Devi puja. While some people fast for all nine days, others remember and meditate during these pious days and get the blessings of the Ma Shakti who is all powerful and merciful . Navratri is a Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Ambika and Durga .It spans over nine nights (ten days) first in the month of Chaitra -March-April of the Gregorian calendar ,and again in the month of Sharada that is October/November .It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in parts of the country .Theoretically there are four seasonal Navratri’s. However in practice ,it is the post -monsoon autumn festival called Sharad Navratri .The festival is celebrated in the bright half of the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin ,which typically falls in the Gregorian month of September or October .Chatira Navratri falls in the Hindu calendar month of first fort night of Chaitra and falls in the month of March/April and is celebrated with much devotion and fanfare by the people in India and abroad .The festival is associated with the prominent battle that took place between Durga and the demon Mahishasura to celebrate the victory of good over evil .These nine days are solely dedicated to Durga and her nine avatars -the Navadurga .Each day is associated to an incarnation of the goddess .Day first is known as pratipada the first day and is associated with Shailaputri (Daughter of Mountain) ,an incarnation of Parvati .It is in this form that Durga is worshipped as the daughter of Himavan (the Guardian God of Himalaya) ,she is depicted as riding the bull ,Nandi with a trishula in her right hand and louts in her left hand .Shailputri is considered to be the direct incarnation of Mahakali .The color of the day is yellow .which depicts action and vigor .She is also considered as the incarnation of Sati (Shiva’s first wife who then reincarnated as Parvati) and is also Known as Hemavati .Day second is associated with Ma Brahacharni .On Dwitiya (second day) ,Goddess Brahmacharini ,another incarnation of Parvati ,is worshipped .In this form ,Parvati becomes yogini ,as her unmarried self .The red color portrays prayer and assures the devotees that Goddess will protect them from harm On third day Devi Chandragantha is the presiding deity .Devi Chandragantha is the special form that Devi Parvati assumed at the time of her marriage with Lord Shiva .Chandra refers to moon .The moon represents our mind. The mind is restless and moves from one thought to another .Ghanta is the bell which produces only one kind of sound always .The significance is that when our mind is established at one point ,i,e Divine then our prana gets consolidated leading to harmony and peace .Thus the day signifies withdrawing from all vagaries of mind with a single focus on mother Divine .On fourth day Mother Divine is worshipped as Devi Kushmanda .Kushmanda means pumpkin .Ku means little ,Ushma means energy and means egg. The entire universe which arose from cosmic egg is manifested from an infinitesimal energy of Devi .A pumpkin also represents prana as it has the unique capacity of absorbing and radiating Prana. .It is one of the most Pranic vegetables .On this day we worship Devi Kushmanda who showers us with her divine energy .Fifth day is dedicated to Skandamata which means mother of Skanda .On the fifth day ,the motherly aspect of Devi Parvati is worshipped .In this form she is the mother of Lord Karthikeya. .She represents motherly affection .Worshipping this form of Devi brings abundance of wisdom ,wealth ,power ,,prosperity and liberation .On sixth day ,Davi manifests as Katyayni .It is the form which mother Devine assumed to annihilate the demonic forces in the universe .She was born from anger of gods .She is the one who slayed Mahishasura .She is the anger that arises in the creation to restore the balance. .Devi Kantayayni is invoked on the sixth day to put an end to all our inner foes that are an obstacle on the path of spiritual evolution .On seventh day we invoke devi Kalaratri .Mother nature has two extremes .One is terrifying and devastating and the other is beautiful and serene .Davi Kalaratri is the fierce form of Devi .Kalaratri represents dark night .Night is also considered as an aspect of mother divine as it is night which brings solace ,rest, and comfort to our souls .It is only at night that we get a glimpse of infinity in the Skies. .In eastern India .Day eight is celebrated in honor of Mahagauri and she symbolizes intelligence and peace .It is believed when Kaalratri took a bath in the Ganga river ,she gained a warmer complexion .The color associated with this day is pink which depicts optimism .She is celebrated on Ashtami -eight day .In eastern India ,Maha Ashtami is observed on this day and starting with Pushpanjali ,Kumari Puja etc .It is very important tithi and considered as birth day of Mahishasura mardani ruppa Chandi .The ninth and the last day of navratri is dedicated to and observed in honor of Siddhidatri .On the last day of this festival ,also known as Navmi -ninth day ,people pray to Siddhidhatri. Sitting on lotus ,she is believed to possess and bestow all types of Shiddis on devotees .Here she has four hands .Also Known as Mahalakshmi ,purple color of the day portrays an admiration towards nature’s beauty. As the Siddhidatri is Parvati ,the wife of Lord Shiva .Soddhidatri is also seen as Ardhanarishwara form of Shiva and Shakti .It is believed that one side of Lord Shiva’s body is that of Goddess Siddhidatri and therefore he is also called by the name of Ardha narishwara .According to Vedic scriptures ,Lord Shiva attained all Siddhis by worshipping this goddess .In most parts of India ,tools and weapons are worshipped in a ritual called Ayudha Puja .Many businesses also grant a holiday to their employees on this day. Navratri can bring a turning point to your thoughts,mind ,and body by helping you to undergo a deep rejuvenation..In brief the importance of Navratri cannot be penned down in small space as it is very ,very big and great and reforms and illuminates the lives of all the people.
(The author is a columnist,social and KP activist)