Navratri Durga Puja

Hindu Festivals

Navratri Durga Puja is a Hindu festival that spans nine nights and ten days. It usually takes place in the month of Aswin, in September and October as per the Gregorian Calendar. In the east and north India, the Durga Puja is synonymous with Navaratri.  Navratri celebrates in honor of goddess Durga, wherein goddess Durga battles and emerges victorious over the buffalo demon Mahishasur. Similarly, in north and west India, the Navratri festival is synonymous with “Rama Lila” and Dussehra. That celebrates the battle and victory of god Rama over the demon king Ravana. Likewise, in the southern states of India, it celebrates the victory of different goddesses. In all cases, the common theme is the battle and victory of Good over Evil.

Navratri Durga Puja celebrations include worshipping nine goddesses for nine days. Stage decorations, recital of the legend, enacting of the story of Ramayana, and chanting of the scriptures of Hinduism. Likewise, the nine days is also a major crop season cultural events. On the final day, called the Vijayadashami or Dassehra, the statues are either immersed in a water body such as river and ocean, or the statue symbolizing the evil is burnt with fireworks marking evil’s destruction. Whereas in Nepal and north India, on the tenth day(Vijayadashami), people receive tika and blessing from their elders.