New Delhi: Like any other Hindu festival, Navratri has a spiritual message for its observers. The festival signifies power, wealth, prosperity and knowledge. Nava means “nine” and “ratri” means night.During the nine-night long festival of Navratri the supreme female cosmic power or Goddess Shakti is worshipped in her variously manifested forms as Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati. All three Goddess are the incarnations of Goddess Shakti (the Mother Goddess). The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar. Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.The First Three Days of NavratriThe first three days of Navratri are devoted to the worship of the Goddess Durga. This is the period, when her energy and power are worshipped. Each day is dedicated to a different appearance of Durga. Fourth to Sixth Days of NavratriThe fourth, fifth and sixth day of Navratri are dedicated to the worship of Lakshmi - the goddess of prosperity and peace. Seventh and Eighth Day of NavratriThe seventh day is dedicated to worshipping Saraswati, the goddess of art and knowledge. Prayers are offered with an aim to seek spiritual knowledge. Ninth Day of NavratriThe ninth day is the final day of Navratri celebrations. On the day, Kanya puja is performed to worship nine young girls, who have not yet reached the stage of puberty. Nine young girls here represents the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Girls are worshipped because, according to the philosophy of ‘Striyah Samastastava Devi Bhedah', women symbolize ‘Mahamaya‘ (The goddess Durga). Thus among these a girl child is considered to be the purest, because of her innocence.Hinduism believes in the universal creative forces to be feminine gender. The very original force is Mahamaya whose inspiration created the gods and the rest of the cosmos. The inspiration is the life force of the entire creation. All the major and minor energies and forces are represented by various goddesses. Navratra deity Durga and all her dimensions are believed to be the manifestations of the same basic inspiration Mahamaya.Thus, a virgin girl is the symbol of the pure basic creative force according to this philosophy.If the worshiper is desirous of acquiring knowledge then he should worship a Brahmin girl child. If he is desirous of acquiring power, then he should worship a Kshatriya-girl child. Similarly if he is desirous of acquiring wealth and prosperity, then a girl child belonging to a Vaishya family should be worshipped by him. If a person is desirous of attaining Tantrik-power, Sammohan (hypnotizing), Uchchatan (causing hurdle in the path of other success), then he should worship a shudra-girl-child.
