Navratri, or nine nights, is one of the biggest and most celebrated festivals across India. The nine days and nights are dedicated to worshipping the nine forms of Maa Durga through sadhana, prayer and meditation. The festival spans nine nights and ten days and is celebrated as Navratri, Dussehra and Durga Pooja across the country.
The 9 days of Navratri significance is our duty of celebrating and honouring the nine qualities of Maa Durga and, by extension, the nine qualities we humans should strive hard to achieve!
Significance Of Navratri
As seen earlier, the 9 days of Navratri's significance is to dedicate ourselves to honouring the nine forms of Maa Durga and the qualities they possess, which we must wish for to lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
It is also important to understand that Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism calls for Loka Kalyana, or Happiness of the entire world, and what better way to achieve this than by embodying the nine qualities of Maa Durga, which is beyond borders and races?
Let us now look at the 9-day goddess of Navratri and what qualities we must strive for to become better human beings and ideal global citizens for our planet's bright and prosperous future.
Significance of Each Day of Navratri
Day 1 - Devi Shailaputri - As the name suggests, Shailaputri is the daughter of The King of Mountains and is the embodiment of nature itself and the purity that nature signifies. Shailaputri also denotes the cyclical nature of time and shows us how to be steadfast towards our duties.
Day 2 - Devi Bramhacharini - Devi Bramhacharini is the second of the 9-day goddess of Navarati and symbolises penance and devotion. The embodiment of penance, Maa Bramhacharini, shows us that anything is achievable as long as we focus on our goals and work towards them with complete devotion!
Day 3 - Devi Chandraghanta - The form of Maa Durga is Mata Chandraghanta, who is the personification of courage and bravery. She denotes and makes us aware of our inner battles and helps us manifest courage to face our bad qualities, such as low confidence, ignorance, and fears, thereby helping us transform into the best versions of ourselves.
Day 4 - Devi Kushmanda - This form of Maa Durga is the form of vitality and life force. Maa Kushmanda is the creator of the cosmic universe and symbolises our capability to create good qualities for the betterment of humanity.
Day 5 - Devi Skandamata - The divine mother Skandamata symbolises our nurturing and caring quality. Devi Skandamata is the embodiment of maternal energy and motherhood, telling us to be kind and caring towards our fellow human beings.
Day 6 - Devi Katyayini - The fierce form of Devi and the warrior form of Maa Durga. Devi Katyayini exudes the warrior qualities within us and signifies our Dharma, which is to fight against injustice towards us and society constantly.
Day 7 - Devi Kalaratri - The seventh form of the seventh night of Navratri is Devi Kalaratri and is the symbol of eradicating ignorance and enlightening ourselves with the truth of the eternal energy of Maa Durga. Maa Kalaratri also signifies our constant dedication to fighting the darkness of ignorance in the search for divine knowledge.
Day 8 - Devi Mahagauri - Maa Mahagauri is the supreme mother and signifies purity and our desire towards internal peace and maternal love.
Day 9 - Devi Siddhidatri - Maa Siddhiratri is the ninth form of Maa Durga and signifies the final result of adapting the other eight qualities to attain Moksha and find the eternal truth.
The best way to dedicate ourselves to harnessing these qualities is to focus on the Sagun form of Maa Durga through Navratri idols or dedicate yourself to Maa Durga idol for Navratri's nine days and nights! Explore our collection of Maa Durga idols for Navratri on our website!
Deeper Spiritual Significance
While the primary significance of Navratri is to cleanse ourselves from within, it is also the most auspicious time to nurture and harness the feminine energy within ourselves. These nine nights are celebrated across the country in various ways across cultures and as per multiple belief systems while keeping the core concept of the Navratri in mind.
The nine nights are divided into three equal sections of three nights each, each section for understanding and controlling one of our three Gunas. The first three days are for Tamas or Inertia, which are for resting and resetting ourselves with a calm mind before understanding the other two Gunas while at the same time trying to understand the divine power of Devi and knowing that she alone is responsible for our being.
The middle three days is for Rajas, which denotes our cosmic energy within, which is always charged up. During these three days, we delve into understanding our consciousness and performing our duties with awareness. It is essential to channel the Rajasic energy correctly so we are always conscious and aware of our actions!
The final three days, dedicated to Sattva, provide a unique opportunity for personal growth. It is a time to question and understand ourselves, to find the cosmic consciousness that can answer the most profound questions of our existence. This aspect of Navratri can inspire us to embark on a journey of self-discovery.
The tenth day is called Dusheera or Vijayadashmi, where we celebrate our victory of conquering the three Gunas or trying to conquer them with utmost dedication!
Devi Puja: Honouring the Omnipresent Energy
The best way to perform Devi Pooja is to consciously strive towards harnessing the nine qualities of the Maa Durga and dedicating ourselves to penance during these nine powerful cosmic energy days. We can also dedicate ourselves to focusing on the Navratri idols and performing our regular pooja rituals for our satisfaction! For the best Maa Durga brass idol, explore our idols page!
Now that we understand the significance of Navratri and how we must dedicate ourselves to attaining the nine divine qualities of Maa Durga through her nine forms, we hope you have a joyous and happy Navratri with your family and friends! To explore and buy beautiful brass idols online from the best brass idol shops in Hyderabad, visit us at www.avatararts.in!