The auspicious nine days begins today : Happy Navratri

The auspicious nine-day period of Navratri has begun. Devotees thronged temples to offer prayers and seek blessings of different incarnations of goddess Saraswati on this auspicious occasion.

This year, Navratri is being observed from September 29 to October 7.

Religious institutions all over the world has started special prayers and veneration to observe these blissful nine days. It includes the Kalkaji temple and Jhandewalan temple in New Delhi. These temples were all decked up with flowers as people stood in long queues to attend the first aarti of the nine-day-long festival.

Significance of navratri

Navratri in Sanskrit means nine nights in which nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped in a particular order. Alongside observing fast and performing various rituals, preparing a special offering for each day holds symbolic significance.

Also known as Sharad Navratri, the tenth day of the festival is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijayadashami.

The occasion is believed to mark Goddess Durga’s victory over demon Mahishasura, which signifies the victory of good over evil. Typically the festival’s nine nights are dedicated to different aspects of the divine feminine principle, or shakti. While the pattern varies somewhat by region, generally the first third of the festival focuses on aspects of the goddess Durga, the second third on the goddess Lakshmi, and the final third on the goddess Sarasvati.

Offerings are often made to the goddesses and their various aspects, and rituals are performed in their honour. One popular ritual is Kanya Puja, which takes place on the eighth or ninth day. In this ritual nine young girls are dressed as the nine goddess aspects celebrated during Navratri and are worshiped with ritual foot washing and given offerings such as food and clothing.The festival is popularly and prominently celebrated in Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka. Happy Navratri to all.

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