During the nine nights of Navratri the cosmic energy, is most vibrant and so Navratri marks as the beginning of festivity and prosperity. The idol of Goddess is placed in the center and the dancers form a circle around it singing traditional songs.
Dandiya, the traditional dance of Gujarat is the most mesmerizing and colorful celebration of the festival of Navratri. It is performed throughout Gujarat and in some parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. This dance form is characterized by vigorous yet graceful movements executed to the vibrant music and is played with wooden sticks or clapping of hands as the dancers move around in circles.
The 10th day, on which the Goddess kills Mahisasur, is celebrated as Dusshera. It is the celebration of the victory of good over evil and is one of the significant Hindu Festivals, celebrated with pomp and fervor all over the country.
Another facet of the Navratri celebrations is the Ramlila. Almost every locality has its own group of actors re-enacting episodes from the life of Lord Rama. It is believed that, the day after Navratri; on the 10th day of Ashwin called the Vijaya Dashmi, Lord Rama killed Ravana and other demons to liberate the earth of evil forces.
Thus, on the day of Vijayadasmi huge effigies of the ten headed demon king Ravana, along with his son Meghnad, and his brother Kumbhakaran, are stuffed with explosive materials and are torched by an arrow as a sign of the ultimate conquest of good over evil. As these effigies burn, the people in turn are inspired to burn the evil within them, and thus follow the path of virtue and honesty.
In the state of West Bengal, the last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form. Here the days are celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Gracefully crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the
Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasur are set in huge pandals. The devotees along with their children, all dressed up in new clothes visit different pandals across the city to offer prayers to the mother Goddess. Cultural programs are also organized on this occasion in the evenings.
The idol of Goddess Durga is worshiped for five days and finally the idol is immersed in the river on the fifth day with great fanfare.
In South India, the 7th day is the day of Saraswathi Puja. The 9th day is Ayudha Pooja when everyone gives their tools of the trade like pens, machinery, books, automobiles, school work etc a rest and ritually worships them. Many schools in South India start teaching Kindergarten children from that day onwards. On this occasion students pay respect to their teachers as the teachers are considered the third individual who should be respected after one’s mother and father.
Mahanavami marks the culmination of the festival of Navratri. On this day kanya puja or the worship of girl child is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are invited by the devotees to their house and worshiped. They are then offered puris or the deep fried Indian bread; halwa, a desert primarily made of flour and sugar; chanas or Bengal gram and red chunnis or long scarf. This ritual has become an integral part of the festival in most parts of India.
Dandiya too reaches its pinnacle on the ninth day as the rich and vibrant festival of Navratri comes to an end. The sound of Music and drum beats echoes late into the night as people enjoy the final moments of the festival.
The one thing that remains constant across India during the nine days of Navratri is that daytime is exclusively for prayers and fasting while the nights are for joy and celebrations. This is the reason we Indians every year eagerly await the arrival of Navaratri so that we can put out of our mind all our woes and indulge in nine nights of dance music and celebration.
Rakesh d Prasad Indian Gipsy
Bringing India closer to you...
Dandiya, the traditional dance of Gujarat is the most mesmerizing and colorful celebration of the festival of Navratri. It is performed throughout Gujarat and in some parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. This dance form is characterized by vigorous yet graceful movements executed to the vibrant music and is played with wooden sticks or clapping of hands as the dancers move around in circles.
The 10th day, on which the Goddess kills Mahisasur, is celebrated as Dusshera. It is the celebration of the victory of good over evil and is one of the significant Hindu Festivals, celebrated with pomp and fervor all over the country.
Another facet of the Navratri celebrations is the Ramlila. Almost every locality has its own group of actors re-enacting episodes from the life of Lord Rama. It is believed that, the day after Navratri; on the 10th day of Ashwin called the Vijaya Dashmi, Lord Rama killed Ravana and other demons to liberate the earth of evil forces.
Thus, on the day of Vijayadasmi huge effigies of the ten headed demon king Ravana, along with his son Meghnad, and his brother Kumbhakaran, are stuffed with explosive materials and are torched by an arrow as a sign of the ultimate conquest of good over evil. As these effigies burn, the people in turn are inspired to burn the evil within them, and thus follow the path of virtue and honesty.
In the state of West Bengal, the last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form. Here the days are celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Gracefully crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the
Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasur are set in huge pandals. The devotees along with their children, all dressed up in new clothes visit different pandals across the city to offer prayers to the mother Goddess. Cultural programs are also organized on this occasion in the evenings.
The idol of Goddess Durga is worshiped for five days and finally the idol is immersed in the river on the fifth day with great fanfare.
In South India, the 7th day is the day of Saraswathi Puja. The 9th day is Ayudha Pooja when everyone gives their tools of the trade like pens, machinery, books, automobiles, school work etc a rest and ritually worships them. Many schools in South India start teaching Kindergarten children from that day onwards. On this occasion students pay respect to their teachers as the teachers are considered the third individual who should be respected after one’s mother and father.
Mahanavami marks the culmination of the festival of Navratri. On this day kanya puja or the worship of girl child is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are invited by the devotees to their house and worshiped. They are then offered puris or the deep fried Indian bread; halwa, a desert primarily made of flour and sugar; chanas or Bengal gram and red chunnis or long scarf. This ritual has become an integral part of the festival in most parts of India.
Dandiya too reaches its pinnacle on the ninth day as the rich and vibrant festival of Navratri comes to an end. The sound of Music and drum beats echoes late into the night as people enjoy the final moments of the festival.
The one thing that remains constant across India during the nine days of Navratri is that daytime is exclusively for prayers and fasting while the nights are for joy and celebrations. This is the reason we Indians every year eagerly await the arrival of Navaratri so that we can put out of our mind all our woes and indulge in nine nights of dance music and celebration.
Rakesh d Prasad Indian Gipsy
Bringing India closer to you...
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