10 Days with the Mother Goddess!


It’s festival time again! Every year during the lunar month of Ashwin or Kartik (September-October), Hindus observe ten days of ceremonies, rituals, fasts and feasts in honour of the supreme mother goddess. It begins with the fast of “Navaratri, and ends with the festivities of “Dusshera” and “Vijayadashami.”

Goddess Durga
This festival is devoted solely to the Mother Goddess known variously as Durga, Bhavani, Amba, Chandika, Gauri, Parvati, Mahishasuramardini — and her other manifestations. The name “Durga” means “inaccessible”, and she is the personification of the active side of the divine “shakti” energy of Lord Shiva. In fact, she represents the furious powers of all the male gods, and is the ferocious protector of the righteous, and destroyer of the evil. Durga is usually portrayed as riding a lion, and carrying weapons in her many arms.

A Universal Festival
All Hindus celebrate this festival at the same time in different ways in different parts of India as well as abroad.

In the northern part of the country, the first nine days of this festival, called Navaratri, is commonly observed as a time for rigorous fast, followed by celebrations on the tenth day. In western India, throughout the nine days, both men and women participate in a special kind of dance around an object of worship. In the south, Dusshera or the tenth day is celebrated with a lot of fanfare. In the east, people go crazy over Durga Puja, from the seventh till the tenth day of this annual festival. [The figure above depicts a general geographical classification.]

Although, the universal nature of the festival is often found to transcend regional influences and local culture, the Garba Dance of Gujarat, Ramlila of Varanasi, Dusshera of Mysore, and Durga Puja of Bengal need special mention.

The Garba & Dandia Dance
People in western India, especially in Gujarat, spend the nine nights of Navratri (nav = nine; ratri = night) in song, dance and merriment. Garba is a graceful form of dance, wherein women dressed in exquisitely embroidered choli, ghagra and bandhani dupattas, dance gracefully in circles around a pot containing a lamp. The word “Garba” or “Garbha” means “womb”, and in this context the lamp in the pot, symbolically represent life within a womb. Besides the Garba is the “Dandia” dance, in which men and women participate in pairs with small, decorated bamboo sticks called dandias in their hands. At the end of these dandias are tied tiny bells called ghungroos that make a jingling sound when the sticks hit one another. The dance has a complex rhythm. The dancers begin with a slow tempo, and go into frenzied movements, in such a manner that each person in a circle not only performs a solo dance with his own sticks, but also strikes his partner’s dandias in style!

Dusshera & Ramlila
Dusshera, as the name suggests occurs on the “tenth” day following the Navratri. It is a festival to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, and marks the defeat and death of the demon king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. Huge effigies of Ravana are burnt amidst the bangs and booms of firecrackers.

In northern India, especially in Varanasi, Dusshera overlaps with “Ramlila” or “Rama Drama” – traditional plays in which scenes from the epic saga of the mythical Rama-Ravana strife are enacted by professional troupes.

The Dusshera celebration of Mysore in southern India is a veritable extravaganza! Chamundi, a form of Durga, is the family deity of the Maharaja of Mysore. It’s a wonderful scene to watch the grand procession of elephants, horses and courtiers wending a circuitous way to the hilltop temple of Goddess Chamundi!

Durga Puja
In eastern India, especially in Bengal, the Durga Puja is the principal festival during Navratri. It is celebrated with gaiety and devotion through public ceremonies of “Sarbojanin Puja” or community worship. Huge decorative temporary structures called “pandals” are constructed to house these grand prayer services, followed by mass feeding, and cultural functions. The earthen icons of Goddess Durga, accompanied by those of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikya, are taken out on the tenth day in a triumphal procession to the nearby river, where they are ceremonially immersed. Bengali ladies give an emotion-charged send-off to Durga amidst ululations and drumbeats. This marks the end of the goddess’ brief visit to the earth. As Durga leaves for Mount Kailash, the abode of her husband Shiva, it’s time for “Bijoya” or Vijayadashami, when people visit each other’s homes, hug each other and exchange sweets.

The Power of the Mother Goddess is perhaps greater than that of any other God. She is even worshipped by all the Gods themselves. She is Shakti the power of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. She takes the form of their consorts, without whom, none of the Gods can achieve anything. She is worshipped all over India with the same ardour under different names and manifestations - the most benign face of the goddess is Durga Durga pooja is performed twice in a year - for nine days each time - once March or April, and again time in September or October. According to the Hindu calendar when Durga pooja is performed it is the month of Chait. The festival is celebrated during the moonlit fortnight of the month, the first day being Parva. Chait Devi pooja is done for eight days, the ninth day being Ram Navami. In winter, the month of celebration is Kwar and, again, the pooja starts on Parva of the moonlit fortnight. During Kwar the pooja goes on for nine days and the tenth day in Dussehra. Some people like to fast, phalar andd special food for these days such as potatoes,kkuttu atta,milk products such as paneer is allowed once a day and liquids can be taken any time. Some persons observe the fast only on the first day and the last day, but some observe it for the full nine days.People who do not fast also generally do not take meat and alchol.

Navratri Fast

Navratri Fasts are observed for nine days twice a year. This fast is observed mostly in North India, Gujarat and Maharastra. The devotion and fevour is the same all over only a few variations may be seen in diffrent regions.

Special Food to be Eaten During The Fasts
You have to follow a strict control over the food consumed during these nine days. The food should be cooked after having a bath and performing Pooja.

We can eat Puris or Roti's made from Kuttu or Singhare ka atta This is black in colour. We can eat potatoes, cucumber, pumpkin and shakarkandi. Of course potatoes are most popular as people have them as chips and make aloo chaat.

Most spices are not used and it is reccomended to eat rock salt.
Milk products are allowed so we can eat plenty of curd, paneer, sweets such as kalakand, kaju burfee etc. Sil ladoo's and patti is also eaten.

A rice substitute is swank and people cook it as a rice or even use it to make sweet kheer. All types of fruits are eaten and fruit chaat is made.

Do's and Dont's
Do not eat meat or any other non-vegetaarian food.
Do not consume alcohol
Do not eat food with garlic or onions.


Navratri Pooja

1) On the first day of the pooja, the pooja room is thoroughly cleaned, silver and brass items are polished, all images made of metal cleaned likewise, and new clothes like lehanga and chunni with gota and kinari (made earlier) are draped on the image of the goddess and the other deities like Ganesh, who is to be worshipped before any other God. All other deities should also be freshly dressed, and old covers of the pooja table removed and new ones used in their place.

2) Everyone who performs the pooja must bathe in the morning. Some like to fast, but it is not compulsory and, in any case, phalar is allowed once a day and liquids can be taken any time. Some persons observe the fast only on the first day and the last day, but some even observe it for the full nine days.

3) During the day, pooja can normally be done only by the women as the man and children would have gone to their places of work and schools, respectively. The day pooja is shorter in duration as compared to the evening pooja. The prasad distributed in the morning can be some elaichidana (cardamom seeds) and fruits only.

4) The worship of the deity is done by sprinkling water, aipun, roli, rice and flowers as in all poojas. The bhog sung while offering prasad to the goddess is.

5) A story is narrated each day, to whosoever is present during pooja time. Basically, four main stories exist, which are repeated to fill the nine-day period.

6) In the evening the pooja is longer 'Jai Ambey Gauri…', the arti is sung at the end of the pooja, but before it begins, everyone is given some flowers or rice to hold in their hands. The youngest member of the family is given the pooja bell and keeps ringing it throughout the arti. If any one possesses the breath capacity, a conch shell can also be sounded. The sound effect of everything together is so good, that most children remember it right up to their old age as one of the most pleasant and unifying experience of their lives. After lighting the camphor and reciting the Sanskrit couplet
Karpur gauram, karuna astharam,
sansar sarum, bhuj gendra haaram,
sada vasantam, hriday arvinde,
bhawan Bhawani, sahitam namami

everyone showers flowers or rice on Durga Ma, chanting together:

Sada Bhawani dahiney, sanmukh rahen Ganesh,
panchon Dev raksha karen, Brahma,
Vishnu, Mahesh, Bolo atal chhattra ki jai.



Navratri Aarti


MAATA JI NI AARTI


Jaya aadhya shakti. Maa jaya adhya shakti
Akhand brahmand nibhavyan (2) padave pragatyan maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Dwitiya bay swaroop Shiva shakti janoo. maa Shiva shakti janoo
Brahma Ganapati gaavun (2) har gaavun har maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe

Tritiya tran swaroop. tribhuvanman betha. maa tribhuvanman betha
Traya thaki taraveni (2) tun taraverni maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Chothe chatura mahalaxmi maa sacharachar vyapya maa sacharachar vyapya
Char bhuja chau deesha (2) pragatya dakshina maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe Panchame pancha rushi. maa panchame goon padama
Pancha sahast tyan sohiya (2) panche tatwo maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe

Shasthi tun Narayani. mahisasur maaryo maa mahisasur maaryo
Nar naree na roope (2) vyapya saghade maa om jay om maa jagdambe
Saptami sapta pataal sandhya saveetri, maa sandhya saveetri
Gau ganga Gayatree (2) Gauri Geeta maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Asthami astha bhooja aayee ananda maa aayee ananda maa
Suranar moonivar janamya (2) Devo daito maa omjay om jay om maa jagdambe
Navami navakul naag. seve navadurga maa seve navadurga (2)
Navratri naa poojan. Shivratri naa archan kidha har brahama om jay om jay om maa jagdambe

Dashami dash avataar. jay vijiya dashmi. maa jay vijiya dashml
Rame ram ramadya (2) Ravan rodyo maa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Ekadashi agiyarash, katyayani kaamaa maa katyayani kaamaa (2)
Kaam doorga Kaiika (2) Shyama ne Rama om jay om jay om maa jagdambe

Barase bala roop. Bahuchari Amba maa. maa Bahuchari Amba maa
Batuk bhairava sohiye. kal bhairava sohiye tara chhe tujamaa om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Terase tulaja roop tun taruni mata. maa tun taruni mata
Brahma Vishnu sadashiv(2) Guna tara gata om jay om jay om maa jagdambe

Chaudashe chauda roop. chandi chamunda maa chandi chamunda
Bhava bhakti kain aapo, Potano kari stapho sinhavahani mata om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Pooname kumbha bharyo. sambhalajo karoona maa sambhalajo karoona Vashistha deve vakhanya. markanda deve vakhanya, gayee shubha kavita om jay om jay om

Savant sole sattavan solashe baavish maa solashe baavishe maa
Savant sole pragatyan (2) reva ne teere om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Trambavati nagari. aayee roopavati nagari maa manchhavati nagari
Sola sahastra tyan sohiye(2) shama karo gauri maa daya karo gauri om jay om jay om....

Shivashakti ni aarti je koyee gaashe. Maa je bhave gaashe
Bhane Shivananda swami, sukha sampati thaasey. har kailashe jashey maa Amba dookha harashey om jay om jay om maa jagdambe
Eke ek swaroop antar nava dharasho, maa antar nava dharasho
Bhola bhoodar ne bhajata, maa Ambane bhajata bhavasaagar tarasho om jay om jay om

Bhava na jaanoo, bhakti na jaanoo, nav jaanoo seva, maa nav jaanoo seva
Maata na das ne raakho (2) charanamrut leva om jay om jay om maa jagdambe