Navratri 2024 Dates : Dates, significance, and rituals
Importance of Navratri: Navratri is an important festival of Hinduism, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga. This festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Nine different forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped during these nine days, which are known as Navdurga. Navratri has immense religious and spiritual significance, as it is a festival of worship of the power of Goddess Durga in the form of strength, patience, and devotion.
Navratri 2024 Dates: Navratri will be celebrated from October 3 (Thursday) to October 12 (Saturday) in 2024. Various forms of Maa Durga are worshipped during this time, and each day has a special colour of significance.
Significance of colors: Every day during Navratri a particular colour is worn, dedicated to a specific form of the Goddess.
Types of Navratri 2024 :
- Chaitra Navratri: This Navratri falls in the month of March-April with the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It is also called Vasant Navratri and has special significance as it marks the beginning of the spring season.
- Sharadiya Navratri: This Navratri falls around October and is celebrated as the beginning of the autumn season. Sharadiya Navratri is the most celebrated Navratri, especially in North India. Festivals like Dussehra and Durga Puja are also celebrated during this Navratri.
- Ashadha Navratri: It is also called Gupt Navratri and falls in the month of June-July. It is mostly considered important for sadhaks and tantric methods and is not as famous among the general public as Chaitra and Sharadiya Navratri.
- Magha Navratri: This Navratri celebrated in the month of Magha is special for sadhaks and devotees. It falls in the months of January-February and is considered suitable for internal sadhana.
First day: Yellow (Maa Shailputri)
Second day: Green (Maa Brahmacharini)
Third day: Grey (Maa Chandraghanta)
Fourth day: Orange (Maa Kushmanda)
Fifth day: White (Maa Skandamata)
Sixth day: Red (Maa Katyayani)
Seventh day: Blue (Maa Kalratri)
Eighth day: Pink (Maa Mahagauri)
Ninth day: Purple (Maa Siddhidatri)
Mythology of Navratri: According to the legend, a demon named Mahishasura started torturing the gods. The gods were also troubled by his power, then all the gods together invoked Maa Durga. Maa Durga fought with Mahishasura for 9 days and killed him on the tenth day. Therefore, the festival of Navratri is considered a symbol of the victory of good over evil.
Important Muhurat: Navratri 2024
Kalash Sthapana Muhurat: 3 October 2024, from 6:15 am to 8:00 am.
Ashtami Puja: 10 October 2024.
Navami Puja: 11 October 2024.
Dussehra: 12 October 2024.
Navratri Rituals:
Kalash Sthapana: On the first day, Kalash Sthapana is performed, which symbolizes welcoming the Goddess.
Ghatasthapana: Barley is sown in an earthen pot at the place of worship.
Kanya Pujan: On the eighth or ninth day, Kanya Pujan has special significance.
Jagran and Bhajan: Bhajans and Jagran of Maa Durga are performed at night.
These nine days of Navratri are dedicated to fasting, devotion, and Shakti Sadhana. Every day a different form of Maa Durga is worshiped, which inspires devotees to follow the power, courage, and righteousness.
Detailed Introduction of Navratri 2024
Navaratri is one of the major festivals of Hinduism, which is celebrated with great pomp all over India. “Navaratri” literally means “nine nights”, in which nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. This festival is a great festival of worship of Shakti (Durga) and is celebrated twice a year – one Chaitra Navratri (spring season) and the other Sharadiya Navratri (autumn season). In 2024, Sharadiya Navratri will start from October 3 and end on October 12.
Worship of nine forms of Navratri (Navdurga)
During Navratri, nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped, known as Navdurga. Every day a particular goddess is worshipped and has a different spiritual significance.
Maa Shailputri: On the first day, Maa Shailputri is worshipped, who is the daughter of Himalaya and the first form of Goddess Parvati. Worshipping her gives strength and courage.
Maa Brahmacharini: On the second day, Maa Brahmacharini is worshipped, who is considered the goddess of penance and restraint.
Maa Chandraghanta: On the third day, Maa Chandraghanta is worshipped, who is a symbol of peace and gentleness and liberates devotees from all kinds of troubles.
Maa Kushmanda: On the fourth day, Maa Kushmanda is worshipped, who is considered the goddess of creation. Diseases are destroyed by her blessings.
Maa Skandamata: On the fifth day, Maa Skandamata is worshipped, who is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom and inspires devotees to follow the path of religion.
Maa Katyayani: On the sixth day, Maa Katyayani is worshiped, who is considered the goddess of courage and war. She frees the devotees from all obstacles.
Maa Kalratri: On the seventh day, Maa Kalratri is worshiped, who destroys darkness and negative forces.
Maa Mahagauri: On the eighth day, Maa Mahagauri is worshiped, who is a symbol of purity and patience. Her blessings bring prosperity in life.
Maa Siddhidatri: On the ninth day, Maa Siddhidatri is worshiped, who is considered the goddess of all siddhis. By her grace, devotees get knowledge, power and siddhi.
Keep these things in mind:
Take special care of cleanliness during the puja.
Follow the rules of fasting and consume satvik food.
Worship Maa Durga properly and participate in the rituals with full devotion.
Navratri 2024: Story, significance and a special story
The festival of Navratri is not only associated with religious faith, but it also holds a deep place in Indian culture and folklore. While Navratri worship, fasting, and worship of nine forms of the Goddess are religious activities, the stories and folklore hidden behind it further strengthen the feeling of faith in the minds of people.
A special story of Navratri: The war of Mahishasura and Maa Durga
Long ago, both heaven and earth were surrounded by the terror of demons. Mahishasura, an extremely powerful and arrogant demon, had received a boon from Lord Brahma that no man or god could defeat him. Due to this boon, Mahishasura waged a war against the gods and took over heaven. Both earth and heaven were troubled by his tyranny. The gods were desperate, as no one had the power to stop Mahishasura.
All the gods together approached Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma and prayed to them for a solution. The three deities then combined their powers and created a unique goddess. This goddess was considered the goddess of power, courage and destruction – and her name was Maa Durga.
Maa Durga’s appearance was unimaginable. She had various weapons in her ten hands, and her face had an expression of infinite patience and bravery. Maa Durga challenged Mahishasura. There was a fierce battle between them for nine days. Mahishasura came in a new form every time, but Maa Durga defeated him every time. On the tenth day, Maa Durga killed Mahishasura, liberating heaven and earth. This day is known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, and it symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
Another story of Navratri: Maa Durga’s journey from Parvati to Durga
According to another story, Maa Durga was born as Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva. Maa Parvati was extremely gentle and mild, but when she needed to fight the demons, the unique power hidden within her was revealed. She took the form of Durga and with her courage freed the entire creation from evil. Through this story it is taught that every woman has a powerful form within her, which can appear when needed.
The second mythological story of Navratri: The war between Rama and Ravana
The festival of Navratri is also associated with the story of Ramayana. It is said that Lord Rama worshiped Goddess Durga to kill Ravana. He did rigorous penance for nine days and received power and blessings from Maa Durga. On the tenth day, Lord Rama defeated Ravana. Therefore, Dussehra is celebrated as the victory of good over evil.
Some more stories related to Navratri
The story of Sati and Parvati: Another important story associated with Navratri is that of Goddess Sati and Shiva. Sati immolated herself in the fire of Yagya when King Daksha insulted Lord Shiva. After this, Sati was born as Parvati and performed penance and married Lord Shiva. This story tells that both tolerance and strength are contained within a woman.
Mahishasura Vadh Katha: The story of Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura is inextricably linked to Navratri. This story symbolizes that when evil reaches its peak, divine powers like Maa Durga take the form of Shakti and liberate the world.
The story of Raja Surath and Vaishya Samadhi: Another story is of Raja Surath and Vaishya Samadhi, who performed rigorous penance of Maa Durga after losing their throne. Pleased with their devotion, Maa Durga granted them power and wealth. This story shows the glory of devotion and dedication.
Navratri rituals and traditions
Kalash Sthapana: On the first day of Navratri, Kalash Sthapana is performed, in which barley is sown in an earthen pot. This is the beginning of worship and symbol of the new creation of life.
Jagran and Bhajan: During Navratri, bhajans and jagran of Maa Durga are organized, in which devotees stay awake all night and sing praises of the mother.
Kanya Pujan: On the Ashtami or Navami of Navratri, small girls are worshipped as the form of Maa Durga. This ritual symbolizes that every woman has the form of Maa Durga within her.
Dandiya and Garba: Especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan, dandiya and garba are organized during Navratri, which is a cultural form of faith in Maa Durga.
The message behind the nine days of Navratri
Navaratri is not just a festival of worship of the Goddess, it is a symbol of spiritual awakening and development of self-confidence. Worshiping different forms of the Goddess every day is an indication that we need courage, patience and compassion to face different situations in life. This confluence of power and devotion inspires balance in life and to follow the right path.
The festival of Navratri teaches us that when we recognize the power within us and worship Maa Durga with true devotion, we can face any difficulty. This message of Maa Durga inspires us to move forward in life with new energy and enthusiasm every Navratri.
Religious and cultural aspects of Navratri
Importance of fasting: Fasting is of utmost importance during Navratri. Devotees observe fast for their physical and mental purification. This fast is considered a means of spiritual advancement. Satvik food is consumed during fasting which includes fruits, milk, sago, potatoes etc.
Ghatasthapana: Ghatasthapana (Kalash Sthapana) is performed on the first day of Navratri. This is a major ritual, in which barley is sown in an earthen pot in the house or temple. It is a symbolic ritual to invoke Maa Durga during Navratri.
Kanya Pujan: Kanya Pujan is performed on the eighth (Ashtami) or ninth (Navami) day of Navratri. In this, nine girls are worshipped as a symbol of nine forms of the goddess. They are fed food and given gifts.
Dandiya and Garba: Dandiya and Garba are played during Navratri, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan. This dance is a cultural form of devotion to Maa Durga. Dandiya and Garba are organised for the entire nine days, in which people dance in traditional costumes.
Idol Visarjan and Dussehra: On the last day of Navratri, idols of Goddess Durga are immersed. This is followed by Dussehra, which marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. This day celebrates the victory of good over evil.
The deep spiritual meaning behind Navratri
Navratri is not just a religious festival, but it also has deep spiritual meanings hidden behind it. This festival is an occasion for purification of the soul, concentration of the mind, and spiritual awakening. When devotees worship the nine forms of Maa Durga, they also experience spiritual power within themselves. This festival teaches us that every difficulty should be faced with courage and patience, and if we recognize our spiritual power, we can overcome every obstacle.
The festival of Navratri also reminds us that women power is supreme in nature. In every form of Maa Durga, different aspects of women are celebrated – strength, compassion, love, and patience. This festival symbolizes the importance and power of women in society.
4o
