Navratri Puja

Navratri -

Navratri is an important festival of India, dedicated to Goddess Durga. This festival is for 10 days and 9 nights. In these 9 days, 9 forms of Goddess Durga is being worshipped. The Last day of the Puja, is called as Vijyadashmi. In different parts of India, it is celebrated in different forms. It is said to be the important festival of West Bengal, Gujarat and Mumbai.

In 2012, the Navratri dates are from 16th of Oct to 24th of Oct. Vijyadashmi is celebrated on 24th of Oct'12. Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess.

 

First 3 days - 
First 3 days of the festival is for the goddess who is known as Durga also known as Kali in order to destroy all our impurities.











Second 3 days - 

The Second 3 days is devoted to Goddess Lakshmi. The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth. Goddess Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth, as she is the goddess of wealth.

Third 3 Days -  
The final set of three days is spent in worshiping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati.













In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.

Eighth day is traditionally celebrated as Durgashtami which is a big festival in  West Bengal.

Vijayadashmi or Dashara, is celebrated on the10th day of Navratri Puja. It marks the victory of Goddess Durga over such demons as Shumbh and Nishumbh. It is a day when devotees worship Goddess Shakti. Shakti represents strength, ability and courage. This day also celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana.

In India, the harvest season begins at this time and so the Mother Goddess is invoked to start the new harvest season and reactivate the vigor and fertility of the soil. This is done through religious performances and rituals which are thought to invoke cosmic forces that rejuvenate the soil. Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dashara through social gatherings and food offerings to the gods at home and in temples throughout Nepal and India.

Navratri Celebrations-

Many people in India do puja all 9 days of the festival. Some of them, even do fasting for all 9 days, and break their fasting on the last day, i.e., the 10th day of the festival. Their are many type of fasting which is done by people.

• Fasting done for 9 days, by eating only fruits and dairy products.
• Fasting done for 9 days, with 1meal without salt.
• Fasting done for 9 days, with 1 meal and with rock Salt (sendha namak).
• Fasting done for 2 days (1st and last), with only 1 meal intake with rock salt (sendha namak).
• Fasting done for 2 days, only on fruits.

 Few foods which can be eaten during the fasting of Navratri puja are-

1. Sabudana vada
2. Sabudana Khichdi
3. Alu ke Paranthe
4. Gobhi ke Paranthe
5. Muli ke Paranthe
6. Paneer ke Paranthe
7. Jeera Aalu (with Sendha Namak)
8. Parantha with Mangrela-Ajwain
9. Mashed Potato 
10. Rice Pudding (Kheer)
11. Sabudana Kheer
12. Makhana kheer
13. Semolina Pudding (Suzi ki Kheer) 
14. Rasogulla
15. RasMalai
16. Gajar ka Halwa
17. Singhada ka Halwa
18. Nariyal ke Ladoo
19. Kalakand
20. Khowa ke pedey

Happy Puja to all my friends here.... May god bless us all.......