What is Navratri - Nine Days of Navratri

Navratri is amongst the most important Hindu festivals. This auspicious festival is celebrated with great zeal and devotion throughout the country. The literal meaning of 'Navratri' is 'nine auspicious nights'. Navratri is a pious festival celebrated in the honor of nine different forms of the Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati for nine continuous days. The Goddess of Power is worshipped during these days in order to seek her blessings and protection from any unknown fear and possible threat.The devotees ask for peace and prosperity from the Goddess.

Goddess Durga is Worshipped under nine different names in Navratri.Goddess Durga is workshipped in nine days as respectively

1. Shailputri
2. Brahmacharini
3. Chandraghanta
4. Kuchmanda
5. Skand Mata
6. Katyayani
7. Kalratri
8. Maha Gauri
9. Siddhidatri

History of Navratri 
You can checkout the important things for Navratri puja vidhi by Navratri Puja Vidhi

First Day Pooja - Shailaputri Puja 

The first day of Navratri Pooja is devoted to Shailputri. Goddess Shailputri is daughter of Himalayas. She is a form of Mata Shakti (Goddess of Power) and spouse of Lord Shiva.

Second Day Pooja - Brahmacharini puja

On the second day of Navratri Goddess Brahmacharini is worshipped in homes and temples. The word 'Brahmcharini' is derivative of the word Brahma, which stands for Tapa (Penance). This form of mata Shakti is close to Uma or Parvati. 

Third Day Pooja - Chandraghanta puja

Goddess Chandraghanta is worshipped on the third day of Navratri. She is considered to be Goddess of beauty and bravery.

Fourth Day Pooja - Kushmanda puja

The form of Mata Shakti which is worshipped fourth day of Navratri is Kushmanda. As per Hindu mythology, it is considered that the Goddess Kushmanda has originated this entire Universe by her laugh.

Fifth Day Pooja - Skanda mata Puja

Devotees worship Skand Mata on the fifth day of Navratri. Skanda is chief warrior of God's army and Goddess is mother of Skanda that is why the Goddess is called Skand Mata.

Sixth Day Pooja - Katyayani Mata puja 

Sixth day of Navratri is intended for Devi Katyayani. In her typical image, the goddess Katyayani seated on lion and has tree eyes and four legs.

Seventh Day Pooja - Kalaratri puja

On the seventh day of Navratri festival, devotees worship and adore the Goddess Kalratri. As name indicates Devi Kalratri is as black as a dark night and she is notorious to eliminate fear from her devotee's heart.

Eighth Day Pooja - Mahagouri puja

Maha Gauri is the form of Mother Durga which is worshipped on eighth day of Navratri. The Goddess Maha Gauri signifies calmness and endorses wisdom. As name suggest, she is considered enormously beautiful. Her color is like snow and adorned with white colored jewelries.

Ninth Day Pooja - Siddhidatri Puja

Ninth form of the Goddess Durga, Siddhidatri is worshiped on the ninth day of Navratri. She is Goddess of all eight siddhis and is worshipped by all Yogis, Sadhakas, Siddhas and Rishis-Munis. 

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History of Navratri

Navratri is a very important Hindu festival celebrated in India, which is devoted to Goddess Durga. The festival is celebrated with great reverence and faith across the country. It stretches over a period of nine days, with each of the nine days being dedicated to one of the nine forms of the Goddess. Talking about the history of Navratri festival, it can be explained through the stories mentioned in the Hindu scriptures

What is Navratri

Nava means nine and ratri means night so navratri means nine nights, and it tenth day is known as dashmi and is also known as vijaydashmi. There are five types of navratri in a year, they are as

1) vasanta navratri also known as chaitra navaratri
2) gupt navratri also known as ashadha navratri
3) sharana(sharad) navratri also known as maha navratri
4) pushya navratri in shukla paksha of pushya month
5) magha navratri is also kind of gupt navratri in magha month

Though there are total five types of navratri in a year but sharad navratri is most popular. Lord Vishnu is worshiped in chaitra(vasanta) navratri while Maa durga is worshiped in sharad navratri.

Navratri is celebrated throughout India; people celebrate it by fasting on all nine days and by worshiping the mother goddess in different forms.

History & Origin behind Navratri 

There are two interesting legends or epics associated with the history of Navratri and celebrated across the country with great reverence and faith taking on different names and idols.

Battle of good over evil

Legends prevalent in North Indian

Lord Brahma of the trinity Brahma, Vishnu & Maheshwara, granted Mahishasura the "buffalo demon," a boon that protected him from any man in the world . Empowered by this gift, Mahishasura set out to conquer the world, heaven and the world, and brought about the defeat of the king of deities,Indra. At the pleading of Indra, the king of the Gods, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva created Devi Durga, by combining their own divine powers (shakti). Endowed with the trinity's shakti, Durga proved to be a formidable opponent who fought Mahisa for nine days, beheading him on the tenth. The nine nights known as Navratri, symbolize the nine days of battle between Devi Durga and Mahisasura, while the tenth day, which is vijayadashami-literally means the victorious tenth day of conquest of good over evil.

In West Bengal Navratri, and vijayadashami are respectively celebrated as Durga Puja and Dasara.
In South India the festival includes other female deities an dedicates three days of the festival to Lakshmi, the female archetype of wealth and fortune, and another three to Saraswathi, the female archetype of learning, music and knowledge.
In northern India it takes the form of the great epic Ramyana where Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu is victorious over the evil king Ravana.

Lord Shiva's dance of destruction (tandav)

 The Eastern Belief

As per the legend prevalent in East India, Daksha, the king of the Himalayas, had a beautiful and virtuous daughter called Uma. She wished to marry Lord Shiva, since her childhood. In order to win over the Lord, she worshipped him and managed to please him as well. When Shiva finally came to marry her, the tiger-skin clad groom displeased Daksha and he broke off all the relationships with his daughter and son-in-law. One fine day, Daksha organized a yagna, but did not invite Lord Shiva for the same. 

Uma got so angry at her father's rude behavior, towards her husband, that she decided to end her life by jumping into the agnikund of the yagna, where she was united with eternity (since then, she came to be known as Sati). However, she took re-birth and again won Shiva as her groom and peace was restored. It is believed that since then, Uma comes every year with Ganesh, Kartik, Saraswati and Laxmi and two of her best friends or 'sakhis', called Jaya and Bijaya, to visit her parent's home during Navratri.

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