Jai mata di Navratri - Navratri, literally interpreted as nine nights is the most celebrated Hindu festival devoted to Goddess Durga symbolizing purity and power or shakti. Navratri festival combines ritualistic puja and fasting and is accompanied by resplendent celebrations for nine consecutive days and nights. Navratri in India follows the lunar calendar and is celebrated in March/April as Chaitra Navratri and in September/October as Sharad Navratri. During Navratri, people from villages and cities gather to perform puja on small shrines representing different aspects of Goddess Durga, including Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati. Chanting of mantras and renditions of bhajans and folk songs usually accompany the puja rituals for nine consecutive days of Navratri. Navratri Celebrations Defining both the religious and cultural themes, Navratri celebrations are seeped in traditional music and dance. Gujarat is the focus of Navratri celebrations with all night-long dance and festivities. Garba is a devotional dance form that derives from the folklore of Lord Krishna singing and dancing with the gopis using dandiya or slim wooden sticks. Raas Garba has also evolved to include steps like Dodhiyu, Trikoniya, Lehree and several others. Whats more, with time, Navratri festival has seen changes in celebrations with well-choreographed dance performances, high-end acoustics and people dressed in made-to-order, bright costumes. Tourists flock to Vadodara in Gujarat to enjoy a mix of high-energy band music performances, singing and dancing. Navratri in India witnesses myriad forms of devotion across the country while retaining the common underlying theme of good over evil. In Jammu, the Vaishno Devi shrine sees a huge rise in the number of devotees making their way to the pilgrimage during Navratri. In Himachal Pradesh, the Navratri Mela marks the auspicious occasion of Navratri. In West Bengal, men and women celebrate Durga Puja with great devotion and reverence and worship Goddess Durga destroying the demon Mahishasura. Ramlila, wherein people enact scenes from Ramayana is performed in big grounds. Dussehra which coincides with the tenth day of Ashwin (Sharad) Navratri sees nation-wide celebration. In South India, during Navratri, people arrange idols in a step pattern and invoke the name of God. In Mysore, the nine-day Navratri festival coincides with Dasara Festival involving folk music renditions and dance performances, wrestling tournaments and tableau participation. The procession of tableaux along with embellished elephants, camels and horses starting from the brightly-lit Mysore Palace is a famous one. Vijayadashami is also an auspicious day in South India for performing puja for ones vehicle. Sharad Navratri 2014 Dates Ghatsthapana - Navratri Day 1 - September 25, 2014 Chandra Darshan, Dwitiya - September 26, 2014 Sindoor Tritiya, Chandraghanta Puja, Tritiya - September 27, 2014 Varadvinayak Chaturthi - September 28, 2014 Upang Lalita Vrat, Skandamata Puja - September 29, 2014 Katyayani Puja, Shashthi - September 30, 2014 Saraswati Awahan, Kalaratri Puja, Saptami - October 1, 2014 Sri Durga Mahaashtami, Saraswati Puja - October 2, 2014 Sharad Navratri ends - Ram Navratri Day 9 - October 3, 2014
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 16:35:33 +0000
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