Greetings on Navratri

 

Greetings on Navratri 

 

The nine day Navratri festival starts in India with great enthusiasm. Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped.

The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra." Navratri is a very important and major festival in the western states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka during which the traditional dance of Gujarat called "Garba" is widely performed. This festival is celebrated with great zeal in different parts of North India . People dance and enjoy for all nine days.

The entire Navratri Festival ceremony is carried out with the chanting of mantras conveying the theme -"This is my offering to God". The day following Navratri is hailed as Vijaya Dasami, more popularly known as Dussehra.

Image courtesy : Timir R Shah – Vadodara