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Navratri:
(October/November)
Navratri
or the nine nights sacred to the Mother Goddess are celebrated in
the month of October / November.
It
commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over a demon, Mahishasur.
Endowed with power, by the blessing of Lord Shiva the demon
started destroying innocent people. The gods invoked Goddess Durga
and asked for her help. The goddess, astride a lion fought with
the demon and cut off his head.
It
is an occasion for vibrant festivities throughout the country.
During Navratri, devotees of Durga fast and pray for health and
prosperity.
Different
manifestations of Durga or Shakti are worshipped every night.
Devotees and young
enthusiasts dance the Garba or Dandiya-Raas throughout the night,
in keeping with the exuberant nature of this festival.
The
Navratri festival celebrations at Ahmedabad and Baroda are famous
throughout Gujarat. Here the evenings and nights are occasions for
the fascinating Garba dance. The women dance around an earthen
lamp while singing devotional songs accompanied by rhythmic
clapping of the hands.
In
Punjab, Navratri is a period of fasting. In Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka dolls called Bommai kolu are placed and
decorated. Goddesses' Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswati are worshipped
for three days. Gifts of coconuts, clothes and sweets are
exchanged. Scenes culled from various stories in the epics and
puranas are displayed.
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