Navaratri.

A nine-night festival during the Hindu month of Ashwin, Navaratri is a celebration of

the Feminine Divine.
According to the Vedas, everyone and everything originates from an absolute spiritual
source referred to as Brahman (Divine), which is both the cause and maintenance of
creation.
Depending on the follower, as there is a wide spectrum of understanding when it
comes to the nature of Brahman, Hindus may worship the Divine in both male and
female forms, as well as animal forms, or even no form at all.
The feminine aspect is known as Devi (goddess, in Sanskrit), which is a manifestation
of Shakti, the creative and energetic force of the Divine. Navaratri is not only about
honoring the role these various female manifestations (e.g. Lakshmi, Parvati,
Saraswati) play in Hinduism, but also the role the loving, compassionate, and gentle,
yet sometimes powerful and fierce feminine energy plays in our lives.

Durga is called the Mother Goddess, as she defends the oppressed with a fierce wrath,
as well as looks after creation with a caring warmth.
Some traditions celebrate Navaratri by using each day to honor one of the nine forms
of Durga, all of which display the following specific qualities and attributes:
∑ Shailaputri — The first night of Navaratri is dedicated to Shailaputri, the daughter of
Hemavana, who is the king of the Himalayas. Seen as the “mother of nature,” she is
depicted riding a bull and holding a lotus flower (representing devotion) in one hand
and a trident (representing past, present, and future) in the other.
∑ Brahmacharini — The second night is dedicated to Brahmacharini, whose name
means “one who practices austerity.” Said to bestow success and victory, she holds
prayer beads in her right hand and a water pot in her left, representing the practice of
penance in pursuit of an auspicious goal.
∑ Chandraghanta — The third night is dedicated to Chandraghanta, who’s named for
the half-moon shaped like a bell on her forehead, which is described as her third eye.
With ten hands holding various weapons, Chandraghanta rides a tiger, establishing
justice and bestowing strength and courage to devotees.
∑ Kushmanda — The fourth night is dedicated to Kushmanda, whose name means
“creator of the universe.” Usually depicted with eight arms, she rides a lion and is
known for bringing energy and light to the world.
∑ Skandamata — The fifth night is dedicated to Skandamata, who’s named for being
the mother of Kartikeya, a deity of yoga and spiritual advancement who’s also
popularly known as the “god of war.” Seated on a lotus, emphasizing her divine
nature, she has four arms and carries an infant Kartikeya on her lap.
∑ Katyayani — The sixth night is dedicated to Katyayani, who is known as one of
Durga’s fiercest forms. With wild hair, and depicted with up to 18 arms, all holding
weapons, she dispels darkness and evil, bestowing peace among her devotees.
∑ Kalaratri — The seventh night is dedicated to Kalaratri, who is also known as
Shubankari, which means “doing good” in Sanskrit, as she provides both fearlessness
and auspicious results to her devotees. Dark-complexioned, with four arms and
disheveled hair, she is also among Durga’s most menacing forms.
∑ Mahagauri — The eighth night is dedicated to Mahagauri, whose name means
“extremely white.” Wearing white, she is a symbol of tranquility and serenity,
alleviating the suffering of her devotees.
∑ Siddhidatri — The last night is dedicated to Siddhidatri, whose name means “giver of
supernatural powers.” Seated on a lotus flower, she instills devotion into the hearts of
devotees, granting them happiness and wisdom.
Through Navaratri, all of Durga’s forms, which represent the multifaceted aspects of
the divine feminine energy we all experience and benefit from in life, are honored
with deep reverence and gratitude.

There are many who celebrate Navaratri by worshipping not just Durga, but also
Lakshmi (the consort of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe) and Saraswati (the
consort of Brahma, the architect of the universe).
In this approach, Navaratri signifies three stages of an aspirant’s spiritual journey,
each personified by one of these goddesses. The first three days of the festival is
dedicated to Durga, who destroys not only negative beings, but also symbolizes the
destruction of negative propensities. The war she wages against her enemies can be
likened to the war we wage with our mind and senses.
As the weeds of one’s negative tendencies are pulled from the garden of spirituality, it
is important for them to be replaced with the seeds of good qualities like austerity,
truthfulness, steadiness, etc., called daivi sampat, or “divine wealth.” The next three
days of Navaratri are hence dedicated to Lakshmi, who is known as the “Goddess of
Wealth,” as she is like a mother who gives to her children what they need in order to
succeed.
Those who vigilantly cultivate and embody daivi sampat become eligible to acquire
the knowledge necessary to attain Divine truth. The last three days of Navaratri are
therefore dedicated to Saraswati, the “Goddess of Wisdom” who is capable of
bestowing this knowledge.
In this way, Navaratri is spent praying to three divine mothers to help one overcome
negative tendencies, develop virtuous qualities, and attain the knowledge required to
realize the truths of the Divine.

The tenth and last day of Navaratri is called Vijayadashami, a festival of victory
signifying the dawning of spiritual truth. Because Navaratri is specifically about
recognizing the important role the power of Shakti plays in helping one attain this
truth, observers celebrate Vijayadashami by commemorating certain Hindu stories
that illustrate this power.
One such famous story is that of Durga and Mahishasura. In pursuit of strength,
Mahishasura performed austerities to gain the favor of Brahma. Impressed by his
dedication, Brahma appeared before Mahishasura and offered him a boon. After
asking for immortality, which Brahma could not bestow as even he isn’t immortal,
Mahishasura asked for what he thought to be the next best thing — to be undefeated
against any man or god. Attaining his wish, Mahishasura used his newly acquired
power to wage war against and subdue the gods.
Seeking help, the gods approached Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Manifesting from the
trio’s combined energies, Durga engaged in battle with Mahishasura before eventually
killing him.
Besides symbolizing the triumph of good over a destructive force, this story highlights
how the formidable strength of the feminine aspect should never be taken lightly.

In one of Hinduism’s greatest epics, the Ramayana, the demon-king Ravana kidnaps
the Goddess Sita and takes her to his kingdom in Lanka.
In a mixture of devastation and fury, Sita’s husband Rama, who is also an avatar of
Vishnu, becomes determined to rescue his wife at all costs. Amassing an army of
powerful and intelligent monkeys, Rama and his brother Lakshmana build a bridge to
Lanka across the Indian ocean, confront Ravana, kill him, and rescue Sita.
While the hero of the Ramayana isn’t a Goddess, it is a Goddess who inspires and
drives the hero’s actions. In other words, Rama’s energy, motivation, and power are
fueled by his love for and intense desire to rescue Sita, illustrating on one level
how Shakti is the energetic force of the Divine.
The potency of this energetic force is also conveyed by Sita during her stay in Lanka.
Though she was subjected to countless forms of mental torture, taunts, and physical
threats, all antagonistic forces were kept at bay by the Shakti of her devotion to Rama.

Towards the end of Navaratri many perform Ayudha, a customary worship of the
instruments used in one’s livelihood.
Because Hinduism espouses divinity as being in all of creation as both immanent and
transcendent, followers believe all facets of life can be transformed into a spiritual
practice. In this mood, Hindus endeavor to cultivate a consciousness of seeing one’s
work as an offering to the Divine by cleaning, decorating, and worshipping the
implements that allow one to make a living. Moreover, Ayudha Puja can be observed
by taking time to show appreciation for all of the instruments we have at our disposal,
including our mind and body, without which nothing would be possible.

As Navaratri generally occurs during India’s fall harvest season, it is typical for
Hindus to pray to Bhumi Devi, the Mother Goddess of Earth who is revered as the
source of all food.
One of Hinduism’s fundamental teachings is that everything one receives in life is a
gift from the Divine, and should therefore be honored as such. When humanity falls
into a bad habit of greedily taking more than is needed, without bothering to show
appreciation to the source providing such gifts, the world tends to fall out of balance,
generally causing some level of chaos.
A good example of this can be found in the Bhagavata Purana, when the earth tells the
new king, Maharaja Prthu, that she had stopped producing grains due to being
exploited and not properly maintained by the previous rulers.
In the spirit of recognition, it is therefore encouraged to carry out various rituals
during Navaratri in honor of Bhumi Devi, for life could not exist without all that she
provides.

Navaratri is customarily celebrated like many festivals observed within Hinduism:

with fasting, reflection, meditation, sacrifices, bonfires, and any other appropriate
rituals.
But it’s the participatory garba dance of Gujarat that makes the festivities of
Navaratri stand out as particularly unique. A vibrant scene of elegant, yet spirited
dancers in colorful attire, whirling in synchronized, concentric circles of rhythmic
steps to soulful and dynamic drum beats, garba events tend to magnetically draw in
participants and viewers, whether they are aware of its deeper symbolic meanings or
not.
Derived from the Sanskrit term garbhadeep, with ‘garba’ meaning “womb” and
‘deep’ meaning “clay lamp,” the dance is traditionally performed around a clay
lantern, which is seen as representing life and fertility. The light symbol of the
Feminine Divine is thus honored by the surrounding circle of dancers, who
signify samsara (the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth). The framework of the
dance is also said to convey how the Divine is the only constant and unchanging
reality in the midst of the ceaselessly shifting material energy. Furthermore, garba can
be interpreted as a symbol of the body, emphasizing how all humans have the
feminine aspect of the Divine within them.

Though Navaratri is a deeply spiritual festival, specifically about honoring the

Feminine Divine, everyone and anyone can participate in whatever capacity best suits
them.
More austere worshippers may choose to spend most of the nine days fasting and
meditating, while others might pray to a particular murti (image or statue of a deity).
Some may partake in the livelier aspects of the holiday, like the garba dance, while
some may choose to simply watch. And then there are those who will do all of the
above, finding as many different ways to immerse themselves in the spirit of the
festival as they can.
Ultimately, Navaratri is about inviting and engaging all of the public in honoring the
fiery protective and soft-hearted energy of the Divine. It is also, however, about
encouraging everyone to realize this energy is within all of us, and that the world is
greatly benefited by us becoming more aware of and appreciative of it.
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