Navratri is one of the most anticipated festivals in India. This year it begins on Wednesday, October 10 and ends on Thursday, October 18. Everyone around would be dressed in their best clothes. Those who stray from their homeland would return home, while those who could not return would miss their homeland. Many fasted every nine days.
Many would participate in cultural programs. In short, it would be another moment of fun, excitement, food and memories with close and dear people. Before everyone goes into celebration mode, here are some fun facts to know about Navratri and double the joy of celebration.
1. Origin of Navratri:
The word “Navratri” is made up of two words: “Nav” means nine (9), and “Ratra” means “night”. The celebration of this festival extends over nine nights, and from there, it is given the name of Navratri.
2. Maa Durga:
Each day of Navratri is for an incarnation of the goddess Durga. During these nine days, people worship nine different embodiments of the goddess. People believe that each of these nine goddesses has immense power, and they all combine to form Maa Durga.
3. When does it occur?:
This Navratri takes place five times a year and is followed by a 9-day celebration. The months of Navratri are March / April, June / July, September / October, December / January and January / February. But the Sharad Navratri, which takes place in September / October, is the most popular.
4. Dusshera:
Dusshera is the day after Navratri. There is also another story behind this. On this day, Lord Rama won the war against the demon king Ravana in Sri Lanka. To celebrate this victory, people make enormous effigies of Ravana and burn them. This means the victory of good over evil.
5. Diwali:
Shortly after 20 days of the celebration of Dusshera, another great festival arrives, Diwali. On this day, Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana returned to their homeland Ayodha after 14 years of exile.
6. Nine forms of Goddess Durga:
People worship Maa Durga in various forms of Shakti or power through Navratri. They are: Durga, Bhadrakali, Amba, Annapoorna Devi, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika.
7.”No man could kill Mahishasura”:
According to our mythological stories, Mahishasura, the king of the Asuras, was half buffalo and half-human. He worshipped Lord Brahma with great devotion, and the Lord was pleased to see his devotion and told him to ask for anything. Then Mahishasura requested Lord Brahma to grant him immortality. Lord Brahma said that no man could kill him. Thus, Mahishasura became the strongest man and wanted to rule both the earth and the sky, and soon a battle with the gods began. When Mahishasura’s atrocities became unbearable, all the gods decided to create Devi Durga to kill Mahishasura. Lord Brahma’s blessing was “No man could kill Mahishasura.” Well that means, a powerful woman can kill him. This is how the goddess Durga was born with all the highest powers of all the gods. This mission was a success.
8. Mahishasura wanted to marry the goddess Durga?:
Another story says that Mahishasura wanted to marry the goddess Durga. Goddess Durga rejected the proposal. But she also said that she would only marry Mahishasura if he could defeat her in a fight. This is the battle that lasted nine long days, and in the end, Devi Durga beheaded Mahishasura.
9. Mahishasura has a sister:
According to another mythological account circulated in Kerala, Mahishi, Mahishasura’s sister, continued this fight even after her brother’s death.
10. Homecoming of married women:
In eastern India, it is believed that the daughter of Daksha, Uma or Parvati, who married Lord Shiva and went to Mount Kailasa, comes to this land or her parents’ home every year during Navratri. She comes with her four children: Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesha. Two of her best friends, or Sakhis, known as Jaya and Bijaya, also come with her. That is why Navratri is also known as the homecoming of all married women.
11. Benefits of the practices:
The devotion and prayer that we all follow during Navratri keep us sane. One, two, or nine days of fasting and other expiations strengthen us in the fight against disease and keep us in good physical shape.
12. Thank divine powers:
Some sages and scholars of antiquity combined this period of Navratri worship to thank divine powers duly. Because these sacred or spiritual forces empower humanity and give the earth enough energy to move around the sun, causing other climatic changes that lead to balance in the universe.
13. Worship of the goddesses
These nine days are further divided into a set of three days, and each set has some meaning. In the first three days, Goddess Durga is invoked as a powerful force. She is worshipped as Durga, who comes to earth to destroy all impurities, evils and faults. For the next three days, she will be honoured as Lakshmi, who brings wealth and joy. For the past three days, people have worshipped the incarnation of Saraswati, the supreme source of all wisdom.
