THE LONGEST DANCE FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD

Navratri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रि) is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. 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 i.e. female divinity are worshipped.

Significance

The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar.

Dasaharara, meaning ‘ten days’, becomes dasara in popular parlance. The Navaratri festival or ‘nine day festival’ becomes ‘ten days festival’ with the addition of the last day, Vijaya-dasami which is its culmination. On all these ten days, Mother Mahisasura-mardini (Durga) is worshipped with fervour and devotion.

Traditions of Navaratri

There are five Navaratris devoted to the worship of Shakti (Parvati or Durga). Out of these only three are being celebrated now.

1. Sharada Navaratri - This is the Navaratri, which is celebrated during Sharad Ritu (beginning of winter) (Sept-Oct). This is also called Maha Navaratri. Sharada became Sharad in some places. This celebrates the slaying of Mahishasura by Durga. The festival is observed in most parts of India - especially in the East.

2. Vasant Navaratri - This is celebrated during Vasant Ritu (beginning of summer) (March- April). This Navaratri is celebrated in North India. Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu observes Navaratri during this period.

3. Ashada Navaratri - This Navaratri is particularly important for all Upasakas of Varahi- Celebrated in July-August. This is called Guhya Navaratri in Himachal Pradesh. Varahi is one of the seven Matrikas of Devi Mahatmya!

Sharad Navaratri

Commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month Aswayuja/Asvina.

‘The Navaratri festival has to be celebrated during the bright fortnight of the month of Asvina, in the order of pratipada, etc, until the navami ends,’ says the Dhaumya-vacana.

Rituals

The Navratri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashwin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Goddess Parvati in her different forms. The Chaitra Navratri culmintes in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navratri culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra. The Dussehra of Kulu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North.

In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, Sharad Navratri is celebrated by setting up of Golu (pronounced as Golu or Kolu) or Bombegalu. It is believed^[who?] that this was a means to invite people home to celebrate the festivities with them. In Karanataka, particularly Mysore on the 10th day the enacting of destruction of evil (Ravana destroyed by Rama) is displayed with the lighting of dolls representing Ravana and forces of evil (2.5 millennia earlier version of the British Guy Faukes Day - Nov 5th).

The last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the state of West Bengal in East India where they are celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

In West India, Sharad Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba dance.

Various Moods Of Navratri

Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.

First three days

The goddess is invoked as a spiritual force called Durga also known as kali in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects..

Second three days

The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth. She is the goddess of wealth.

Final three days

The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.

In South India, Saraswathi pooja is performed on the 7th day. Eight day is traditionally Durgashtami which is big in Bengal. The 9th day is Ayudha Pooja when everyone gives their tools of the trade -- pens, machinery, books, automobiles, school work, etc. a rest and ritually worships them. They start afresh from the next day, the 10th day which is considered as 'Vijaya Dashami'. Many teachers/Schools in south India start teaching Kindergarten children from that day onwards. Students also pay homage to their respective teachers as they are considered the third god (Maathaa, Pitha, Guru, Daivam - Mother, Father, Teacher & God). On this tenth day of Navratri in October - the holiday of Dussehra or Dasara, an effigy of Ravana is burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil.

During Navratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. A period of introspection and purification, Navratri is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.

During this vowed religious observance, a pot is installed (ghatasthapana) at a sanctified place at home. A lamp is kept lit in the pot for nine days. The pot symbolizes the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the effulgent Adishakti, i.e. Sree Durgadevi. During Navratri, the principle of Sree Durgadevi is more active in the atmosphere. ^[1]

Navratri is celebrated in a large number of Indian communities. The mother goddess is said to appear in 9 forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. These nine forms signify various traits that the goddess influences us with. The Devi Mahatmya and other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.

Also read a beautiful article here : http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/festivals/navaratri/

Other article

Navratri Garba
 
Navratri is celebrated in myriad ways, by the Hindus across India. The celebrations seen in north India would be exactly the opposite of the merrymaking of people in South India. The mood of people in the eastern state of West Bengal is entirely different during the festive season of Navratri, as the occasion is celebrated as the triumph of goodness (Ma Durga) over the evil (demon Mahishasura). While in the western state of Gujarat, it is a nine-day carnival, with glowing city lights, scintillating dance performances and grooving music. The performance of Garba, a popular folk dance of Gujarat, is the highlight of the celebrations of Navratri in the state. In the following lines, you will learn all about Garba dance of Navratri.

Navratri Garba Dance
In Gujarat, Garba is performed on festive occasions like Navratri, Sharad Purnima, Vasant Panchami and Holi. When the folk dance is performed during the nine nights of Navratri, it symbolizes the worship of Goddess Jagdamba. The dance is performed by generally women, but men also take part nowadays. The performers stand in a circular form, to perform the dance. The word 'Garba' is derived from 'Garbha Deep', a lamp placed inside a perforated earthen pot or Garba. The perforated pot is illuminated by the lamp inside it, which represents the embryonic life. According to the legends, Usha, the grand daughter-in-law of Lord Krishna, popularized Lasya Nritya, which is today known by the name - Garba.

In the primitive form of Garba dance, the women place the pot 'Garba', with lamp on their head and move in a circular motion. They sing and clap their hands simultaneously and synchronize their circular steps, very gracefully. The dance is accompanied by folk instruments. The pot is filled with a betel nut and a silver coin. On top of it, a coconut is place, giving it the appearance of a holy 'Kumbh'. In the interiors of Gujarat, there exists a tradition, according to which, women place the perforated earthen pot (with the lamp inside it) at the center on a stool and dance around it, by clapping their hands and singing songs in the praise of Goddess Jagdamba.

During the festive season of Navratri, Garba dance performances begin at the night. The performances are arranged by different clubs and cultural committees. During the 'Garba night', the participants gather at an open space, a club or at street corners. They stand in a circle, around an idol or photograph of the goddess that is kept in the center. The dance begins with beats in slow tempo. As the dance proceeds, the energy level of the participants is heightened due to the fast beat and tempo of the music. The music is synchronized by a drummer, who sits in the center of the dancers.

Navratri Garba is the most colorful form of the dance. The performers, both men and women, would clad themselves in colorful and magnetically attractive traditional attire. The most chosen attire for the dance is sari, worn in the typical Gujarati style. In Saurashtra region, the performers would wear magnificently embroidered petticoats (Ghaghara) with a backless choli (kapdu), accessorized with a head cover (odhani). They would adorn themselves with lots of silver jewelry on their head. Their male counterpart would wear kediyum (shirt) and vajani (trouser), with a rumal (printed headpiece). Drum, harmonium and naal are the musical instruments usually used for Garba dance.

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(Some information is taken from WIKIPEDIA, the largest online Encyclopedia on web)