- Chaitra Navratri ki Anant Shubhkaamnayein
Navratri itself symbolizes victory over evil. There are 4 Navratri in a year There is Vasanta or Chaitra Navratri, Paush Navratri, Ashadha Navratri, Sharad Navratri, and Magha Navaratri. Only two of them Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri are celebrated widely across the country. The celebration of Chaitra Navratri on Shukla Pratipada is at the beginning of the bright lunar fortnight of Chaitra, it also marks the start of Hindu New Year across many regions. This new year is observed as Gudhi Padwa in Maharashtra and Goa; Ugadi in Andhra, Telengana and Karnataka, NavRah by the Kashmiri Pandits and the Sindhis call it their Cheti Chand. In western India, this phase marked the end of the Rabi season when the crop was ready and this certainly called for festivities.
The lunar calendar date for Chaitra Shukla Pratipada often coincided or came close to Spring equinox and India’s official Saka calendar also begins on the 22nd of March, coinciding with Spring equinox. This equinox has been respected for several millennia and the ancient Egyptians and Persians started their new year from it. Even Easter was always quite close to it and so is Navaratri. The popular Hindu almanac, the Panchanga (panjika), follows the Saka
The 1st of 2 New Years celebrated by Indians: Chaitra Navratri is called Ugadi in South , NavRah: by Kashmiri Pandits , Cheti Chand by the Sindhis & Gudhi Padwa in Maharastra.
In mid-April, we have the 2nd New Year called Baishakhi, Poela Boishakh, Bihu, etc
Mythological legend
Navratri word is derived from ‘Nav’ means nine and ‘Ratri’ means night in Sanskrit, hence ‘Navratri’ means nine nights of celebration, during which nine forms of goddesses are worshiped. Chaitra Navratri falls in the month of Chaitra and so it is termed as ‘Chaitra Navratri’. According to some popular legends, devotees believe that Lord Shiva granted permission to his wife Goddess Durga for seeing her mother for just nine days. During that time, Goddess Durga demolished demon Mahishasura. Hence Goddess Durga aka Kali is represented as a symbol of shakti – the ultimate strength. It is also said that Maa Durga has eternal divine power, which can never be created nor destroyed
The Brahma Purana mentions that on this day the Lord created the world after the great deluge.
Importance & Significance Of Chaitra Navratri
The first three days of Chaitra Navratri devotees worship Goddess Durga and her various forms, including Sailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Maha Gowri and Siddhidayini. Devotees worship the three main manifestations of Goddess Shakti i.e Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi to seek their divine blessings
Celebration
Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in the Hindu month of Chaitra that falls at the cusp of spring and summer ie that falls usually around March and April. It is a nine-day festival dedicated to nine forms of Goddess Shakti. These nine forms are worshipped. The devotees observe a nine-day fast. This year, 2018, Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in 2018 from March 18, Sunday, to March 26, Monday. Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama, falls on the ninth day during Navratri festival. Chaitra Navratri is thus also referred as Rama Navratri. Chaitra Navratri is more popular in northern India. In Maharashtra Chaitra Navratri begins with Gudi Padwa and in Andhra Pradesh it begins with Ugadi.
Both Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri fall around two major seasonal change of the year. Chaitra Navratri marks transition from spring to summer, while Sharad Navratra falls around October-November marking the beginning of winter. During this time our immunities are most vulnerable and one is more prone to encounter a host of sickness and disease. Bingeing ion oily, sugary or very heavy food could further take its toll on our dipping immunity levels, which is why it is advisable to eat light and clean. By fasting or eating sattvik food you are allowing your body to detox and fortify from within.
Wearing the specific color of attries during each day of navratri is a wonderful and unique ritual. According to mythology, 9 days of navratri are dedicated to different goddess and each goddess is related to different color. At home, people draped the idol of goddess with a specific colors of cloths/sarees and accessories on each day of navratri.
The nine forms of Godess Durga which who are worshipped during Navratri are as follows:
On the first day of Navratri, Shailputri is worshipped. Pratipada Orange Colour
On the second day Navratri, Brahmacharini is worshipped. Dwitiya White Colour
On the third day Navratri, Chandraghata is worshipped. Tritiya Red Colour
On the fourth day Navratri, Kushmanda is worshipped. Chaturthi Royal Blue Colour
On the fifth day Navratri, Skandamata is worshipped. Panchami Pink Colour
On the sixth day Navratri, Katyayani is worshipped. Shashthi Purple Colour
On the seventh day Navratri, Kaalratri is worshipped. Saptami Yellow Colour
On the eighth day Navratri, Mahagauri is worshipped. Ashtami Green Colour
On the ninth day Navratri, Siddhidaatri is worshipped. Navami Grey Colour
Auspicious puja during Navratri:
On Mahashtami- the eighth day of the Navratri, kanya poojan/ kanjak poojan (worshipping of girls), is performed, signifying various forms of Goddess Durga.
On Mahanavami – the ninth day of Navratri, puja is performed and nine forms of the Goddess are worshipped. Some families also perform the kanya poojan on this day.
Even though Chaitra Navratri is a 9-day festival, the celebrations come to an end on the day of ‘dashami’ (10th day). This day is known as ‘Navratri Parana’ and devotees bid farewell to the Goddess Durga, and pray for Her return soon, next year.
Gudi Padwa – (Western India)
A hundred years ago, Underhill noted two interesting practices in western India during the Chaitra new year day. One was the mandatory eating of neem leaves. This must have been for some immunity against deadly small-pox and for the same reason, many worship Sitala at this time. Even now, this paste of neem leaves with jaggery and tamarind is passed around, to purify the blood and strengthen the immune system. The second was the erection of a pole (dhwaja) on this Gudhi Padwa , where Padwa
is a derivative of Sanskrit Pratipada. The gudhi or pole is what distinguishes the Marathis style of celebration and even the poor stick little rods out from their windows as Marathis believe that these ward off evil and invite prosperity into the house. The poles are ornamented with bright green or yellow cloth and shining brocades or even sugar crystals, neem leaves, mango twigs and colourful flowers. People take out time to spruce up their homes and draw intricate rangoli designs near the doors. While raising the gudhi, the ‘Shiva-Shakti’ principle in the universe is invoked because the orthodox insist that this enables all the constituents of the gudhi to accept divine principles
Ugadi – New Year Day for those who follow the South Indian Calendar (people between the Vindhyas and the Kaveri river)
Chaitra Shukladi is another name for this new year, while Ugadi can be explained as ‘Yuga’, the word for ‘epoch’, and ‘adi’ stands for ‘the beginning’. The new year day for people between the Vindhyas and the Kaveri river, who follow the South Indian lunar calendar. The day usually begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by prayers. In Karnataka, a special dish called Obbattu or Puran Poli is prepared on this occasion which is a paste of gram and jaggery is stuffed into a flat, roti-like bread and topped with ghee or milk. In Andhra and Telengana, special dishes called Polelu or Puran Poli are prepared on this occasion. A interesting mixture called Ugadi Pachhadi is made of six tastes, including bitter neem, sweet jaggery or ripe bananas, hot green chilly or pepper, salt, sour tamarind juice and unripened tangy mango. It will be clear that this is a medicinal potion, as the season of spring brought in not only joy but sorrow as well: because it carried deadly viruses and diseases.
नवरात्रि (Navratri), नवदुर्गा (Navadurga) is nine days festivity, all nine days are dedicated to nine forms of Goddess Aadi Shakti
The 9 forms of AdiShakti
Day one of Navratras. First goddess worshipped is Shailaputri. Consort of Brahma Vishnu Mahesh. She teaches us patience and gives us strength. So while we fast let’s keep these two attributes in mind. . It is a season for physical and mental cleansing
Goddess Brahmacharini the second form of Durga is worshipped on day 2 of the navratras.Her devotion and love for Shiva is unparalleled. She teaches us penance and resilience
Goddess Chandraghata – the third incarnation of Parvati, prayed to for success, prosperity and peace. She is always ready to fight demons so let’s be prepared to fight the demons within us today
Goddess Kushmananda – The fourth reincarnation of Parvati/Durga is worshipped on the fourth day of the navratras. She dispels darkness and makes enemies into friends
Devi Shailputri
To learn more about the nine forms I found the link below with a description for each form with governing planet .