As the festive season comes to light and people show full enthusiasm, it is also that time of the year when Navratri is celebrated by the people showcasing their full faith in devotion and prosperity.
What does Navratri mean? We shall find out about the significance of the triumph of power in the following article.
Navratri is a Sanskrit word meaning nine nights where ‘nava’ means nine and ‘ratri’ means night.
In this period of time, goddess Durga’s defeat of the evil is celebrated which removes all anxieties, fears, worries as well as negativity from the human minds and spreads positivity, peace, love and happiness.
People also forget about all the past activities and come together and seek prayer and blessings from the triumph of power and strength, which portrays evil that can be defeated no matter what, is the utmost prominence idol, Maa Durga.
History and Significance of Navratri
According to Hindu mythology, when Brahma granted the demon king Mahishashur immortality, he also gave the condition that the only power that could defeat him was a woman.
When Mahishashur thought that he was unbeatable, the powers of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva combined and created the power of Goddess Durga, where a fifteen days long battle was fought.
Ultimately on the day of Mahalaya, the woman power of prosperity, Maa Durga defeated the evil.
In the nine days of the prosperous Navratri, the different avatars of the idol Durga are worshipped by the people, which are recognized as the symbol of power and well being. Stress gets destroyed and our spirit invokes deep positive energy.
Different Avatars, colours and its importance in Navratri
Every nine day has its own importance and each avatar of Maa Durga is worshipped on different days.
Day 1- Maa Durga in the avatar of Goddess Shailputri, daughter of mountains is celebrated and worshipped on the first day which also attains the highest state of consciousness. Color yellow is the color of the day.
Day 2- Goddess Brahamcharini, the unmarried avatar of Maa Durga is worshipped. On this day, it is fully devoted to meditate and explore the inner divinity. Green color is given importance.
Day 3- Goddess Chandraghanta is worshipped which is a special form of Devi Parvati at the time of marriage with Lord Shiva. This day signifies peace and withdrawal from all oddity of mind, with focus on divinity. Grey color is portrayed as significant.
Day 4- Goddess Kushmanda is manifested as an infinitesimal energy of Devi Durga. It is believed that on this day of worship, Devi showers us with her divine energy. . Orange is the color of the day.
Day 5- Goddess Skandamata, mother of Skanda which represents motherly affection and brings enough wisdom, wealth, power and prosperity. White is the color.
Day 6- Goddess Katyayani destroys the evil spirit in the universe and is born from the anger of the Lords, who destroyed Mahishashur, which ultimately puts an end to all the obstacles. Day 6 portrays the color red.
Day 7- Goddess Kalaratri depicts the fierce form of Durga. It is the infinite dark energy of the dark night that houses an innumerable universe. It’s the royal blue which is the important color.
Day 8- Goddess Mahagauri represents nature and helps liberate our souls. It gives us the momentum and freedom in life. Pink is the color of the day.
Day 9- Goddess Siddhidatri, who brings perfection in life and makes impossible things come possible. This avatar of Durga is worshipped on the ninth day which also enhances reasoning logic of mind. Purple is chosen as the color.
Navratri Celebration: Then and Now
Navratri means celebration and the sacred worship and prayers. This festival celebrates Lord Durga and her various avatars. Each part of the country has different names of celebration, but it is the diversity which makes us unique.
The before picture is quite different to what we see and celebrate the festival of power now. Big pandals have different themes, hanging out with family and friends, and many more things add light to the celebration of worship.
But since the last two years, covid situation has tended to affect the Navratri celebration, but still the will of the people is not broken.
There is still a ray of hope that the situation will be normal soon and people can celebrate Navratri with full enthusiasm and energy like they did before the covid pandemic.
But for now it is very much important to adhere to the guidelines and protocols to stop the spread of the virus and celebrate festivals keeping in mind the relevance of the situation.
Thus, in the nine days of Navratri, let truth and goodwill win and evil destroys. Let us live with peace and prosperity and spread happiness and prosperity among all.
