9 Days of Sharad Navratri and its Significance: A festival of nine days to celebrate the power of womanhood is called Navaratri. Indian sub-continent has four seasons viz Sharad, Vasant (Chaitra), Magha and Ashad. The onset of each season is celebrated as Navaratri.
Navaratri celebrates different forms of Goddess Durga. She is a symbol of prosperity, courage and righteousness.
Out of the four Navaratri, Sharada and Chaitra Navaratri is celebrated on a large scale. Chaitra Navaratri is celebrated during Shukla Paksha of the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra. This Navaratri is celebrated with various rituals.
This Navaratri closes with Ram Navami on the ninth day of the celebration. Sharada Navaratri is celebrated during Shukla Paksha of the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin. This Navaratri closes with Vijayadashami on the tenth day.
Sharada Navaratri is celebrated on a wide scale in different states of India. Also, many folklore go behind the rituals and celebrations.
9 Days of Sharad Navratri and its Significance: Folklore
Each Indian state has a different way of celebrating this festival. Every state worships a different form of Goddess Durga.
Some people fast during these nine days while some people feast on different foods during these nine days. Here is the different celebration done by different states.
As per Hindu mythology, the day of the commencement of Chaitra Navaratri marks the beginning of the world and the beings. Hence some people even celebrate this as the new year. Goddess Durga was assigned the task of creating the world.
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Hence the goddess is worshiped during these nine days. Another folklore says that after getting permission from Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga visited her maternal home for nine days. In these nine days, she killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura. This symbolises good over evil.
As per Hindu mythology, Sharada Navaratri is celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Durga on the buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura. The nine-day celebration ends with Dussehra.
Another folklore also says that on the tenth day of Dussehra, Lord Rama killed demon Ravana which symbolises the victory of good over evil.
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9 Days of Sharad Navratri and its Significance
Each day of Navaratri is dedicated to each avatar of Goddess Durga and has a particular colour. On each day people wear clothes of the colour and eat food of the same colour.
The various Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyayani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.
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Day 1 – Pratipada
Incarnation: Shailaputri
Colour: Grey
Food: For breakfast, you can have Dosa, Karala Chatni or Nachani (ragi) and bajari ambil (prodigge). For meals, you can have Bajari Bhakari with Karela (Bitter Gourd) vegetables.
You can also have black udit or chavali usal along with rice and mixed salad. For mid-meals, you can have black raisins.
About: Shailaputri or Daughter of Mountain is depicted riding a bull, Nandi with Trishul in their right hand and lotus in their left hand. She is also considered to be an incarnation of Mahakali.
The grey colour of the day depicts vigour and action. She is also known as Hemavati and the reincarnation of Sati.
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Day 2 – Dwitiya
Incarnation: Brahmacharini
Colour: Orange
Food: For breakfast, you can have Orange juice or peeled orange or milk with saffron and soaked almonds. For meals, you can have pumpkin vegetable or bharit or carrot vegetable or bharit, gun powder, raw carrots, with jowar bhakari, rice and tomato soup.
You can also make pumpkin soup with small carrots, beetroot and some salts for taste. For meals, you can have bhadhan.
About: In this incarnation form Parvati is turned to Yogini who is unmarried self. This form is worshipped for moksha or endowment of peace and prosperity.
She is walking bare feet with japamala (rosary) in one hand and kamandala (pot) in the other hand. She symbolizes bliss and calm. The orange colour of the day symbolises tranquillity.
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Day 3 – Tritiya
Incarnation: Chandraghanta
Colour: White
Food: For breakfast, you can have neer dosa with white coconut chatni and coconut water with malai. For meals, you can have bottled gourd vegetables or bharit with tandul or rice bhakari, along with reddish and cucumber salad.
You can also have rice along with kadhi. For meals, you can have cucumber or custard apple or a bowl of churmuri.
About: It is said that after marriage, Parvati ornamented her forehead with ardhachandra or a half-lit moon. She is a symbol of beauty and bravery. The colour of the day, white, stands for vivacious and pep up everyone’s mood.
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Day 4 – Chaturthi
Incarnation: Kushmanda
Colour: Red
Food: You can eat one apple or idly with sambar made of beetroot, tomato, and carrots or carroty and beetroot thalipeet.
For meals, you can have laal math or red tomato vegetable or red capsicum vegetable, beetroot salad, nachani bhakari, with red chilli powder and tomato daal with cooked rice.
For meals, you can eat an apple or watermelon slice or juice or red chilli and salted popcorn. You can have soup made of beetroot, tomato and pumpkin.
About: Kushmanda is believed to be the creative power of the universe. This incarnation is associated with vegetation on Earth. She is depicted to have eight arms and is residing on a tiger. The colour of the day, Red symbolises power.
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Day 5 – Panchami
Incarnation: Skandamata
Colour: Royal Blue
Food: For breakfast, you can have blueberries sharbat or juice made from apple banana and gokarna dipped water. For meals, you can have purple brinjal vegetables or bharit with bhakari made from mixed flour of nachani, bajari and jowar.
Along with this, you can have cooked rice and daal with Gokarna flowers dipped in buttermilk.
About: Skandamata is mother of Skanda or Kartikeya. She symbolises the strength of a mother when her children are in danger. She is depicted to be having four arms with a baby and riding loin. The colour of the day Royal Blue, is the symbol of strength.
Day 6 – Shashtami
Incarnation: Katyayani
Colour: Yellow
Food: For breakfast, you can have potato poha. For meals, you can have yellow bell pepper and potato vegetable moong daal vegetable or turmeric kadhi or yellow varan, cooked rice, mixed salad along with jowar bhakari and cooked rice. For mid-meals, you can have pineapple or papaya slices.
About: Katyayani was born to sage Katyayana. She is a warrior goddess. She is a violent carnation of Devi. Katyayani is depicted to have four hands and rides a lion.
She is also considered to be a form of Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Parvati. The colour of the day yellow symbolises courage.
Day 7 – Saptami
Incarnation: Kalaratri
Colour: Green
Food: For breakfast, you can have methi thepala. For meals, you can eat palak paneer or green moong usal, bhakari or chapati, or moong daal pala with cooked rice. You can also have a soup of palak, methi, and green moong. For meals, you can have guava or vasai banana.
Day 8 – Ashtami
Incarnation: Mahagauri
Colour: Peacock Green
Food: For breakfast have methi and palak paratha. For meals, you can have aluchi bhaji, bhakari and mixed salad. For mid-meals, you can eat pear or mixed fruit.
About: Mahagauri stands for peace and intelligence. As per the folklore, Kaalaratri took a bath in the Ganga River. She turned to be extremely fair in her darker complexion. The colour of the day is Peacock Green and it symbolises optimism.
Day 9 – Navami
Incarnation: Siddhidatri
Colour: Purple
Food: For breakfast, you can eat beetroot dosa, paratha or thalipeeth. For lunch, you can have brinjali vegetables or bharit, bhakari, cooked rice and varan bhaat. For meals, you can eat black currant ice cream or black raisins.
About: Siddhidhatri is depicted to be sitting on a lotus and has four hands. She possesses and bestows all the Siddhis. The colour of the day purple is a symbol of nature’s beauty. As per Vedas, Lord Shiva got all siddhis after worshipping the goddess.
9 Days of Sharad Navratri and its Significance & Celebrations
Each state has its own way of celebrating Navaratri. But most of the states celebrate with cultural programs. In North India, many pandals play Ram Leela with the end as the burning of effigies of Ravana. This shows the victory of good over evil.
In Gujrat, each day every play Garba or a local dance form. Some even follow fasting for all nine days. This is the festival which everyone celebrates with friends and family.
West Bengal, Assam and North Eastern Indian states also celebrate this festival on a large scale. It is one of the important festivals. On Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, people go for pandal hopping to take blessings from the goddess.
Wish you a happy Navaratri with blessings of all incarnations of Goddess Parvati and bring all happiness in life.
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9 Days of Sharad Navratri and its Significance: FAQ
When is Sharad Navratri 2024
Sharad Navratri 2024 will begin on Thursday, 3 October 2024 and will be completed on Saturday, 12 October 2024.
What is Navratri
A festival of nine days to celebrate the power of womanhood is called Navaratri.
When Does Navratri Start in 2024
Sharad Navratri 2024 will begin on Thursday, 3 October 2024 and will be completed on Saturday, 12 October 2024.
When do Navratri end
Saturday, 12 October 2024
Why is Navratri Celebrated
Navaratri celebrates different forms of Goddess Durga. She is a symbol of prosperity, courage and righteousness.
What is the Meaning of Navratri
A festival of nine days to celebrate the power of womanhood is called Navaratri. Navaratri celebrates different forms of Goddess Durga. She is a symbol of prosperity, courage and righteousness.
How to Celebrate Navratri
Each Indian state has a different way of celebrating this festival. In Gujrat, each day every play Garba or a local dance form. Some even follow fasting for all nine days.
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