Navaratri – Stories & Significance of Each Day

Navaratri is one of the most auspicious festivals among the Hindus and is celebrated in autumn. Though there can be four seasonal Navaratri in the twelve months of the year, the Sharada Navaratri celebrated in the autumn is the most celebrated. The celebration occurs in the Shukla Paksha (the bright half of the lunar calendar starting from the new moon to the full moon) of Ashwin. This means in the Gregorian calendar it could be sometime between the months of September and October.

What Is The Significance Of Navaratri?

The word ‘Navaratri’ is formed by the conjunction of ‘nava’ with ‘ratri’. ‘Nava’ means nine while ‘ratri’ means ‘night’. This means that the festival is spread over 9 nights and 10 days. It is among the most sacred Hindu festivals where the different forms of Goddess Durga or Shakti is worshipped. She represents the energy of the universe.

Lord Rama Praying to Goddess Durga

According to legend, Lord Rama had prayed to Goddess Durga for 9 days to seek blessings to kill Ravana. He was killed on the 10th day and is known as Dusshera. It was the day when the 10-headed Ravana was killed in battle.

Killing of Mahishasura

Mahishasura is one of the fiercest demons. Through severe penance, he had obtained a boon that he cannot die in the hands of a male, thus underestimating the power of the female form. He started wreaking havoc in his arrogance. Durga is a beautiful form of Shakti who promised to marry Mahishasura if he defeated her in a battle. After a battle that lasted for 9 days, Durga killed Mahishasura. This is the reason why the 10th day is also called Vijayadashmi or the day of the victory.

What is The Significance of Each Day?

Each day is associated with an Avatar of Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura as she battled him over the nine days. This also celebrates the victory of the Good over Evil.

  1. Day 1 – Shailaputri – Shailaputri (or Daughter of the Mountain), is the form where she is worshipped as the consort of Lord Shiva and is sometimes said to be a direct incarnation of Goddess Kali. The day is called Pratipada.
  2. Day 2 – Brahmacharini – This form represents emancipation and prosperity where she took the form of Parvati. This day is known as Dwitiya.
  3. Day 3 – Chandraghanta – On the day of Tritiya, her forehead was adorned with the half-lit moon, symbolising beauty and bravery.
  4. Day 4 – Kushmunda – She is believed to have been the creator of the universe and is worshipped on Chaturthi. She has eight arms and sits atop a tiger.
  5. Day 5 – Skandmata – She is the worshipped as the mother of Kartikeya (or Skand). She symbolises the strength of the mother.
  6. Day 6 – Katyayani – This is one of the most violent forms as she is known as the warrior goddess. She is symbolized by the colour Orange.
  7. Day 7 – Kalratri – This is the most ferocious form of Goddess Durga, where she removed her fair skin to battle two demons, Sumbh and Nisumbh.
  8. Day 8 – Mahaguri – The symbolism is of peace and intelligence and also represents optimism.
  9. Day 9 – Sidhidatri – People pray to her on the last day of the festival.

How is The Festival Celebrated?

The festival is celebrated in different forms according to the regional practices. While in South India, it is known as Golu, the people of East India celebrate Durga Puja. The dance festival Garba is celebrated at this time in the western parts. The North celebrates the victory of King Rama over the demon Ravana which is known as Ramlila.Navaratri

Durga Puja Gift – What Ideas Can Be Considered for Gifting?

Durga Puja
Durga Puja

Winters are now nearing in and so is the festival of Durga Puja also coming in. Durga Puja like any other festival is accepted by many people belonging to different religions. It is a festival that is commonly celebrated with enthusiasm and zest followed by exchanging gifts with each other. In case you wish to send your near and dear ones a special gift then you can look for the best ideas for Durga Puja gifts to India. Do not worry in case you are lacking with certain gift ideas then you are visiting the right site that will give you brilliant gift ideas in return. Since it is termed to be a day where the supreme power needs to be enjoyed, the gift here also needs to something that is relevant to it.

Gifting Ideas for Durga Puja

In case you start looking online, you will certainly get confused with the number of things that can be picked as Durga Puja gifts. So, on one of the suggestions that you might like to consider is to go in for spiritual gifts that are meant only for this festival. Some of the spiritual items that you can gift are

  • Durga Idol
  • Durga Brass idol
  • Silver Coated Puja thali
  • Chunri
  • Tikkas
  • Mata ka Shringar

These items here are not only termed to be religious but also come in the category of spiritual gifts too. This is indeed a memorable one for all friends and family out there. So, by giving out these unique gifts, your friends and dear family members are certainly going to enjoy every bit of it.

Some More Gift Ideas

So, all you finally need to do is to get in touch with businesses around you that offer such uniqueness in the Puja items. Bengalis here as stated use a lot of Kul had during their meals and drinks. They just love to remain in touch with the natural things around them, especially the older people. They just like to serve everything in it such as tea, rasgulla, and Misti dahi. You will be surprised to see that even these Kulhads are decorated well so that it can be easily gifted as puja items for your near and dear ones. These kulhads here are mostly decorated with stones, painted in various colors and much more that not only give it a vibrant look but also much more. All you need to do here is to ensure that the ones which are safely colored are only purchased.

So, begin this season with decoration all around you and generously clean your house. Not only this you can go online today and look for elegant Durga Puja gifts. This is certainly a mega festival that needs to be celebrated with much enthusiasm and fun. All you must do is to decorate every Puja pandal there with a themed floral decoration that marks all the rituals and customs for uniqueness found in this culture.