Navaratri in 2017

With full fervor, Navratri in 2017 will be celebrated on September 21 to September 30, and this Navratri will be known in the name Sharad Navratri. Vasant or Chaitra Navratri will be on March 28 to April 5. Religious people of India vigorously celebrate two Navratras among five in a year. One Navratri comes in the month of March or April and is celebrated as Chaitra Navratri or Vasant (Spring) Navratri in beginning of summer. Most celebrated or the most vehement Navratri is Sharad (autumn) Navratri that begins in the month of October or November in the beginning of winter. Both Navratras begin from first day of the Shukla Pratipada (bright fortnight) in months of Ashwin and Chaitra.

Navratri, festival of nine nights, is spiritually dedicated to Goddess Durga. First day of Navratri starts with Kalash Sthapana or Ghat Sthaphana and ends on ninth day with Kanya Pooja.Navratri festival is vivaciously celebrated in all corners of India, but the actual flavor and grand appearance of this festival can be experienced in Bengal, Bihar and Gujarat.

With lots of devotion and dedication devotees worship Maa Durge truly during Navratri. They believe that whatever they have desired, Maa Durge will surely accomplish their wishes during Navratras. This festival brings enormous happiness and immense blessings. In parts of Gujarat, loud echo of Dandiya and Garba dances are performed in honor of Goddess Durga. Endless numbers of names of Maa Durga has.

Many famous shrines of Goddess Durga like Vaishnodevi in Jammu, Pavagadh in Gujarat, and Amba ji in Rajasthan mark a huge crowd of pilgrims during Navratri. Durga pooja is another famous name of festival Navratri. It is highly believed that giving donation during Navratri bestow us crore times more of what we have have donated. so many believers across the the country donate food, money, and much more things to needy people on such promising occasion.

Common rituals during Navratri

Navratri is nine nights and ten days festival in honor of nine embodiments of Goddess Durga. During this sacred period, devotes establish idols or pictures of Goddess Durga at pooja places of their homes. Ghatasthapana or Kalash Sthapana takes place on the first day of Navratri. Many devotees also nurture jau (barley) on clay pots and install it at any pure corner of home along with a magnificent picture of goddess of Navratri. This ritual is knowns as Ghatasthapana. Till nine days they strictly keep fast and worship nine incarnations or forms of Maa Durga. With delicious blessed food, flowers, and with full of regard they pray religiously to make Maa Shakti delight. Navratri ends on ninth day with a ritual of Kanya Pooja. Devotees feed little girls and offer them delectable dishes like Halwa, Poori, Chana, Kheer and with other Prasad (blessed food) like batasha, sakriya, Mishri,(candy) and Narial (Coconut), and give them beautiful apparels, utensils or gifts with their capacity of donation. Goddess of Navratri is worshiped along with three other goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati.

Nine Goddesses of Navratri

The nine-day festival Navratri from the new moon day to the ninth day of Ashvina (Oct-Nov) is regarded to be the most propitious time of the Hindu calendar and is hence the most celebrated period of the year as Durga Puja. During these auspicious days nine different forms of deities are worshiped over the nine days.

1. Devi Shailputri
2. Devi Brahmacharini
3. Devi Chandraghanta
4. Devi Kushmanda
5. Skanda Mata
6. Devi Katyayini
7. Devi Kalratri
8. Maha Gauri
9. Siddhidatri

For all nine forms of Durga, different legends are attached to them. Goddess Durga is said to be the mother of the Universe and known with endless numbers of names Jagadamba, Bhawani, Bhairavi, Kali, Chandika, Vaishno, Kumaragurvi, Parvati, Annapurna, Lalita, Khappar wali, Pahada wali, Mahisasur Mardini and acknowledged with other uncountable names.

During Navratri festival believers of Maa Durga present heartily reverence. Durga stuti, Durga Saptshati, Durga Chalisa, and Durga Arti are religious and melodic audios to emphasize admiration of Goddess of Navratri. Devotees meditate their soul and mind and give their spiritual attention in respect of mother Shakti during Navratri. Most offered invocation of Maa Durga is "Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shakti Rupena Sansthita Namah Tasmai Namah Tasmai Namah Tasmai Namoh Nahah" .

Another invocation you may offer - 'Sarva Mangal Mangalye Shive Sarvadh Sadhike Saranye Trayambake Gauri Narayani Namostute'.

For all human being, Navratri festival is very auspicious. Anybody who heartily acknowledges this festival gets immense blessings and grace of Goddess Durga. Navratri, like every year, will be celebrated vigorously this year too. In Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Assam, 'Durga Puja' will once again take a grand look. Everywhere crowd of hilarity and the holy atmosphere will enthrall us during this Navratri. So with divine adulations we wish you have a blessed Navratri..!