नवरात्र

The tradition & historical record

Navaratri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रि, romanized: Navarātri) is an annual Hindu festival that honours Shakti, the divine feminine power in Hinduism, through the worship of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, over a period of nine nights. The festival is celebrated in varying ways across the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navaratris; Magha Gupta Navaratri in the month of Magha (January/February of the Gregorian calendar), in the month of Chaitra (March/April ), in the month of Ashadha (June/July), and in the month of Ashvin (September/October). However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn navratri in the month of Ashvin (September/October) called Sharada Navaratri that is celebrated with great pomp. ¹

The word Navaratri is a compound of two Sanksrit words, nava, meaning 'nine', and ratri, meaning 'night'. Together the word means 'nine nights'. ¹

In the eastern and northeastern states of India, the Durga Puja is synonymous with Navaratri, wherein goddess Durga battles and emerges victorious over the buffalo demon Mahishasura to help restore dharma. In southern states, the victory of Durga or Kali is celebrated. In the western state of Gujarat, Navaratri celebrations are constituted by arti, followed by garba. In all cases, the common theme is the battle and victory of good over evil based on a regionally famous epic or legend such as the Devi Mahatmya. ¹

Celebrations include worshipping nine goddesses during nine days, stage decorations, recital of the legend, enacting of the story, and chanting of the scriptures of Hinduism. The nine days are also a major crop season cultural event, such as competitive design and staging of pandals, a family visit to these pandals, and the public celebration of classical and folk dances of Hindu culture. Hindu devotees often celebrate Navaratri by fasting. The Navaratri festival lasts for nine nights, and concludes on the tenth night known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, which is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. On the final day of Vijayadashami, the statues are either immersed in a water body such as a river or an ocean, or the statue symbolising the evil is burnt with fireworks, marking the destruction of evil. During this time preparations also take place for Deepavali (the festival of lights) which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami. ¹

According to some Hindu texts, such as the Shakta and Vaishnava Puranas, Navaratri theoretically falls two or four times in a year. Of these, the Sharada Navaratri near the September equinox (the autumn equinox in September–October) is the most celebrated, and the Vasanta Navaratri near the March equinox (the spring equinox in March–April) is the next most significant to the culture of the Indian subcontinent. In all cases, Navaratri falls in the bright half (waxing phase) of the Hindu lunisolar months. The celebrations vary by region, leaving much to the creativity and preferences of the Hindus. ¹

Sharada Navaratri is the most celebrated of the four Navaratri, named after Sharada which means autumn. It commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashvin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during this month, which typically falls in the Gregorian months of September and October. The exact dates of the festival are determined according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, and sometimes the festival may be held for a day more or a day less depending on the adjustments for sun and moon movements and the leap year. In many regions, the festival falls after the autumn harvest, and in others, during harvest. The festivities extend beyond goddess Durga and various other goddesses such as Saraswati and Lakshmi. Deities such as Ganesha, Kartikeya, Shiva, and Parvati are regionally revered. For example, a notable pan-Hindu tradition during Navaratri is the adoration of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, music, and arts, through Ayudha Puja. On this day, which typically falls on the ninth day of Navaratri, peace and knowledge is celebrated. Warriors thank, decorate, and worship their weapons, offering prayers to Saraswati. Musicians upkeep, play, and pray their musical instruments. Farmers, carpenters, smiths, pottery makers, shopkeepers, and all sorts of tradespeople similarly decorate and worship their equipment, machinery, and tools of trade. Students visit their teachers, express respect, and seek their blessings. This tradition is particularly strong in South India, but is observed elsewhere too. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Navaratri”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Navratri is annual Hindu festival, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 8 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²