Nine Days of Navratri

Navratri is a festival dedicated to Goddess Durga. There are 4 Navratri that comes in a year. 2 of Navratri are said as Gupt Navratri and celebrated by religious devotees while the other 2 are widely celebrated.

Nine Days of Navratri

As we know that Navratri is one of the Most Important Hindu Festivals, it is also celebrated with much excitement, joy, and devotion. Since the Navratri festival continues for 9 days, so the festival’s each day has its own importance and meaning. Here, we are giving you a short detail of our 9 goddesses worshipped during the Navratri festival.

According to a Hindu tradition, it is believed that there are three major forms in which Goddess Durga manifested her as-

MahaSaraswati- who is the active energies (Shakti) of Brahma
Mahalakshmi- who is the active energies of Vishnu
Mahakali- who is the active energies of Rudra

It is believed that without these goddesses the gods will lose all their powers.

These three forms of Durga further manifested in three more forms each, and thus emerged the nine forms of Durga, which are collectively called Navadurga or Nine Durgas:

Shailputri - First Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess-Shailputri

The Navratri starts with the 1st night devoted to the puja of Maa "Shailputri". "Shail" means mountains; "Putri", the daughter of the king of Mountains Himavan, is known as "Shailputri". Her 2 hands display a trident and a lotus. Maa Shailputri is mounted on a bull.

Brahmacharini – Second Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Brahmacharini

Navratri's 2nd night is devoted to the puja of Maa Brahmacharini. One hand of Maa Brahmacharini holds a "Kumbha" or water port and the other hand holds a rosary. She personifies love and loyalty. Maa Brahmacharini is a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. Rudraksha is her most adorned ornament.

Chandraghanta – Third Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Chandraghanta

Navratri's 3rd night is devoted to Maa Chandraghanta. Maa Durga "Shakti" is astride a tiger, displays a golden hue to her skin, and possesses 10 hands and 3 eyes. Eight of Her hands display weapons while the remaining two are respectively in the mudras of gestures of boon giving and stopping harm. Chandra + Ghanta, meaning supreme bliss and knowledge, showering peace and serenity, like a cool breeze in a moonlit night.

Kushmanda – Fourth Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Kushmanda

Navratri's 4th night is worshipped to Maa "Kushmanda". She possesses eight arms, holding weapons, and a mala or rosary. Her mount is a tiger and she emanates a solar-like aura. "Kush+ Manda" means to see cosmic vivacity in Pindi shape or knowledge of cosmic intricacies in the human race. The abode of Maa "Kushmanda" is in Bhima Parvat.

Skandamata – Fifth Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Skandmata

Navratri's 5th night is worshiped to Maa Skandamata. She uses a lion as a vehicle and holds her son, "Skand" in her lap while displaying 3 eyes and 4 hands. Two hands hold lotuses while the other 2 hands respectively display defending and granting gestures. It’s said that by the mercy of Maa "Skandmata", even the idiot becomes an ocean of knowledge such as "Kalidas".

Katyayani – Sixth Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Katyayani

Navratri's 6th night is devoted to Maa Katyayani. As Maa "Katyayani" stayed in the Ashram of sage Katyayan for penance, hence she was named "Katyayani". Maa Katyayani is also astride a lion with 3 eyes and 4 arms. One left-hand holds a weapon and the other a lotus. The other 2 hands respectively display defending and granting gestures. Her complexion is golden-colored.

Kalaratri – Seventh Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Kalratri

Navratri's 7th night is worshipped to Maa Kalaratri. Black skin with bountiful hair, She has 4 hands, 2 clutching a cleaver and a torch, while the remaining 2 are in the mudras of "giving" and "protecting". Maa Kalaratri is mounted upon a Donkey. The destroyer of darkness and ignorance, "Kalaratri" is the seventh form of Nav-Durga meaning scourer of darkness or enemy of darkness. Maa Kalratri's famous shrine is in Kolkata.

Mahagauri – Eighth Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Mahagauri

Navratri's 8th night is devoted to Maa Mahagauri. She has 4 arms with the fairest complexion of all the Durga Shaktis. The peace and compassion radiate from her blessings and she is often dressed in a white or green sari. Mahagauri holds a drum and a trident are often depicted riding a bull. Mahagauri can be seen in a temple at Kankhal near pilgrim Centre Haridwar.

Siddhidatri – Ninth Day of Navratri

Navratri Goddess- Siddhidatri

Navratri's 9th night is worshipped to Maa Siddhidatri. Ensconced upon a lotus with 4 arms, and is the possessor of 26 different wishes to grant her devotees. Maa Siddhidatri's famous pilgrim Centre is located in Nanda Parvat in the Himalayas.

The nine manifestations of Maa Durga that are worshiped with fervor during Navratri, are believed to lift the divine spirit in us and help us to overcome obstacles and get liberated from unnecessary qualities and filled with new freedom and purity.

All these nine names of Goddesses are described in "Devi Kavacha" of the Chandipatha scripture. Also called the Devi Mahatmyam or Devi Mahatmya ("Glory of the Goddess"). It is a Hindu religious text describing the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura.

As part of the Markandeya Purana, it is one of the Puranas or secondary Hindu scriptures and was composed in Sanskrit around 400-500 CE, with authorship attributed to the sage (Rishi) Markandeya. Devi Mahatmyam is also known as the Durga Saptashati or Chandi Path.

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Nine Days of Navratri | Nine Days of Navratri Goddess