Wellingborough District Hindu Association
Navratri Festival
Navratri means “nine nights.” These nine nights are counted from the day after the new moon day or Amavasya. These first nine days of the lunar cycle are considered feminine. This is a special time for Devi, who represents the feminine nature of the Divine. The ninth day is called Navami.
There are twelve nine-day periods in a year and each of these is focused on a different aspect of the feminine Divine or Devi.
The Navratri that comes around October is considered the most significant one because it is dedicated to Sharada, the goddess of learning.
The first three days are dedicated to Durga, the next three to Lakshmi, and the last three to Saraswati. The tenth day, Vijayadashami, signifies the triumph over all these three aspects of life.
Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are seen as three dimensions of the feminine, symbolizing the earth, the sun and the moon, or tamas (inertia), rajas (activity, passion) and sattva (transcendence, knowledge, purity), respectively.
Those who aspire for strength or power, worship forms of the feminine like Mother Earth, Durga or Kali.
Those who aspire for wealth, passion, or material gifts worship Lakshmi or the sun.
Those who aspire for knowledge, dissolution or the transcendence of the limitations of the mortal body worship Saraswati or the moon.
The story associated with Navratri
Navratri is a time when Hindus celebrate the Goddess Durga for killing the demon, Mahishasura.
A more powerful God, Lord Brahma, had blessed Mahishasura with the gift of immortality because of his dedication to him, which meant he could never die.
However, this gift did come with one condition – the only person who would be able to defeat Mahishasura would be a woman.
Mahishasura didn’t think any woman would be strong enough to kill him and was happy with the deal.
Over the years, Mahishasura and his men became a powerful force attacking people on Earth and no Gods were able to defeat him.
Finally, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva; the three most powerful Hindu Gods decided to come together and create the Goddess Durga, a powerful woman whose job would be to destroy Mahishasura.
The Gods equipped the new Goddess Durga with lots of weapons before she went into battle with Mahishasura.
Durga fought the demon for 10 days, and it proved quite difficult as he kept changing his form to confuse the Goddess. However, when he finally turned into a buffalo, Durga was able to defeat him.
The symbols associated with Goddess Durga
Goddess Durga is depicted as a warrior woman with eight hands carrying weapons of different kinds assuming mudras, (symbolic hand gestures) that represent her teachings.
The chakra in her 1st upper right hand symbolises dharma (duty/righteousness). We must perform our duty/responsibilities in life.
Conch in her first upper left hand symbolises happiness. We must perform our duty happily and cheerfully and not with resentment.
The sword in her second right lower hand symbolises the eradication of vices. We must learn to discriminate and eradicate our evil qualities.
The bow and arrow in her second left lower hand symbolises a character like Lord Rama. When we face difficulties in our life we should not lose our character (values).
The Lotus Flower in her third lower left hand symbolises detachment. We must live in the world without attachment to the external world. Just like the lotus flower stays in dirty water yet smiles and gives its beauty to others. This is the only way to receive Her blessings.
The club in her third right lower hand is the symbol of Hanuman and symbolises devotion and surrender. Whatever we do in our life we do with love and devotion and accept the outcome as the Almighty’s will.
Trident/Trishul in her fourth left lower hand symbolises courage. We must have the courage to eliminate our evil qualities and face the challenges in our lives.
The Fourth Lower Right Hand symbolises forgiveness and Her blessings. We must forgive ourselves and others for mistakes and/or any hurt we may have caused.
Colours associated with the celebrations for 2024
Day 1 Yellow: Symbolises happiness, brightness, and energy. Goddess Shailputri is celebrated on this day.
Day 2 Green: Represents growth, harmony, and new beginnings. Goddess Brahmacharini is celebrated on this day. She is a goddess depicted with a rosary in her right hand and a water pot in her left.
Day 3 Grey: Reflects stability and strength. Goddess Chandraghanta is celebrated on this day.
Day 4 Orange: Symbolises enthusiasm, warmth, and energy. It is used to celebrate Goddess Kushmanda.
Day 5 White: Represents peace and purity. This is the colour of the goddess Skand Mata. She is the Goddess of motherhood.
Day 6 Red: A colour of power and passion. This is the colour of the goddess Katyayani Mata.
Day 7 Royal Blue: Represents royalty, elegance, and wealth. Kalratri is celebrated on this day. She is the form of the Goddess Parvati and is considered the destructor of everything evil in the world.
Day 8 Pink: Symbolises compassion, harmony, and love. Maha Gauri is worshipped, the avatar of Durga, and people worship her to get rid of all sufferings in life.
Day 9 Purple: Reflects spirituality, ambition, and prosperity. Celebrate the Goddess Siddhidatri. Siddhi means supernatural power, and dhatri means the giver. She is the giver of supernatural powers to human beings. She blesses people with spiritual powers.
Ishver Patel: 03.10.2024
Source: Notes from various online resources