Navratri also known as Shardiya Navratri or Sharad Navratri is a nine-day festival that is considered to be one of the biggest festivals in India. This festival is celebrated by nearly everybody and holds great importance in the Hindu culture. It is celebrated for nine days and is performed with great zeal and enthusiasm. This festival is especially dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her nine forms. Every version of the Goddess is a quality or power and is observed on a different day during the festival. Navratri is celebrated twice a year: in March-April (Chaitra Navratri) and then in September-October (Sharad Navratri).
Date and timings of Navratri 2024
Navratri is celebrated for nine successive nights and days followed by a tenth day as Dussehra or Vijayadashami. It falls on different dates every year because it is the festival of the lunar calendar. The dates come according to the Hindu calendar and are calculated keeping in mind the position of the moon.
This year the celebration of Navratri will begin from October 3 and it will continue till October 12. The installation of the Maa Durga idols will be done on Shashthi Tithi on October 9 after 7:36 am, in Saptami Tithi and Moola Nakshatra. However, this year Ashtami and Navami will be observed on October 11. The nighttime Ashtami puja will be performed in Mahanisha on Thursday, October 10. The fast of both Mahaashtami and Mahanavami will be observed on Friday, October 11. The Sanshi Pujan in the puja pandals will be performed on Friday, October 11, between 11:42 am to 12:30 pm.
During these nine days of Navratri, devotees worship different forms of Goddess Durga. Each day is related to a different form of the Goddess and is followed by a different colour of the day.
Significance of Navratri
This festival starts with Shardiya Navratri or Sharad Navratri in the month of Ashwin, which ranges from September to October. According to legend, Lord Rama and his wife Sita had to seek the favour of Goddess Durga for nine long days before killing Ravana and rescuing his wife. Hence, this festival is also remembered to celebrate the victory of good over evil.
Rituals of Navratri
Besides worshipping Goddess Durga, people also observe the fast for nine days. People often follow a strict fast where they only eat fruits, milk, and other light foodstuffs. Even some people opt for a complete water fast wherein no one consumes any sort of meal in the form of solid or liquid for nine days. Apart from fasting, the main ritual performed is the 'Ghatasthapana', which marks the beginning of the festival. A pot filled with sacred holy water in it is decorated with the use of mango leaves and a coconut is placed on top and worshipped as a symbol of Goddess Durga. The pot is kept in a sacred, clean place and is worshipped for nine days.
Another important ritual observed here is the 'Kanya Pujan', the worship of nine little girls who are taken to be an incarnation of Goddess Durga.
The ninth day is known as Mahanavami, on the same day Ayudh Puja is performed. All the instruments and tools used in daily life are worshipped.
The tenth day, known as Vijayadashami, celebrates good over evil and is considered the last day of Navratri celebrations. The idols of Goddess Durga are immersed in the water, which marks the return of the goddess to her abode.
