THE NAVRATRI POST
Navratri is a combination of two words. 'Nav' means nine while 'ratri' means night. Therefore, this celebration is literally translated as 'nine nights'. The celebrations begin on the first day of the month of Ashvin according to the lunar Hindu calendar. They culminate in the festival of Dassera, on the tenth day of the month. As per the Gregorian calendar, Navratri always falls in the month of October.
The festival of Dassera is celebrated to worship God's triumph of good over evil, in this case through Maa Durga. She is the embodiment of Devi, or the supreme goddess. The form of the Goddess Durga is said to symbolise creative energy and the feminine body. This form of the Goddess has nine aspects. Navratri therefore is dedicated to the worship of these aspects. Each form or aspect of the Goddess has its own day dedicated to it.
The Navratri celebrations are devoted to the worship of the Eternal Mother. Durga is also considered to be a combination of the Trinity of Goddesses. They are Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati. During Navratri, these three main Goddesses too, are worshipped within their central themes of the triumph of good over evil. Each night is celebrated with circular dancing known as Garba and the reenactment of the Devi's victories through Raas.
