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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. Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... Dasara, also called Navaratri, is among the most important festivals celebrated in Southern India. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... For other uses, see Festival (disambiguation). ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Lakshmi is a common aspect of Shakti Shakti meaning force, power or energy is the Hindu concept or personification of Gods female aspect, sometimes referred to as The Divine Mother. Shakti represents the active, dynamic principles of feminine power. ...

Forms of Shakti

The following 9 forms of goddesses are worshipped during these nine days: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

• Durga, the inaccessible one
• Bhadrakali,
• Amba or Jagadamba, Mother of the universe
• Annapurna, The one who bestows grains (an) in pleinty (purna)
• Sarvamangala, The one who gives joy (mangal) to all (sarva)
• Bhairavi,
• Chandika or Chandi,
• Lalita, The one who plays
• Bhavani.
• Mookambika.

In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ... Bhadrakāli, also known as the gentle Kali, is generally an auspicious form of the goddess Kali, and the legend states that she came into being by Devi’s wrath, when Daksha insulted Shiva. ... Amba was the eldest daughter of King of Kashi. ... Annapurna (Sanskrit, Nepali, Nepal Bhasa: अन्नपूर्ण) is a series of peaks in the Himalaya, a 55-km-long massif whose highest point, Annapurna I, stands at 8,091 m (26,538 ft), making it the 10th-highest summit in the world and one of the 14 eight-thousanders. It is located... Bhairavi is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Goddess virtually indistinguishable from Kali, except for her particular identification as the consort of the Wrathful Shiva. ... Chandika is the one of the many allies Super Commando Dhruva has. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Lalita (sometimes written Lalitha) is another name for Devi and means elegant or beautiful. ... Bhavani is a ferocious aspect of Hindu goddess Shakti or Devi. ... Mookambika Devi Temple of Kollur, dedicated to Mookambika Devi, is one of the most prominent shrines for people in the state of Karnataka and Kerala. ...

Rituals

The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during 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. The Hindu calendar used in Vedic times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars. ...

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 spiritual force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ...

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. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...

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. In Hinduism, Saraswati (Sanskrit ) is one of the goddesses, the other two being Lakshmi and Durga, that form the female counterpart of the Trimurti. ...

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. Dussehra (also transliterated as Dasara) or Vijaya Dasami is an important Hindu festival. ... A depiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka In Hinduism, Ravana; sometimes transliterated as Raavana or Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of Rama in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... Rama ( in IAST, in Devanāgarī) or Ramachandra is a legendary or historical king of ancient India. ...

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. THE PRIMEVAL ENERGY One of the unique features of Hinduism is the fact that it conceives Divinity also as Mother Goddess. ...

See also

• Garba (dance)

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External links

• Why do we celebrate Navaratri?
• Navratri related audio/videos on music section of DeshGuajarat.Com

References

v • d • e Festivals in the Hindu calendar
Major Festivals	Sankranti (Pongal) · Holi · Rama Navami · Krishna Janmashtami · Ganesh Chaturthi and Gowri Habba  · Navaratri (Dasara) and Durga Puja (Vijayadashami) · Diwali and Bhau-Beej
Regional New Year	Vaisakhi · Ugadi · Vishu · Puthandu · Onam
Holy Days	Satyanarayana Pooja · Karwa Chauth · Thaipusam · Maha Shivaratri · Ekadasi · Mahalakshmi Vrata · Ayya Vaikunda Avataram · Raksha Bandhan