Navaratri

Vaishnava Navaratri 1) 9-day worship of the Mother Goddess:

The most popular form of celebration across people in various sub-groups is the respect given to the mother Goddess during the 9 days observed as the Navaratri festival. The most popular type of prayer is to dedicate three days each to Durga (strength), Lakshmi(wealth) and Saraswathi(knowledge) respectively. For Sri Vaishnavas, this would imply paying respects to our dear Maha Lakshmi thaayar, the divine consort of Sriman Narayana.

Why only Maha Lakshmi? When our hearts are dedicated to the lotus feet of Vishnu, we would realise that the Goddess ‘Sri’ He shelters in His right chest would encompass all the auspiciousness one prays for during this period. This has also been represented by the ‘Ashtalakshmi’ or 8 forms of the mother Goddess.

(a) During the first 3 days of Navaratri, we would pay our respects to the powers of strength and courage.

DHAIRYA LAKSHMI is the form of Lakshmi as the Goddess of courage.

(b) During the next 3 days of Navaratri, we would pay our respects to the divine representation of wealth and prosperity.

ADI LAKSHMI (The primordial Goddess), DHANA LAKSHMI (The Goddess of wealth), DHAANYA LAKSHMI (The Goddess of food grains), GAJALAKSHMI (The Goddess of auspiciousness and prosperity), SANTHAANA LAKSHMI (The Goddess who blesses one with off-springs) are the forms which are to be worshipped.

(c) During the final 3 days of Navaratri, we pay our respects to the divine representation of knowledge.

VIDHYA LAKSHMI (the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom) and VIJAYA LAKSHMI (The Goddess of victory and success) are to be worshiped.

There is a tendency among devotees to worship deities in elaborate rituals for personal gains, while the rest of the year any kind of worship might be neglected! A better spiritual practice would be to worship these forms of MahaLakshmi for the most basic aspect of thanking Her and respecting a mother for Her powers, rather than for gaining any personal material benefits. Selflessness in worship is most beneficial to the jeevatma.

2) 9th day (Maha Navami) – Worship of Lord Hayagriva:

During the 9th day, we worship the God of instruments, knowledge and wisdom. Along with Vidhya Lakshmi, Sri Hayagriva is to be honored. Sriman Narayana in the form of Hayagriva rescued the Vedas and imparted the knowledge of the holy verses to Saraswathi. On this day we should also respect Saraswathi, especially her divine association and role in honoring Sri Ramanujacharya with the title of ‘Bhashya Kaara’.

3) 10th day (Vijaya Dasami) – Worship of Lord Rama:

Apart from being an auspicious day to learn something new, this day is very significant for the event of our dear lord Sri Rama destroying evil in the embodiment of Ravana. Dassehra is also considered to be a ten-day battle between Lord Sri Ram and the asura Ravana. Sri Rama destroyed the ten heads of Ravana (Dasa-hara). The ten heads also symbolize ten evils within all jeevatmas such as kama (lust), krodha (anger), moha (delusion), lobha (greed), mada (excessive pride), ahankaara (arrogance/egoism), matsarya (jealousy), manas (mind), buddhi (intellect) and chitta (will). On all the days of Navaratri devotees read the Ramayana, especially the Sundara Kandam, with great Bhakti towards the supreme ideal king – lord Sri Ram.

Saivites Navaratri celebration

Navaratri Dedicating 9 Nights to the goddess

Millions of Hindu women consider Navaratri the year’s central festival, the one they most deeply connect to. These nine days dedicated to Shakti, the Goddess, provide an opportunity to seek blessings and commune with their own divinity. It is a time for sacred gatherings, austerities, selfless acts and intimate prayers. But Navaratri is not just for the ladies; everyone turns out for the joyous worship, festivities, plays, feasting and dance—all venerating God as the loving Mother Spirit that gives life to everything.

What do Hindus do for Navaratri?

Navaratri starts on the new moon of September/October. On the first day, it is customary to plant seeds in a clay pot that will sprout over the next nine days. In some communities, women prepare a specially decorated kalasha, a vessel symbolizing the fertile womb, representing the Goddess. Especially in cities in Tamil Nadu, families create elaborate shelf displays, called kolu, of handmade clay dolls. Adding new dolls each year and handing the collection down to the next generation results in some grand displays.

How is Navaratri observed in homes?

Each night, the Goddess “holds court,” and special food offerings are presented as prayers eulogizing Her powers are chanted. Guests are invited to showcase their artistic skills, and all enjoy sweets and other treats. Women dress up and visit female friends and relatives, taking a tray of offerings which includes the betel leaf and nut that bear the gravity of a formal contract of friendship and loyalty. Other items on the tray—beauty accessories, fresh turmeric root and coconut—symbolize goodwill and fertility. They fast, pray morning and evening and give food and cooking pots to the poor. Some families formally honor a prepubescent girl each day, giving her new clothes, treating her to a sumptuous lunch, and pampering her, affirming her femininity and affinity with the Goddess.

How are Shakti’s forms worshiped?

In South India, the first three days are dedicated to Goddess Durga, the fierce Mother who decimates negative forces. For the next three days, Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, is revered. The last three days are dedicated to Sarasvati, the Goddess of learning and wisdom. In this way, Hindus honor women as the protectors of the family, extol their powers of fertility and endurance, venerate them as the source of good fortune and revere them as repositories of culture and learning. In North India, one of the nine aspects of Durga is venerated each day. These nine days are celebrated by communities in East India as Durga Puja, treating the Goddess as the Daughter who has come to her maternal home for an annual visit.

What is the final day?

Vijaya Dashami, “triumphant tenth day,” celebrates Durga’s legendary victory over Mahishasura, a powerful being fraught with ignorance and selfishness. On the same day many celebrate Rama’s victory over the evil Ravana. The celebration is a reminder to persist in the challenges we face in life. Local traditions vary widely, and this day is known by other names, including Dussehra, Dasara, and Dashain.