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Home > Other Astrological Information > Events / Festivals > Dasarah Navaratrulu
Devi Navrathri / Dasarah Navaratrulu / Dushera
The Navaratri otherwise called Navadurga resembling the nine fierce manifestations of the warrior Goddess are worshipped over the first nine nights of the waxing moon of Ashiwn as she battles the buffalo-demon Mahisa. On the ninth night, in the avatar of Durga, She triumphs over the demon and on the tenth day is celebrated as Vijaya Dasami. She celebrates Her victory before returning to Her abode.
In Andhra Pradesh, She is the Mother-Durga Matha and decorated in nine different forms. On the second day of Navarathri, Asweeja Suddha Vidiya, she is worshipped as Balatripurasundari, the beautiful young girl. On the next day Truteeya, She takes the form of Lalitha Triupurasundari. On Chaturthi, she appears as Goddess Gayatri Devi, the Veda Matha, and origin of all mantras. On Panchami, She becomes Annapurna, giver of food. When Lord Shiva Himself seeks alms, as His consort She serves Him food. On the sixth day or Shahti, She is decorated as Saraswati with a veena in hand is considered most difficult during Navarathris and puja to Her is performed on Moola Nakshtram day. The next day is Saptami when Sri Mahalakshmi is worshipped, followed by Durgasatami when Durga Puja is performed to celebrate the annihilation of Durgamasura, the demon who tormented all worlds. On Mahanavaratri, She takes the form of Mahishasuramardhani, the killer of the buffalo faced demon. Mahishasura along with his generals Chikshuru, Chamara, Udara, Bhashkala, Bidala and others. And on the final day, Vijaya Dasami, She is worshipped as Sri Rajarajeswari.
In Maharastra, the festival is celebrated as Shard Navaratri, Puja to Bhairava, Bhavani and Khandoba is performed on a large scale. The temples of Mumbadevi and Mahalakshmi in Mumbai also organize the festival in a grand manner with lighting of Akhanda Jyoties for ten days. Kumkum is distributed as Prasad and on Vijaya Dasami, the Taliya Utsava is observed. Chandi temple in Cuttack, renowned for pujas festivities.
In Bengal, Durga is seen as a manifestation of Parvati, Shiva’s consort. On the sixth day, She visits her father’s house with Her daughters, Lakshmi and Saraswati and Her sons Ganesh and Kartikeya. On the tenth day she returns and three of these nights are dedicated to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, three to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and three to Shakti, the goddess of power.
The Goddess is worshipped either in the form of idols as in East India or in the form of a sacred pot, the purna-kumbha. The sacred pot is set up by women on the first night. This ceremony is known as Ghata Sthapana. In Gujarat, women carry these sacred ports on their head, place it in the centre of the count yard and dance round it singing grba of the divine womb that extol the glory of the Goddess.
On Dassera, people worship the tools of their trade in the hope that Devi empowers them with Her grace.
Dasarah Navaratrulu falls on the following days in the respective years:
Dasarah Navaratrulu for 2007 falls on October 21, 2007
Dasarah Navaratrulu for 2006 falls on September 23, 2006
Important Festivals, Holidays & Observations during the year of 2007