Autumn is usually marked with nip in the air in mornings. It also marks the beginning of "shubh navratri " ( Sanskrit of Nine Nights). Also Popular as Sharad Navratri or Maha Navratri, these are the 9 days of paying tribute to the divine feminine power . After a long impasse in summers, navratri starts the Festive season in india, follwed by dussehera and Diwali.
Although there are many ancedote in hindu mythology, the most popular is the "mahishahur-mardini " incarnation of Goddess Shakti. Mahishasur was a powerful demon and had taken control of whole world. After caputuring earth , he went on to capture "swarg". All gods led by their king "indra" approached Lord Vishnu and prayed for their lives. Hearing their plight, lord vishnu , lord shiva and lord brahma combined their power to incarnate the divine "shakti " , creator, nourisher and protector of whole universe. They blessed her with their special powers and weapons. After that goddess durga , took the battlefield against mahishasur riding on lion. A fierce battle commenced , and finally mahishasur was given salvation by devi durga.
Even today, people keep the idols of mahishaur mardini in pandals for 9 days. Every day, aarti and yagnas are performed, and with devotional songs and dances , the complete atmosphere becomes " Bhakitmay ". The event is , particlaurly, popular in Bengali community, who perform "pujo" in the last 3 days. In fact Durga pooja is their biggest festival. In other parts of country also , the festival is celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm. People keep fast , children relish on good food and festive atmosphere. Garba and Dandiya are the flavour of gujrat during this period. In north , morning yagna and aarti is a common phenomenon.
The 9 days of navratri are clubbed into 3 groups . First 3 days are dedicated to Goddess Durga (Shakti ) which symbolises destruction. It is believed that in these 3 days, we destroy our bad qualities and vices and purify ourselves. Next 3 days are dedicated to "lakshmi". goddess of wealth and prosperity. Wealth is a vital ingredient bestowed upon us for maintenance and for progress in our life. It is much more that just having money. It means abundance in skills and talents also.Lakshmi is a energy that manifests as the complete spritual and material well-being of a person. The Final 3 days are dedicated to "saraswati" ,the goddess of Knowledge.She gives the essence of self realization. After the purification and wealth , it signifies the importance of knowledge which is essential to maximize the benefits of other 2 virtues.
Navaratri is the time to appreciate inner and outer beauty. It is a time when we show our grattitude to divine mother for all her love and care. These days are considered to be very auspicious and are recommended for starting any new work. May goddess durga bring happiness and prosperity in your lives. Happy Navaratri to all.
Thanks for writing on 'Navratras'.
ReplyDeleteI am not much of a theist, but whenever I've found myself in dire straits the serenity of 'bhakti' has saved me. I don't know why we can't come closer to God, but I am sure that bhakti or devotion makes us realize the real self. Yes, God resides within.