The three main Navratri celebrations in India are:
1)Sharad Navratri,
2)Vasant Navratri and
3)Ashada Navratri
1)Sharad Navratri is observed for nine days and nine nights, with three
days each for the worship of three different aspects of Mother Shakti as
Goddess Durga for the first three days, as Goddess Lakshmi for the next
three days and as Goddess Saraswati for the final three days.
2)Vasant Navratri is celebrated during the Hindu Vasant season (March-
April), and is celebrated in North India.
3)Ashada Navratri is celebrated during the Hindu Ashada season (July-
August), and is celebrated in Himachal Pradesh.
Nine forms of Mother Shakti(the female form of power)
Durga,
Bhadrakali,
Jagadamba,
Annapurna,
Sarvamangala,
Bhairavi,
Chandika,
Lalita,
Bhavani and
Mookambika
are worshipped during the Navratri.
The forms worshipped differ from region to region.
Women take a central stage in this festival and it is a celebration of femine
qualities such as dance, music and decoration. It is celebrated over 10 days
in September-October. It is also a reminder of historic status of women in
India and how they held lot more power in ancient India.
If you are interested in arts, this is one of the best time to visit India. It is
just after the monsoons and the weather is not too hot, nor cold in most
parts of the country.
Gujarat and Mumbai :
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| NAVRATRI OF GUJARAT |
- These places are especially known for their extravagant garba celebrations every night during the nine days of Navratri.
- Garba is a form of dance that is done in a circle, representing the cyclical belief of time within Hinduism.
- Traditionally, the dance is performed with a clay lantern at the center representing the Devi.
- Dancing around this lantern symbolizing that each human has this form of energy within him or her.
Kolkata :
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| DURGA POOJA |
- In the east, this festival is celebrated as "Durga Pooja" where the goddess Durga wins over a demon.
- It celebrates both the victory of truth and the greatness of feminism.
- If you end up in the eastern city of Kolkata at this time, you will see swarms of Durga idols dotting all over the city and people of all walks celebrating in the street. It is a happy time.
 |
| Navratri of Nepal |
Nepal :
- Nepali Hindus also celebrate this festival in a big way.
- On this festival the emphasis on family ties and put the red colored kumkum on each other's forehead.
Tamilnadu :
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| Golu |
- In Tamilnadu, it is called Golu. We buy 100s of idols and try to create various settings that portray our culture and heritage.
- These idols & dolls are arranged in wood/steel stair specially built for this purpose.
- It is like a mini-museum at home. Some of these settings will talk about mythology and others about the lives during ancient times.
- Few others get more creative and set more modern scenes.
