The 9-day long Hindu festival Navratri is celebrated twice a year in India. Navratri word is literally translated as nine nights festival. This festival has a religious significance, history, or some facts with a story behind it. Let’s know here…Story or Importance or Significance of Nine Days Navratri Festival and why is Navratri celebrated?
A Hindu festival which spans total nine day/nights, and is celebrated in the autumn every year. This festival is observed for many different reasons. Navratri celebrated differently in various parts in cultural sphere of India.
Basically, this festival is celebrated for Goddess Durga for defeating the buffalo asura demon Mahishasura. In nine days of navratri nine incarnations or forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped in Hinduism.
Navratri is the most significant festival celebrated in India and all across the world where Hinduism exists.
People who have their faith in Goddess Durga keep fast for 9 days of Navratri.
The meaning of Navaratri is nine nights in Sanskrit, and nava means 9 and ratri means nights.
Navratri’s full name is Sharad Navratri, and it also called as Durga Puja because Navratri is celebrated for Hindu Goddess Durga Mata.
This festival is of four seasonal Navratri which comes every year. Only two of them has supreme importance.
So, total 4 Navratri are in a year, names of these are as below…
- Sharada Navaratri
- Chaitra Navaratri
- Magha Navaratri
- Ashada Navaratri
Out of these 4 types Sharad Navratri and Chaitra Navratri are given the importance, and Magha Navaratri & Ashada Navaratri are known as Gupt Navratri
Sharada Navratri in 2021 will begin on Thursday, 7 October and will end on Friday, 15 October. Sharada Navratri begins on Pratipada Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month according to Hindu calender.
Chaitra Navratri starts from Pratipada Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month and continues till Navami Tithi. (It was from 13 April to 21 April in 2021)
Magha Navaratri and Ashada Navaratri respectively starts from Pratipada Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Magha month and Ashada month.
In Hinduism, it is believed that Goddess Durga fought nine days with the demon Mahishasur, finally, on the tenth day when the demon was beheaded, that day is known as Vijay Dashmi. Full story is given below related to them…
So, the festival of Navratri is celebrated to symbolises the victory of Goddess Durga over evil.
The story of goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasur is as below…
The king of the asuras Rambha liked a lady buffalo, and he got married to her. And, a son was born to them named Mahishasur. In his name Mahisha means buffalo and he was the son of an asura, so his name was Mahishasur.
The demon Mahishasur was born with many superhuman powers. At that time the devas and the demons were bitter enemies. Always, Devas and Demons were fighting with each other and Devas usually won.
While Mahishasur growing older, he didn’t like that they were losing fights all time. He asked his father, we are too great, and why we were losing to the devas.
He thought that if I could grow too strong that even these devas couldn’t touch me, and I want to become the most powerful.
Then his father said to him that you have my blessings, my son! one day you shall become as you want.
All-time Mahishasur thought to become more powerful than the devas. Finally, he got an idea to achieve his goal that was Tapasya!
He immediately began penance, and he stopped eating and standing on only one foot under a tree to pray to Brahma. Mahishasur continued to stand there many years, praying. The longer he stood in that position, the he gained more strength.
Finally, a time he had built up his penance presence in all 3 worlds, and the creator Brahma also felt his presence. Then, Brahma said to himself that he has been praying to me with great devotion, so he deserves to be rewarded from me.
Barma reached to Mahishasur’s place, and Mahishasur sensed presence of Barma, and he opened his eyes instantly.
He saw that Lord Brahma was standing there, then he fell at Brahma’s feet and he said Lord, you are great and you have honoured me by coming to me, i think you have recognised my devotion and prayers, he said!
Brahma raised his hand to give blessing and said to him ask for anything as per your desire. Mahishasur said that I want to become immortal. Then, Lord Brahma shooked his head and said that what you ask for is impossible.
Brahma said to him ask for something else! After long thinking Mahishasur said to Barma that if you cann’t make me immortal, can you grant me the boon that I cann’t be killed by either man or deva. I will like to die at the hands of a woman.
Because he was confident being a demon, that no woman in all 3 worlds would be strong enough to kill him. Lord Brahma said that your death will only at the hands of any woman. Then, Mahishasur gived thank to Brahma.
After blessed with Lord Barma Mahishasur gathered a big army of fellow asuras, and began his terror. Mahishasur and his army had started robbed the travellers belongings.
Then, everywhere the news spread that Mahishasura was invincible and no one could beat him. After that Mahishasur challenged the devas.
Gods After loosing to demon Mahishasur, Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma create a powerful women named Mahadevi or Durga using their combined power to beat the demon Mahishasur.
Also Read | History of the demon king Ravana
So, finally the asura Mahishasur was killed at the hands of goddess Durga after nine days battle.
Navratri festival has its own importance and significance. The festival is celebrated by adopting some rules and regulations, and people worship Ma Durga with great devotion.
There is the grand celebration of this festival with great spirituality by setting up large pandals in public places and worshipping the idols of Goddess Durga.
The festival of Navratri has known different names in different states of the country because the rituals or traditions vary from state to state in India.
Like, Navratri is celebrated as Durga Pooja in the Northeast parts of India. People celebrate the Navratri by fasting.
In some places, people decorate public Durga pandals, and staging Ramlila programmes after evening prayer.
In Tamil Nadu State, Navratri is celebrated as Golu, and in Gujrat, Navratri is famous for the dandiya programme or the graba dance.
All nine days of Navratri are very important because each day is dedicated to the different avatar of Ma Durga and each day has associated with the colour significance of it.
Each day of the Navratri festival is dedicated to one of all nine incarnations of goddess Durga, Durga nine avatars names are as below given…
- Shailputri
- Brahmacharini
- Chandraghanta
- Kushmanda
- Skandamata
- Katyayani
- Kaalratri
- Mahagauri
- Siddhidatri
There are 10 points on the Navratri festival mentioned which can help you to write an essay or a paragraph on Shardiya Navratri, Navratri festival, why Navratri is celebrated, nine days of Navratri, Navratri Story, Lines on Navratri, etc.
- Navratri is the biggest festival celebrated in India and in the world by Hindus.
- Navratri is known as Durga Pooja in India.
- Navratri is celebrated for the victory of Goddess Durga over demon king Mahishasur.
- Navratri comes in the period of autumn equinox of Sep-Oct month in every year.
- Navratri is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Durga and celebrated for 9 nights or 10 days.
- The first day of Navratri is called Pratipada and the last day is called Dussehra.
- During the period of Navratri or Durga Pooja, nine forms of Ma Durga are worshiped.
- People perform Kalash Sthapana on the first day of Navratri where they keep a clay pot with coconut.
- In the ritual of Durga pooja, people put idols or pictures of the goddess Durga and worship her in the morning and also in the evening.
- There is a huge crowd of devotees in temples or in Durga Pandals to take a glimpse of Goddess Durga.