Details of navaratri...?

Question

in respect of hinduism

Answer 1

Navaratri: The 9 Divine Nights

5 Things You Need To Know About By Shri Gyan Rajhans
RELATED RESOURCES
• All About Durga
• Durga Image Gallery
• Navratri/Dusshera Links
• Durga Puja Overseas
• Festival Resources
• Gods & Goddesses



"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year, once in the beginning of summer and again at the onset of winter.

What's the Significance of Navratri?
During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.

Why Worship the Mother Goddess?
We think this energy is only a form of the Divine Mother, who is the mother of all, and all of us are her children. "Why mother; why not father?", you may ask. Let me just say that we believe that God's glory, his cosmic energy, his greatness and supremacy can best be depicted as the motherhood aspect of God. Just as a child finds all these qualities in his or her mother, similarly, all of us look upon God as mother. In fact, Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which gives so much importance to the mother aspect of God because we believe that mother is the creative aspect of the absolute.

Why Twice a Year?
Every year the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctures of climatic change and solar influence. These two junctions have been chosen as the sacred opportunities for the worship of the divine power because:
(1) We believe that it is the divine power that provides energy for the earth to move around the sun, causing the changes in the outer nature and that this divine power must be thanked for maintaining the correct balance of the universe.
(2) Due to the changes in the nature, the bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change, and hence, we worship the divine power to bestow upon all of us enough potent powers to maintain our physical and mental balance.

Why Nine Nights & Days?
Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

Why Do You Need the Power?
Thus, I suggest you join your parents in worshipping "Ma Durga" during the Navaratri. She will bestow on you wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge, and other potent powers to cross every hurdle of life. Remember, everyone in this world worships power, i.e., Durga, because there is no one who does not love and long for power in some form or the other.

Answer 2

This is from about.com (that is, it didn't come from my own store of knowledge):

"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year, once in the beginning of summer and again at the onset of winter.

What's the Significance of Navratri?
During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.

Why Worship the Mother Goddess?
We think this energy is only a form of the Divine Mother, who is the mother of all, and all of us are her children. "Why mother; why not father?", you may ask. Let me just say that we believe that God's glory, his cosmic energy, his greatness and supremacy can best be depicted as the motherhood aspect of God. Just as a child finds all these qualities in his or her mother, similarly, all of us look upon God as mother. In fact, Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which gives so much importance to the mother aspect of God because we believe that mother is the creative aspect of the absolute.

Why Twice a Year?
Every year the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctures of climatic change and solar influence. These two junctions have been chosen as the sacred opportunities for the worship of the divine power because:
(1) We believe that it is the divine power that provides energy for the earth to move around the sun, causing the changes in the outer nature and that this divine power must be thanked for maintaining the correct balance of the universe.
(2) Due to the changes in the nature, the bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change, and hence, we worship the divine power to bestow upon all of us enough potent powers to maintain our physical and mental balance.

Why Nine Nights & Days?
Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

Why Do You Need the Power?
Thus, I suggest you join your parents in worshipping "Ma Durga" during the Navaratri. She will bestow on you wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge, and other potent powers to cross every hurdle of life. Remember, everyone in this world worships power, i.e., Durga, because there is no one who does not love and long for power in some form or the other.

Answer 3

Navratri, the Festival of Nine Nights, is celebrated in honor of goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. The festival is celebrated for nine nights every year in the Hindu month of Ashvin (September-October) although as the dates of the festival are according to the Hindu calendar (which is based on the Moon), the festival may be held for a day more or a day less depending on the calendar. It coincides with the end of the rainy season.
Worshipping of Different Goddess :

A different form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped on each day. These nine days are divided and devoted to the Trinity of God worshipped in a female form - three days for Durga (Goddess of Valor) three days for Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and three days for Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge and Art).

1st - 3rd day of Navratri On the first day of the Navaratras, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room of the house and barley seeds are sown on it. On the tenth day, the shoots are about 3 - 5 inches in length. After the puja, these seedlings are pulled out and given to devotees as a blessing from god. These initial days are dedicated to Durga Maa, the Goddess of power and energy. Her various manifestations, Kumari, Parvati and Kali are all worshipped during these days.
4th - 6th day of Navratri During these days, Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity is worshipped. On the fifth day which is known as Lalita Panchami, it is traditional, to gather and display all literature available in the house, light a lamp or 'diya' to invoke Saraswati Maa, the Goddess of knowledge and art.
7th - 8th day of Navratri
These final days belong to Saraswati Maa who is worshipped to acquire the spiritual knowledge. This in turn will free us from all earthly bondage. But on the 8th day of this colourful festival, yagna (holy fire) is performed. Ghee (clarified butter), kheer (rice pudding) and sesame seeds form the holy offering to Goddess Durga Maa. ..... more. Check out all about navratri, prayers related to this festival on Indif.com

Answer 4

Importance Of Navratri

Goddesses always occupy superior position in India among the Hindus. Hindus believe Sri Paarvathy or Sri Durga for protecting the innocent and punishing the wicked, Sri Saraswathy for Vidhya or educations and Sri Mahalakshmi for all the Ashta Aishwariyam or all eight types of fortunes.

It is generally believed that during Simha Maasa Shukla Chaturthi, Shri Ganesha visits the earth to lessen the pains and the sins, committed by people, by absorbing them unto Him. Therefore in those days, people used to make the idol of Shri Ganesha out of the fresh soil, collected from the bank of rivers, and install them in their houses with due respect and pray sincerely for getting the mercy of God Shri Ganesha on Vinayaka Chaturthi. The next day, on panchami, they used to give a warm send off to the Ganesha idols by immersing them in the flowing rivers, in the strongest believes, that, the sins committed by them and absorbed by the idols had been washed away in the flowing water.

After the visit of Her son Ganesha, mother Devi Paarvathy visits the earth, exactly after the one complete round of the Moon during the Kanya Maasa Amavasya, to bless the people. She dwells in each house for nine days and nine nights hence Navratri is celebrated, on the ninth day She is joined by the Goddess Saraswathy therefore Saraswathy Pooja or Vidhya Aarambha Pooja is celebrated on the ninth day.

Many religious methods are followed during the Navratri periods to get the blessings of Devi Durga, however, the commonest among them are to fast for all the nine days, to lead a simple life during Her presence, to give ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ to ladies etc are commonly followed by all walks of people during Navratri periods.

According the Sapta Rishi Nadi-Volume-IV, a unique book printed in 1948 by the then Madras Government based on palm leaves manuscript, Triovasta Stree Dhanam (donation to females of all three stages) is strongly recommended after any Devi Pooja, particularly while Devi’s presence during Navratri period. Sapta Rishi Nadi is one of the earliest and rarest of all Nadi books, the content in this book is a direct conversation between Devi Paarvathy and a galaxy of seven brilliant intellects Rishis-Sapta Rishis.

Triovasta Stree means three Avastas or stages of females-Suhasini, Kanya and Sumangali. Suhasini means- stage of a girl from five years to her puberty; Kanya-stage from puberty to marriage; and Sumangali-married ladies.

According to some old-gold Vedic Texts, nine females of each category from the aforesaid should be invited in different days during the Navratri periods and be given Haldi ***-*** and daanam without considering any caste, color or creed. Sthree-Dhaanam or Haldi ***-*** to Sumangali should be given on Friday during Navratri period.

Sthree-Dhaanam includes Sari, blouse, all shringar items, mehandi, solid turmeric, turmeric powder, kumkum, coconut oil, til oil, yellow-thread, mirror, comb, red ribbon, green and red bangle, hand-fan, umbrella, footwear, towel, shikha powder or soap, fruits, raw vegetables, raw rice, tuvar-dal, sugar, ghee, coconut water, coconut, honey, sweets, rose water, milk, kaju-kismiss, cardamom, clove, plate or tumbler, paan and flower.

In order to get fullest blessings of Devi Paarvathy, at least nine items from the above said list should be given to each category females. Anna-Dhaanam (feast) to all the three categories of females, particularly poor females, during Navratri period is excellent way of attaining Devi’s blessings.