ITS NAVRATRI TIME!!!

Dear Members,

Yes its right its Navarati Time. Happy To all The members of India-Forums.



Many of us living abroad away from India, celebrate with full passion however some us the" youth generation" sometimes dont know the true meaning of this beautiful holy occation.

Its the time for Garba, Dandiya, Ramjamyu, sweets, We dance all night if we could in happiness, we wear lovely embroided new clothes, we do long 9days fasts.

But what is hidden behind all this fun, what is the true meaning,  why do we celebrate it??? Lets answer your questions below:

The 9 nights festival of Navratri begins on the first day of Ashwina of the bright fortnight. Seeds are sown, sprouting is watched, the planets are consecrated, and on the 8th and 9th days, Goddess Durga, Vijayashtami and Mahanavami are worshipped.

The Devi Mahatmya and other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.

The day after Navratri i.e. the 10th day after Ashwina, is Dussera which celebrates the victory of lord Rama over Ravana. Ravana is burnt in effigy, often giant dummies of Ravana stuffed with fireworks are shot with arrows until they blow up before a large, applauding audience.

Another meaning of :

Well, it is the nine days when we are suppose to thank the female principle of nature and the goddesses connected to them. As the agricultural communities had free time only in the evenings (days being too busy with manual labour in the fields), evenings and nights were chosen as the ideal times to celebrate the festival of the goddesses.

In brief, the nine nights are dedicated to the three main goddesses of Hinduism - Parvati, Lakshmi and Sarasvati.

The first three nights are dedicated to the goddess of action and energy. Her different manifestations viz Kumari, Parvati and Kali are worshipped during these days. They represent the three natures/ classes of womanhood - the virgin young girl, auspicious wife/ mother and the angry old hag ! This is not a criticism of women, just a classification. It helps us recognise the different aspects of our own nature.

Lakshmi is worshipped for the next three days in her various aspects as the goddesses of peace, plenty and bliss. Fulfilment is more important than wealth itself. As the goddess of wealth, she governs not just the bank balance, but also such basic things as family, friends, food etc. (read my article on wealth on my site.)

Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge. Not just the knowledge of how to earn a living, but how to "live" aswell. She is the goddess of the spiritual knowledge and the knowledge that frees us from this bind of Samsara. She is worshipped during the final three days of the Navratri.

The nine nights are there for us to revel in the knowledge of the goddesses that live within us, imbibing us with their spiritual energy and power. Used for the good, they help liberate us from the mire of this world. Use these energies unwisely, and they will snare us in the maya of this world.We should meditate of these aspects of the nine nights, that was the reason they originally came into being.

Ofcourse, much has been "added on" since and the nine nights are now as commercial as any other festival. The Gujaratis enjoy the nine nights by dancing them away to the blare of loud music and scant attention is given to the spiritual aspect of the festival. Even the Durga Puja of the Bengalis has been hijacked by commercialism. If you want more info on Kali or Lakshmi and their various aspects, please read the articles on my site - or indeed follow the links to other sites that have info on Hindu gods.

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Its one of the most remembarance and sparkling event ever. Its one of the biggest occasions held in India, it is celebrated all around the world. I am sure many of you at home do puja's at your mandir, It is a occasion that brings EVERYBODY together. Whether its Enemy's, Friends, Relatives, Or Unknown individuals into one place where we all play, dance laugh and become one while celebrating, Its an magical occasion which brings old and new generations together it holds all of us as one and this is why we Celebrate the beautiful Occasion Its one of the most remembrance and sparkling event ever. It's one of the biggest occasions held in India, it is celebrated all around the world. I am sure many of you at home do puja's at your mandir, It is a occasion that brings EVERYBODY together. Whether its Enemy's, Friends, Relatives, Or Unknown individuals, into one place where we all play, dance, laugh and become one while celebrating, Its an magical occasion which brings old and new generations together it holds all of us as one and this is why we Celebrate the beautiful Occasion.  Remember its  links everyone around the world together just like India-Forums does

 

Please Tell us how you celebrate Navratri at back home.

Hope you all enjoyed. Take Good care of yourselfs while enjoying.

With Best Wishes
The Dev Team of India-Forums




Edited by Megha_Desai - 08 October 2005 at 12:15pm

happy navratri to u too magzz ..hows the garba comin?

Happy navratri to everyone!!!

happy navratri to all of you...lets celebrate

Happy Navratri to Evryone!

HAppy Navrati to alll the wonderful people of the forum!!!!

Navrathri Festival

Sri Durga MataNavratri - the nine sacred nights is one of the most celebrated festivals of India. This begins from the first day (Pradhamai) after Amavasya in the month of Purattasi as it is known in Tamil. This nine days festival is essentially celebrated to worship Devi and to commemorate the victory of good over evil, i.e. bringing to an end the atrocities of Asuras like Mahishasuran, Shumban, Nishumban, Madhukaidapan, Thumralochanan and Rakthabheejan. During Navrathri Devi is worshipped in the form of Sri Durga for the first three days, as Sri Lakshmi for the second three days and as Sri Saraswati for the next three days.

In the south, during Navratri the occassion is also used to invite all the friends, relatives and neighbours over to home to look at the Kolu that is arranged. Every year the young girls in the house along with their mothers vie with each other to create a Kolu with a different look. All the nine days are a non stop entertainment period with songs and dances.

Normally, in every south Indian home, golu/ kolu is kept.  Typically, a golu is an arrangement of dolls/ handicrafts etc arranged in a very aesthetic manner, displaying the talents of the young girls in the household.  The most common form of golu is to display the dolls etc on a 5 or 7 step frame.  Dolls depict different traditional festival, events, etc.  No golu is ever complete without the famous Dasha Avtaar, idols of durga, saraswati, lakshmi, Ganpathi, the famous Chettiar couple (the typical pot bellied businessman of the south with his equally proportioned wife in traditional attire, complete with the kudmi (lock of hair)).  Other displays include the Meenashi Sundaram kalyana mandapam, Ram-Seetha, Lakshman & Hanumanji idols or the Ramar Pathabhishekham (the coronation of Ram on his return to Ayodhya after the vanvaas).

Each day is a day of war between the Asuras and Gods, and each day, at sunset, marks the end of the war for the day, when the lady of the house would make a new chundal (prasad) and offer the prasad to the Lord, after the lamp is lit. 

The tenth day marks the end of the war when the Durga conquers the evil Asuras and that day, at sunset, the war is over and peace reigns.  It is therefore called the Vijayadashmi.. victory of the good over the evil.

Happy Navratri Everyone,I cant really celebrate it propely because I am in the UK

Aryan



Edited by Aryan44422 - 08 October 2005 at 12:51pm