Navratri- A Grand Festival of 9 Days
Read on to understand how many navratris come in a year and why is the festival holds major significance. Navratri, literally meaning nine nights is the celebration of this time when the divine feminine energy is at it's peak.
FESTIVALS & THEIR SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
Dutika Mahanta
10/16/20242 min read
The first nine days after the new moon day are feminine in nature. Navratri, literally meaning nine nights is the celebration of this time when the divine feminine energy is at it's peak. Majorly, there are four navratris in a year.
Main Navratris
Main navratris are the ones where goddess is publicly worshipped and are celebrated by all including the common people.
Chaitra navratri is observed at the start of spring season (during the month of march-april). It is also called as 'vasant' navratri. It is the time when goddess Durga and her nine forms are worshipped over the nine days. The 9th day had also marked the birth of Lord Ram and so celebrated as 'Rama navami'.
Sharad navratri happens at the start of autumn season (during the month of sept-october). This navratri is the most known and is popularly observed all over the India. It is called 'Maha-navratri'. These nine days represent the journey of maa Aadi shakti. The victory of good over evil is celebrated by glorifying the power of the goddess Durga as she had killed the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. At the end of the ninth day, comes the 10th day called 'Vijayadashami'. This day also holds a grand celebration of righteousness as on this day Lord Ram was able to successfully kill Ravana due to the blessings of Devi Durga.
Gupta Navratris
Magh navratri is observed during the month of January- February. It is also known as Matangi navratri.
Ashadh navratri, also called, Varahi navratri is observed in the month of monsoon, i.e., Jun-July.
These are called gupta navratris as unlike the other puja festivals, here worship of Devi is done very secretly. This time is very crucial for many sadhaks and tantriks who wish to make spiritual advancements and progress. They pray and perform rituals to please the goddess. The '10 Mahavidyas' who are the forms of goddess Mahakaali herself are worshipped in this time period.
These navratris are celebrated to welcome the major seasonal changes. People worship 'Shakti' and observe fast during this period. Fasting helps to maintain the health and keep the body in check as there are many physiological changes happening inside our body in the time of seasonal changes. In addition to it, spiritually we get the chance to align ourselves with the right frequency of the prakriti.