Navratri, which literally means "nine nights", is one of the major festivals for the Hindus communities, celebrated with utmost devotion and fervour all over India. These nine days are dedicated to Goddess Shakti and her nine incarnations as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. The thought behind Navratri celebration is refinement of our own spirit through fasting, chanting, rituals and prayers. Devotees follow many rituals during Navratri puja, fasting and celebrations to get blessing of Maa Bhagwati.
This year in 2020, Sharad Navratri festival is starting from October 17, 2020 (Saturday) and will be celebrated till October 25, 2018 (Sunday) continuously. Within these nine auspicious days, 9 goddess of navratri will be worshipped by the devotees to please each goddess.
Nine Goddesses are worshipped on each day during Navratri festival. Most of the Goddess of Navratri has been dressed with different color. Every goddess wear different ornaments, has different posture and different procession (Sawari). Some goddess has two hands while some have four, eight or ten hands and some goddess have three eyes. Each goddess of navratri has different powers, shaktis even duty too. In her hands, she is holding the weapons and some hands are in the pose of Abhay Mudra (Protecting) and Var Mudra (blessing). For nine goddes of navratri, there are different mantras, shlokas and stutis, which devotees recite every day after the worship of each days of goddess. Generally, the Pooja procedure is the same for all the goddess, except from first day and last day of navratri. Each day is dedicated to a one different goddess and a different story is there behind worshipping these nine goddess of navratri.
The name of nine Goddess of Navratri days are listed below -
First Day of Navratri - Maa Shailaputri Second Day of Navratri - Maa Brahmacharini Third Day of Navratri - Maa Chandraghanta Fourth Day of Navratri - Maa Kushmanda Fifth Day of Navratri - Maa Skanda Mata Sixth Day of Navratri - Maa Katyayani Seventh Day of Navratri - Maa Kalaratri Eighth Day of Navratri - Maa Mahagauri Ninth Day of Navratri - Maa Siddhidatri
The first three sacred days of Navratri festival are dedicated to "Goddess Durga” & next three days are devoted to "Goddess Lakshmi” and the final last three holy days are dedicated to "Goddess Saraswati”. People begin Navratri puja with Goddess Shailaputri puja, Maa Brahmacharini is worshipped on second day and Maa Chandraghanta puja is done on Navratri’s third day, same all nine Goddess are worshipped until nine days. From the first day to ninth day devotees worship one Goddess on each auspicious day, one by one.
This is one of the biggest religious puja, which is held in India. It is a belief that people who worship during these sacred nine days of Navratri, get rid of from ‘the cycle of birth’ and also get wisdom, power, richness and success in this life.
