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Find some delicious recipies for this
festive season |
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Navratri festival sacred to the Mother
Goddess are celebrated in the month of October /
November. It is a festival of worship,dance and
music celebrated over a period of nine nights.It
is celebrated from the first to the ninth date of
Ashwin Shukla Paksha of the Hindu Calendar for the
worship of the Goddess Durga. This festival
commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over a
demon, Mahishasur. During Navratri, devotees of
Durga fast and pray for health and prosperity.
They also perform the 'devi-sthaapna' in their
homes wherein they invite the Goddess and perform
'pooja-path' for nine days without consuming any
food. It is an occasion for vibrant festivities
throughout the country.
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Nine
different manifestations of Durga are worshipped over
the nine days ; Durga :goddess beyond reach; Bhadrakali
the auspicious power of time; Amba or Jagdamba: mother
of the world; Annapurna: giver of food and plenty;
Sarvamangala: auspicious goddess;
Bhairavi:
terrible, fearful, power of death; Chandika or handi:
violent, wrathful, furious; Lalita: playful; and
Bhavani: giver of existence.Idols of the Goddess Durga
are elaborately decorated and worshipped in elaborate
pandals for nine days, and on the tenth day immersed in
a river or pond. Each day during this festival has
religious significance for the devotees. |
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In West Bengal,Navratri is celebrated as
'Durga-pooja'which is the most important festival
in that part of India. Celebrations of Durga-pooja
in Bengal are similar to celebration of Ganesh
Chaturthi in Maharashtra. Idols of Goddess Durga
are worshipped for nine days in beautifully
decorated 'pandaals'.It is a public festival. On
the tenth day,the 'Visarjan' or immersion of idols
in sea waters is performed. In Punjab, Navratri is
a period of fasting for seven days, and the people
are said to keep their "Navratras" or
fasts. |
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On the eighth day or Ashtami, devotees
break their fasts by calling young girls home and
these girls are treated as the goddess herself.
People ceremonially wash their feet, worship them
and then offer food to the "girl-goddesses" giving
them the traditional 'puri', ' halwa' and chana'
to eat along with bangles and the red 'chunnis' to
wear. The ninth day is known as Ram Navami. In
traditional North Indian households, a pot of
wheat, known as 'khetri' is kept and home and
worshipped during these eight days. It is
significant of prosperity and abundance. On the
first day of the Navaratras, grains of barley are
planted in the puja room of the
house. |
Every day some water is sprinkled on it. On
the tenth day, the shoots are about 3 - 5 inches in
length. After the puja, these seedlings are pulled out
and given to devotees as a blessing from god. The
seedlings are placed on their caps, behind their ears,
and inside books to bring good luck. This custom
suggests a link to harvesting. The sowing and reaping of
barley is symbolic of the "first fruit".In various parts
of India,the 'Ram-Leela' is performed during Navratri.
Ram-Leela is a stage enaction of Ramayana,the story of
Lord Rama. The day after Navratri,i.e.,tenth day, is
observed as 'Dassera' or 'Vijayadashmi'.It marks the
victory of good over evil. It is believed that on this
day, Lord Rama had killed the demon Ravana.So,on
Vijayadashmi,effigies of Ravana are burnt all over
India. |
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