Navratri 2017

Navratri, the time of the year when I get transported to another world, a world that’s full of hope, love and peace (I believe so!) In the past couple of years I have been dedicating a post on my blog to Maa, Goddess Durga. This year too let me touch another aspect of my life that revolves around Maa.

This is the festival dedicated to the worship of Maa Shakti, Maa Durga, Maa Parvati as she is lovingly called by her beloved devotees.  The word Navratri means 9 nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Maa Durga , are worshiped.  It is believed that Maa Durga visits earth during these pious days. The 10th day is celebrated as Vijayadashmi or Dussehra. 

The nine forms of Maa Durga invoked during the festival 

First day of Navratri we pray to Maa Shailputri

Second Navratri is dedicated to Maa Brahmacharini

Third Navratra is devoted to Maa Chandraghanta

Fourth one is to pray to Maa Kooshmanda

Fifth Navratra is for Skandmata 

Sixth Navratra one prays to Maa Katyayini

Seventh Day of the Navratri is dedicated to Maa Kalratri (Maa Kali)

Eighth day of the holy period is devoted to Maa Mahagauri

The Ninth day is for the 9th form of Maa Shakti, Sidhidatri 

The festival is celebrated all over the country in many different ways 

In the Northern part of India, these days are celebrated by way of fasting for 9 days and worshiping the different forms of Maa Gurga. In Gujarat and Maharashtra it is celebrated by having the Garba and dandiya for the 9 nights. In Eastern part of India especially among the Bengali community, It is celebrated as the Durga Puja. The festivities here are for 5 days and they are community celebrations. The idols are huge and exquisitely crafted. They adorn the huge pandals (Shamiana) where they are worshiped and then the idol is immersed in water on the 5^th day. In the Southern part of India Bomma Kolu (Golu) in Tamil, Bommala Koluvu in Telugu, Bombe Habba in Kannada. They do a doll and figurine display in their homes, it is customary in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh .

I look forward to the celebration of the Navratri each year like a lot of other women. Mumbai women have over the years developed their own style of celebrating this festival. They follow the colours for these nine days. Each day there is a different cololur, the list is published in the Maharashtra Times. Among the career women, who rush to their work places by the local trains hardly dress up in their traditional finery. 

Just the other day, I received a Whatsapp message titled ‘Colours of Navratri’ sent by a colleague to all the ladies working in the office. Following this list we’ll be wearing our traditional sarees or salwar kameezs in those colurs. Every office here in Mumbai has a similar story, all women whether married or not will be trying their best to adorn the colour of the day. Some may even buy outfits that they don’t have in their wardrobes. Come Navratri, the moment we step out of our homes we’ll find the women wearing the colour of the day. On reaching the local train station it’s certainly a beautiful sight to see the women adorning the colours of the day and dressing up in their best sarees. Some of them don’t even wear footwear for the entire period of the Navratri.

Evenings are generally the time to visit the local dandiya ground. Where, the dandiya begins in the evening around 7.30 pm with Arti of the Devi and then playing the favourite music, an old classic or just the flavor of the season.

Children look forward to the daniya nights celebrated in their housing societies. They are among the first dancers on the floor. Mumbai is different during the Navratri, dandiya fever is in it’s peak. In fact one gets to hear the music much before the first Navratra, as the bands comprising of college students and working people, practise each evening preparing for the festival. For them it is also a way of enjoying the festivities as well as making some good bucks!

At the Dandiya venues the people generally wear the Gujarati style chaniya cholies and men wearing the trational outfits. It’s fun to see how couples come colour co-ordinated. The jewelery is generally the oxidized one. The young girls pick their jewelry as well as the outfits for the 9 days from Gujarat, or in Mumbai, places like Bhuleshwar Market.

So Navratri is round the corner and I am looking forward to welcome the Devine Mother in my home. We begin the festival with keeping the kalash and sowing  barley in an earthen pot (which will grow till the tenth day and this will be used for the Dussehra puja at home). The Mandir (temple) at home will be decorated with the best of flowers; will light the akhand jyot (the oil lamp) which will be glowing for the next 10 days. Will have a kirtan at home in the afternoon, where we invite all the ladies and they sing the bhajans of Maa Durga and other deities. This will be followed by the Arati and distribution of prashad to all the ladies. Most of the women fast during this period so prashad generally consists of fruits, dry fruits and milk. The women also get the ‘Suhagi’ (bindi, sindoor, mehendi, nail polish, glass bangles tied together with a red ribbon) and anything else the lady of the house wants to give to the women attending the puja.

This year Navratri will be celebrated all over the country from  21st to 29th September 2017. It's the time for fasting and feasting and pleasing Goddess Durga and seeking her blessings! 

Colours for Navratri 2017 

1

Navratri Day 1

September 21, (Thursday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Yellow

2

Navratri Day 2

September 22, (Friday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Green

3

Navratri Day 3

September 23, (Saturday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Grey

4

Navratri Day 4

September 24, (Sunday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Orange

5

Navratri Day 5

September 25, (Monday)
Navratri color of the day – 

White

White

6

Navratri Day 6

September 26, (Tuesday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Red

7

Navratri Day 7

September 27, (Wednesday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Royal Blue

8

Navratri Day 8

September 28, (Thursday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Pink

9

Navratri Day 9

September 29, (Friday)
Navratri color of the day - 

Purple

Wishing everyone a very happy and blessed Navratri.

PS: pictures are taken from Google