what is navrathra?

Answer 1

Navratri (Sanskrit:नवरात्रि) is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. It is the largest festival of Nepal. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava - Nine and Ratri - nights. During these nine days and nights, nine forms of Shakti i.e. female divinity are worshipped.

The festival is celebrated for nine nights twice every year during mid-March and the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the Hindu lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.

Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.


First three days
The goddess is invoked as a powerful spiritual force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects.


Second 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 inexhaustible wealth.


Final three days
The final set of three days is spent in worshipping as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.

During Navratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. A period of introspection and purification, Navratri is traditionally an auspicious time for starting new ventures.

On the tenth day of Navratri in October - the holiday of Dussehra, an effigy of Ravana is burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil.

Navratri is celebrated in a large number of Indian and Nepalese communities. The mother goddess is said to appear in 9 forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. These nine forms signify various traits that the goddess influences us with. The Devi Mahatmya and other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.

Answer 2

If you are talking about Navratri, then it is a Hindu festival of worshipping Goddess. The word Navaratri means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava means Nine and Ratri means nights, it is a festival during which, nine forms of female divinity (Goddess) are worshipped.
If you are talking about Navaratna, that means "nine gems" in the ancient Sanskrit language of India. The ancient seers of India discovered long ago that certain gemstones could be used in a therapeutic manner for specific types of diseases and spiritual ailments. In fact, certain gemstones were found to have extraordinary healing effects, when worn on the body after being properly prepared with mantras, spiritual rituals and other empowerment processes.

The nine major gemstones used in traditional gem therapy include: Ruby, Pearl, Red Coral, Emerald, Yellow Sapphire, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Hessonite Garnet, and Catseye Chrysoberyl. These nine gemstones (Navaratna) have been correlated with the nine cosmic forces (Navagraha) which are used in traditional Hindu-Vedic Astrology (Jyotisha). The nine cosmic forces are associated with the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, North Node, and South Node. The various astrological patterns found in a person's birthchart (Janma Kundali) which indicate affliction, disease, and other troubles can, to a certain extent, be neutralized by the proper, therapeutic use of gemstones. Hence the popularity of Gem Therapy in those countries where there is a strong astrological tradition.

Answer 3

Navrathri is a festival in India. It is nine days festival.

Answer 4

Stands for those nine nights when goddess Durga fought with the evil force of Asuras and the tenth day, Vijayadashami stands for her Victory day when she vanquished those foes of Devas who were the very incarnation of evil forces. Incidentally Vijayadashami is also the day Lord Rama won his battle with Devil forces of demon Lord Ravana. It is very typical for Hindus to worship the god as mother as for any human being there cannot be somebody more dearer than Mother.

According to Devi Mahahmaya or Durga Sapthashakthi, Goddess Aadhishakthi is Aadhimaya (or Vishnumaya) who is capable of putting vishnu also into mystic slumber and this is the time when ‘Rakshas came into being. Then the goddess slayed them at the foothills of Himalayas at Haridwara. Goddess who manifests here self as Mahagowri with Lord Shiva, Maata Saraswathi with Lord Brahma and consort Mahalakshmi with lord Hari, incarnated in combined form the Three Devi’s as goddess Durga and on each day of nine Nights (Navarathris) she manifested in one of her form as Navadurga.

On the first day she was Shaila Puthri, Her incarnation a paravatharajas daughter parvathi who raiding on a lion presented to her by her father lord Parvatharaja, destroyed the Rakshasas. Parvathi comes to bathe in river Ganga and finds all gods under the leadership of devendra singing hymns in her praise and questions the gods as to whom they were extolling.

Then from her sheath (kasta) emerged kaushiki, who was in her most auspicious form.
After the beautiful goddess Kaushik sprung forth body of parvathi, parvathi became dark o complexion and became kalika of terrible countenance and yelling like thousand jackals.

On the second day she was Brahmacharani (Kanyakumari) thus pervading form Himalayas to the southernmost tip of India, establishing here self in the whole of our nation. She was going round the battlefield spraying sanctified water that made the Asuras bereft of prowess. She was simple in white clads but very calm and auspicious as Brahmacharini.

As third Durga she was called Chandraghanta, riding a tiger and holding in her eight lotus like hands bell, trident, plough,, conch, mace, discus, bow and arrow, she was in her Mahasaraswathi form effulgent like the moon shining at the fringe of a cloud. She indeed was the slayer of Nishumbha and has sprung forth form the body of goddess Parvathi.

As her fouth days incarnations she was kushmaanda, Goddess Mahalakshmi, destroyer of Mahishasura seated on a lotus, of coral complexion and holding in her eighteen hands rosary, axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, pitcher, rod, shakthi, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose and the discus sudarshana.

On the fifth day she was predominant as Skandamatha, the proud mother of Lord Karthikeya who incarnated for the destruction of demons. She demonstrated her prowess along with her worthy son Lord Subramanya in destroying evil powers.

On the sixth night again in her Mahalakshmi’s form she manifested as goddess Kaathyayini who slayed the demon Lord Shumbha. At this juncture Lord Devendra along with other devas led by agni were so pleased on seeing the pleasing and illumination face of goddess, praised her as Kathyayini. Earlier Goddess Lakshmi (in Lakshmi Tantra) had narrated to Indra the wonderful results of chanting this name (of Goddess) Kaathyaayini.



Seventh Durga was Mahakali who was "Kaala Rathri", the terrible dark night for the demons. On the seventh night while the fight between the goddess and hoards of demons intensified from the third eye of goddess Durga sprang up Mahakali again for the destruction of Rakshasas like Chanda, Munda and Rakthabijasura. She (mahakali) severs the heals of both Chanda & Munda and offers them at the feet of shantha Durga who bestows celebrated name Chamundi to Mahakali (for bringing the heads of Chanda & Munda in that great martial festival). Since Rakthabeeja had been blessed with the boon that if one drop of his blood falls on the ground another Rakshasa would spring forth who would be of his prowess, Mahakali chose to slay Rakthabeejasura on her tongue lolling out & drank forth all the blood that spewed from his body when she slayed him. Mahakali had ten faces, ten legs & was holding in her hands the sword, disc, mace, arrow, bow, club, spear, missile, human head & conch. She was three eyed, adorned with ornaments on her limbs, wearing garland of skull tops, luminous like blue jewel and of terrible countenance. She was riding on a corpse of human being.

On eighth day Durgastami she was dominating in her pleasing form as MahaGowri (Maheshwari) riding on Lord Shivas Nandi, wielding her powerful trident for ringing the demonic powers to rest. Along with her various other forms of goddess durga (in their form as Maatas) were in the battlefield. Of them most important Maatas were Mahakali (Chamundi) riding on human corpse, Varaha (Vishnus consort in boar form with sharp snouts) riding on buffalo back, Aindri (Indras wife) riding on white elephant Airavatha,

Vaishnavi (Mahalakshmi) riding on vulture kind garuda, Narasimha (narasimhas Consort) devouring the Raakshasas, Shivaduthi of terrible prowess, Kaumari (Subrahamanyas shakthi) riding in Peacock, Brahmani riding on a snow-white swan and adorned fully with jewels.

On the ninth day (Mahanavami) she presided over as goddess Durga devi, who takes us across durgama (formidable) ocean of difficulties in our human life. She is the most compassionate, most pleasing supreme personality of godhead. Ever charming, ever blissful, compassionate, peerless mother who brought ultimate victory in the battle with foes of devas who had defeated lord Devendra & unsuped his powers as Lord of Heavens (Swarga)

She Blessed all gods when with folded hands & in complete reverance they extolled mother as vishnumaya (illustrious power of Lord Vishnu) very substratum of life (Chaithanya), very intellect, manifesting as sleep, hunger, reflections, energy, thirst, forgiveness, gene, modesty, peace (tarquil) faith, loveliness, good fortune, activity, memory, compassion, contentment, presiding over our senses.
...all the best.