The Navratri: Nine nights of festive valour
From energetic Garba performances to melodic devotional hymns, Auckland is celebrating Navaratri with great zeal and devotion
Navaratri which is interpreted as nine nights, is a festival celebrated in honor of the goddess of valour, Durga, who is also a symbol of purity and power. The festival, celebrated for nine consecutive days and nights, combines ritualistic pujas and fasting. In India, Navaratri is followed according to the lunar calendar and is celebrated in March/ April as Chaitra Navaratri and in September/ October as Shard Navaratri.
During the festival people gather in small shrines to perform puja. During these nine days different avatars of goddess Durga is worshipped by chanting of hymns, renditions of bhajans and folk songs.Different states in India focus on celebrating Navaratri in their own unique ways. In north India, the festival is celebrated with dance and music. ‘Garba’ a devotional dance form performed during Navaratri, is derived from the folklore of Lord Krishna singing and dancing with the gopis by clinking ‘dandiya’ or slim wooden sticks.
With time, Navratri festival has undergone changes in celebrations with well-choreographed dance performances, high-end acoustics and people dressed in made-to-order bright costumes. In south India, during Navratri, people arrange idols in a step-pattern and invoke the name of God. On the ninth day, the festival coincides with Dussehra, involving folk music renditions and dance performances, wrestling tournaments and tableau participation.
The procession of tableaux along with embellished elephants, camels and horses starting from the brightly-lit Mysore Palace is a famous one. ‘Vijayadashami’, as Dussehra is known in this part of the country, is also an auspicious day in for performing puja for one’s vehicle.In Auckland, Navaratri is celebrated with the same zeal and devotion as in India. With few amendments to the rituals, the festival is indeed an occasion for social gathering and reviving one’s spiritual self.
Here is how different families in Auckland celebrate Navratri
The Dangs
We follow all the traditions and rituals of Navratri in our family. We are religious about the Navaratri fast for seven days and on the eighth day, after the Ashtami puja, we break our fast. During the days of fast, we only eat fruits and the food that is specifically prepared for those who fast. This fasting food is cooked using rock salt and with aparticular kind of flour known as Kuttu flour. We also read hymns and Vedas that narrate stories of Goddess Durga and her valour. We attend community events and social gatherings, and celebrate the festival with dance and music.
The Guptas
Navaratri is believed to be the festival of Goddess Durga and her Avatars. It is believed that there are nine different Avatars of Durga. In our family we celebrate this festival with a lot of devotion. We start the day worshiping the goddess, performing the rituals that were followed by the elders in the family and has been brought to the present day. A particular variety of sweet dish made out of semolina is prepared every day and is offered to the goddess. On these nine days, each Avatar of Goddess Durga is worshiped. As per tradition, on the ninth day, nine little girls are invited home and are fed with delicious treats and savouries. However, in Auckland it is hard to follow this tradition. So we cook the food and divide it in nine portions. Once the puja is over, we give it to the temple and the priest distributes it to the little girls who visit the temple on that day.
The Gills
Navaratri is celebrated with family as per traditions and her in Auckland since we don’t have our extended family my husband and I celebrate it with all the traditions and rituals as it is celebrated back at home. We follow a fast where special fasting dishes are prepared and usually that is consumed only once a day and the fast for the rest of the day is followed without any food. The Nine avatars( forms) of goddess Durga is worshiped all through the nine days. During these days friends and family meet to perform Garba, a traditional dance and we have sing hymns in praise of the goddess and the 9th day of the celebration ends with Pooja and Bhajans distributing meals to young girls.
From energetic Garba performances to melodic devotional hymns, Auckland is celebrating Navaratri with great zeal and devotion
Navaratri which is interpreted as nine nights, is a festival celebrated in honor of the goddess of valour, Durga, who is also a symbol of purity and power. The festival,...
From energetic Garba performances to melodic devotional hymns, Auckland is celebrating Navaratri with great zeal and devotion
Navaratri which is interpreted as nine nights, is a festival celebrated in honor of the goddess of valour, Durga, who is also a symbol of purity and power. The festival, celebrated for nine consecutive days and nights, combines ritualistic pujas and fasting. In India, Navaratri is followed according to the lunar calendar and is celebrated in March/ April as Chaitra Navaratri and in September/ October as Shard Navaratri.
During the festival people gather in small shrines to perform puja. During these nine days different avatars of goddess Durga is worshipped by chanting of hymns, renditions of bhajans and folk songs.Different states in India focus on celebrating Navaratri in their own unique ways. In north India, the festival is celebrated with dance and music. ‘Garba’ a devotional dance form performed during Navaratri, is derived from the folklore of Lord Krishna singing and dancing with the gopis by clinking ‘dandiya’ or slim wooden sticks.
With time, Navratri festival has undergone changes in celebrations with well-choreographed dance performances, high-end acoustics and people dressed in made-to-order bright costumes. In south India, during Navratri, people arrange idols in a step-pattern and invoke the name of God. On the ninth day, the festival coincides with Dussehra, involving folk music renditions and dance performances, wrestling tournaments and tableau participation.
The procession of tableaux along with embellished elephants, camels and horses starting from the brightly-lit Mysore Palace is a famous one. ‘Vijayadashami’, as Dussehra is known in this part of the country, is also an auspicious day in for performing puja for one’s vehicle.In Auckland, Navaratri is celebrated with the same zeal and devotion as in India. With few amendments to the rituals, the festival is indeed an occasion for social gathering and reviving one’s spiritual self.
Here is how different families in Auckland celebrate Navratri
The Dangs
We follow all the traditions and rituals of Navratri in our family. We are religious about the Navaratri fast for seven days and on the eighth day, after the Ashtami puja, we break our fast. During the days of fast, we only eat fruits and the food that is specifically prepared for those who fast. This fasting food is cooked using rock salt and with aparticular kind of flour known as Kuttu flour. We also read hymns and Vedas that narrate stories of Goddess Durga and her valour. We attend community events and social gatherings, and celebrate the festival with dance and music.
The Guptas
Navaratri is believed to be the festival of Goddess Durga and her Avatars. It is believed that there are nine different Avatars of Durga. In our family we celebrate this festival with a lot of devotion. We start the day worshiping the goddess, performing the rituals that were followed by the elders in the family and has been brought to the present day. A particular variety of sweet dish made out of semolina is prepared every day and is offered to the goddess. On these nine days, each Avatar of Goddess Durga is worshiped. As per tradition, on the ninth day, nine little girls are invited home and are fed with delicious treats and savouries. However, in Auckland it is hard to follow this tradition. So we cook the food and divide it in nine portions. Once the puja is over, we give it to the temple and the priest distributes it to the little girls who visit the temple on that day.
The Gills
Navaratri is celebrated with family as per traditions and her in Auckland since we don’t have our extended family my husband and I celebrate it with all the traditions and rituals as it is celebrated back at home. We follow a fast where special fasting dishes are prepared and usually that is consumed only once a day and the fast for the rest of the day is followed without any food. The Nine avatars( forms) of goddess Durga is worshiped all through the nine days. During these days friends and family meet to perform Garba, a traditional dance and we have sing hymns in praise of the goddess and the 9th day of the celebration ends with Pooja and Bhajans distributing meals to young girls.
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