NAVRATRI - Come & Celebrate - Let's Play GARBA

"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year, once in the beginning of summer and again at the onset of winter.

What's the Significance of Navratri?

Why Nine Nights & Days?

The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother Durga. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar.

Food during Navratri Fast

The Navratri fast is observed from the first day to the ninth day. Some devotees only observe fast during three days i.e., first fast during any one of the first three days and second fast during any one of the next three and last in any one of final three days. Some people confine to milk and fruits during the nine days. Most devotees take a single meal during the day. Non-vegetarian food is totally avoided.

Navratri Dishes

Sabudana vada Ideal food during Navaratri fast

• Sabudana vada, the mouth watering crispy snack
• Sabudana Khichadi
• Makhane Ki Sabzi
• Sawank Ke Chawal
• Dahi Pudine Wale Aloo
• Makhane Ki Sabzi
• Shakarkandi Ki Chaat
• Sabudana Papad
• Banana Raita
• Aloo Raita
• Singhare Ke Pakode
• Banana Chips
• Kaddu Ka Raita
• Malaiwale Kofte
• Fruits/Fruit Juices
• Sabudana Khir
• Bhagar

In collaboration with the Crazy Creatives. I would like to thank the Crazy Creative team for giving me this opportunity to create a thread for Navratri. I want to give a special thanks to Radha who has helped me the most in getting this thread started. With her permission only I have opened up this thread today.
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Navratri is a very important Hindu festival celebrated in India, which is devoted to Goddess Durga. The festival is celebrated with great reverence and faith across the country. It stretches over a period of nine days, with each of the nine days being dedicated to one of the nine forms of the Goddess. Talking about the history of Navratri festival, it can be explained through the stories mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. The history of this festival varies from region to region. Here is how the different parts of India describe this festival.
North India
The legend in North India goes that Mahishasura, the mighty demon, worshipped Lord Shiva and obtained the power of eternity. Soon, he started killing and harassing innocent people and set out to win all the three lokas. The gods in swargaloka appealed to Lord Shiva, to find a way to get rid of the demon. To protect the world from the atrocities of Mahishasura, the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva united their powers and created a divine female warrior, known as Goddess Durga. Mahishasura, when he saw the divine beauty of Goddess Durga, got mesmerized.


So fascinated was Mahishasura by Goddess Durga's beauty that he approached her with the intention of marriage. The goddess agreed to marry him, but put forth a condition - Mahishasura would have to win over her in a battle. Mahishasura, proud as he was, agreed immediately! The battle continued for 9 nights and at the end of the ninth night, Goddess Durga beheaded Mahishasura. The nine nights came to be known as Navratri, while the tenth day was called Vijayadashmi, the tenth day that brought the triumph of good over evil.

Eastern Belief
As per the legend prevalent in East India, Daksha, the king of the Himalayas, had a beautiful and virtuous daughter called Uma. She wished to marry Lord Shiva, since her childhood. In order to win over the Lord, she worshipped him and managed to please him as well. When Shiva finally came to marry her, the tiger-skin clad groom displeased Daksha and he broke off all the relationships with his daughter and son-in-law. One fine day, Daksha organized a yagna, but did not invite Lord Shiva for the same.

Uma got so angry at her father's rude behavior, towards her husband, that she decided to end her life by jumping into the agnikund of the yagna, where she was united with eternity (since then, she came to be known as Sati). However, she took re-birth and again won Shiva as her groom and peace was restored. It is believed that since then, Uma comes every year with Ganesh, Kartik, Saraswati and Laxmi and two of her best friends or 'sakhis', called Jaya and Bijaya, to visit her parent's home during Navratri.

Another Legend - Ram and Ravana
Yet another legend of Navratri relates to the Hindu epic Ramayana. It goes that Lord Rama worshipped Goddess Durga in nine aspects, for nine days, in order to gather the strength and power to kill Ravana. He wanted to release Sita from the clutches of powerful demon king Ravana, who had abducted her. Those nine nights became to be known as Navratri and the tenth day, on which Lord Rama killed Ravana, came to be called Vijayadashmi or Dusshera, signifying Rama's (good) triumph over Ravana (evil).

Information Adapted from:
http://festivals.iloveindia.com/navratri/navratri-history.html

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Navratri is a festival of many vibrant colors. The cuture of India is shown through the beautiful outfits that are worn by both the ladies and the guys. The colors of India can be seen through them. It is a festival of noise,fun, entertainment, and pure happiness. The crowds go crazy! It is such so much fun dancing and going crazy all night! A night of chaos is what Navratri brings every year! So much fun & games, so much interaction, & so many cute/hot guys & girls every year. 😆



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1) How do you celebrate Navratri every year?
2) Are you a bigger fan of Garba or Dandiya?
3) Does your family do anything special during the 9 day festival? Like fasting or anything of the sort?
4) Do you look forward to this festival every year?
5) What is the best part of Navratri for you?
6) Have you ever celebrated Navratri with any celebrities?
7) Is there a difference when it coems to Navratri in India & Navratri in the US/Canada/other countries?
8) Your favorite part of the festival?
9) Your favorite Navratri song if you have any?
10) What has been your most memorable Navratri & why?

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Nine days of celebration; Nine days of fasting.

"Sarva Mangala Maangalye,
Shive Sarvaartha Saadhike.
Sharanye Tryamba Ke Gauri,
Naaraayani Namostute."

The symbolism of the forms of Durgaa, Lakshmi and Saraswati is presented in order to have a deeper understanding Devi worship

DURGAA: The word 'Durgaa' literally means 'that which is inaccessible'. According to Devi Bhagavatam, one of the names accorded to this form of Devi is Mahishaasur Mardini (the one who destroyed Mahish), the demon who assumed the form of a buffalo. Within each individual roams the buffalo of ignorance, with its attendant 'kleshas' or flaws of egoism, fear of death, attachments and dislikes. These qualities are all indicative of tamas prakriti or undivine nature.The worship of Durgaa Devi signifies one's efforts at conquering these negative elements. It asserts the dominance of the higher self over the lower self. Without determination and sincerity of effort such a state could be very difficult to attain.

LAKSHMI: Having achieved this dominance, Lakshmi Maataa, the sustaining force blesses one with prosperity. For the individual who has acquired such wealth, the concept of prosperity undergoes a change as his wants are drastically minimised or even totally eliminated. Prosperity is then defined in terms of how little his needs are. The individual enjoys unlimited prosperity as the whole world belongs to him. He is free from 'raag'(attachment). He sees the entire world as one. He wants nothing material. He lives by the principle of 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam'- the whole world is one family! No longer has he any physical cravings as he lives a life fully imbued with tranquility, serenity, endurance, faith, control of the senses, renunciation and contentment. He dwells in 'nandanam ban'- the garden of bliss.

SARASWATI: The next step is the worship of Gyaan Shakti, the energy of knowledge. This is Saraswati Devi. With one's consciousness at a heightened state of awareness, far beyond the impure and worldly conditions of the mind, the focus then shifts to the changeless state which is the only reality. The attainment of this unchangeable state is the victory we achieve by sincere worship of the Divine Mother.

With this realisation, one's individual ego identifies with the Cosmic Ego as one perceives the Supreme Power everywhere, in everyone and in everything. His experience of 'Yaa Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Sarva Rupena Sangsthita' becomes a living reality.