With the churn in jobs and the displacement of our population, both Navratri and Durga Puja are now pan-India festivals; the latter is especially grand where the Bengali community has settled. Both festivals focus on the worship of Shakti, or the Divine Mother, or Maa Durga. Navratri has its variants, such as the garba or dandiya dance of Gujarat, Ayudhya Puja of Karnataka; these variants are celebrated all over India. The theme of the victory of good over evil remains the same.
NAVRATRI 2025 THE NINE FORMS OF DURGA
SEPT 22 MON SHAILPUTRI - Corresponds to Ghatastapana/ NAVRATRI BEGINS
SEPT 23 TUE BRAHMCHARINI
SEPT 24 WED CHANDRAGHANTA
SEPT 25 THU KUSHMANDA
SEPT 26 FRI SKANDAMATA
SEPT 27 SAT KATYAYANI
SEPT 28 SUN KALARATRI
SEPT 29 MON MAHAGAURI
SEPT 30 TUES SIDDHIDATRI
OCT 1 IS DASAMI AYUDHA PUJA/ BEGINNING OF DUSSHERA CELEBRATION -note that Dasami is Oct 1, but Dusshera is on Oct 02 due to Panchang variation/ community practice
OCT 2 IS VIJAYADASAMI AND THE CONCLUSION OF SHARAD NAVRATRI
DEVI, NAVRATRI, AND MYTHOLOGY
Hinduism, staunchly rooted in polytheism, envisages the Divine as both male and female. The Divine Devi takes many forms: as Parvati, She is married to Shiva, and this union is held as the ideal. She is a benevolent Mother, devoted to her husband and her children. As Lakshmi, she is the wife of Vishnu and the Goddess of fortune. She is Saraswati, the wife of Brahma, and the Goddess of learning and music. Devi is manifest in all other Goddesses, as well as in village deities. As such, Devi can be a generic name for any goddess, and to some she is known as The Great Goddess or Mahadevi. This is the female counterpart of Mahadeva. When the Devi manifests in Her gentle maternal manner called saumya, She becomes the ideal of all women. She is the Mother or Maa. It does not permit the Devi an identity separate from her husband.
The unmarried form of Devi is an independent, fiercely untamed, and angry embodiment called the ugra form that battles the forces of evil. In doing so, she powerfully challenges male stereotypes. One may interpret the strong, angry form of Devi as a pushback against a patriarchal, misogynist society that projects a male fear of female sexuality vis-à-vis an unmarried Goddess. But it is the male who is at the core of violence and disruption in society, and it is the Devi who is out to restore order to allow society to function. Hence, the bali or sacrificial animal that is offered to placate Her is always a male.
Mahadevi is Shakti, and to her followers, Shaktism constitutes a major tradition in Hinduism. The celebration of the Devi in which nine forms are worshipped is called Navratri; Durga Pooja is an integral part of the celebrations in these nine days.
Parvati and Gauri are the kind and gentle manifestations of the same Devi. It is as Durga that She becomes martial, and Her character undergoes a complete transformation. She lusts for blood; unsurprisingly, her devotees satisfy her by animal sacrifice and by offerings of alcohol. How did such a transformation take place? Durga was created by fusing the energies or shaktis of all the gods - Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, as well as the lesser gods to destroy the demon called Mahisasura. Removing all obfuscation, she is thus greater than all of them.
One of the earliest Puranas, called the Markandeya Purana, possibly dating from the 3rd to the 5th centuries, contains the text called the Devimahatmaya or 'the glory that is the goddess.' It is also known as the Durgasaptasati or the Candimahatmya. It is in this text that the religious myths of the goddess are first revealed. An entire Purana called the Devi Bhagavatam is devoted to her. Around the fourth and fifth centuries, images of Durga killing the asura Mahisasura became common. From this time well into the medieval ages, Durga’s worship became widespread; the Devimahatmaya was held in such reverence that it was considered to be the word of the goddess herself. Durga permeates the entire cosmos in which her writ runs. With Shiva by her side, she destroys, re-creates, and maintains the cosmos. She is entrusted with ensuring dharma. She intervenes to prevent adharma or a breakdown in the cosmic order, to prevent chaos.
Nine nights and ten days, four times a year, are specifically devoted to the worship of the Devi. These are known as the Navratri festival, and its celebration is an important event in the Hindu religious calendar; it is a celebration of Durga. Two of these are the secret or Gupt Navratris. The other two are celebrated during the Chaithra and Sharadiya months of the Hindu lunar calendar. They are linked with the occurrence of the Equinox and the Solstice. The former happens twice in a year, on March 21 and September 22. This is when the Chaithra and Sharadiya Navratri are observed. The two Gupt Navratris occur on the days of the Solstices. They are observed by practitioners of Tantra. But why link Navratri to astronomical events? Ancient Indian wisdom has it that these are seasonal changes that affect the human mind and body. The equinox of September 22, when Shardiya Navratri of 2025 is celebrated, is when the monsoon makes way for winter. The decrease in sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere influences our sleep patterns by decreasing the production of Melatonin. Lesser amounts of Serotonin are produced, and this can lead to depression. Changes in the body’s immune system make many people prone to colds and illnesses. A craving for carbohydrate-rich comfort foods is seen in many. It is absolutely amazing that our ancestors, without sophisticated diagnostic investigations available today, could conclude these and suggest remedies in such a way that all would follow.
The Sharadiya Navratri is the most important of these Navratri festivals. Mythology has it that Lord Rama needed the support of Maa Durga when he went to battle Ravana; it was the time called Dakshinayan, or the period of rest during which gods and goddesses are sleeping. However, Lord Rama invoked Devi Durga, and She bestowed Her blessings, enabling Lord Rama to overcome Ravana. The worship of Durga during this period is called Akal Bodhan, and with the sanctity of time, the Sharadiya Navratri became important.
Navratri during these four periods provides the occasion for the betterment of our lives. The three elements or humors (called doshas in Ayurveda) of our bodies - vata or gas, pitta or bile, and kapha or phlegm do get disturbed over time, and these four periods provide the opportunity to correct this imbalance. This is done by eating one meal a day that is saatvik (meaning pure), which incorporates fresh fruits, dahi, seasonal vegetables, and gluten-free grain. Meat, garlic, and onions or taamsic (meaning inertia and lethargy) foods are eschewed. Meditation, pranayama or breathing exercises, and reading the scriptures are activities that are encouraged. Sex, smoking, and alcohol provoke carnal desires and are avoided.
The nine evil forces, of anger, hatred, jealousy, attachment, greed, ego, doubt, lust, and delusion, which are inimical to our well-being, are overcome through fasting and prayer. It is a period of spiritual, mental, and physical recharge. A lamp is lit at home, and its flame is not extinguished during these nine nights.
Though Garba has its origins in Gujarat, it has become widespread. It is the singing of devotional songs in praise of Maa Durga, accompanied by rhythmic clapping, using the hands or by beating two sticks.
On the eighth and the ninth day of Navratas, nine girls above the age of 8 and who have not attained puberty are worshipped. They are thought to represent the nine forms of Durga. A girl at this age is considered to be the purest in mind and in body. As a mark of respect to the goddess, the feet of the girl child are washed, and she is offered rice grains. In later life, the girl child will take the role of the Devi in her different forms. She will be Parvati, a wife and a mother, Lakshmi as a housewife, and Saraswati as the first teacher of the children. She will be Durga as the destroyer of obstacles for the family, Annapurna as the provider of food through cooking, and as Kali to punish erring children so they mend their ways.
Navratas represent the victory of good over evil. This is a theme that resonates with universal appeal. At a personal level, it is a time to rest, rejuvenate, and enhance the quality of one's life by aligning material matters with spiritual values. The Devi helps us do that!
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