As we know that the festival of Navratri is a nine-day celebration as
the name suggests. The nine days celebration of Goddess Durga precedes
Dussehra. The festival of Durga puja involves the usual puja of Goddess
Durga. The nine days and nights of Navratri are totally dedicated to
Goddess Shakti and includes fasts, strictly vegetarian diets, japa
(chanting mantras in honor of the Goddess Shakti), chanting religious
hymns, prayer, meditation and recitation of sacred texts related to Devi
Maa (Mother Goddess). The festival is generally celebrated during
September or October; the main ritual of this festival consists of
placing images of the Goddess in homes and temples. The festival
involves grand ceremony that involves offering of fruits and flowers to
the Goddess and singing 'bhajans' (hymns) in her honor. In Gujarat, it
is a community event, where everyone takes part irrespective of his or
her social background. People perform songs and dance. The cultural
programmes, which are held, are popularly known as Dandiya Raas and
Garba Raas, and people also observe Jaagran (waking through the night).
In Bengal Durga Puja is celebrated by the Bengalis. They worship
beautiful clay idols of Goddess Durga. It is celebrated for a period of
five days but the most important are the four days of the festival.
Starting from Mahasaptami, Mahaashtami, Mahanavami and Bijoyadashami.
Which is the seventh, eighth, ninth and the tenth day of the festival.
On the tenth day grand procession is taken out of the idols and immersed
in the holy water of the Ganges. The last four days of the festival are
the most important. In Maharashtra the nine days of Navratri celebration
is dedicated to Goddess Durga while the tenth day of the celebration is
dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge and learning).
In Mysore also Navratri is celebrated with great pomp and fervor. Here
Chamundi the royal deity of the Myrore royalty is worshipped during
Navratri.
