The Navratri Buzz is back

Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of a Hindu deity Shakti. The word Navaratri means nine nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussehra. Not only in India but all around the world Indians celebrate Navratri. In Bellevue there are so many Indian communities which organize events for navratri. There is aarti followed by Garba in the Hindu temples.

History of Navratri:

The Mighty Demon Mahisasur worshipped Lord Shiva and obtained the power of eternity, so he wouldn’t be killed by weapons. He started to kill and harass innocent people and set out to win seven lokas. With the God’s prayers, a divine luster sprang from the heart of Lord Shiva and the bodies of all the gods and formed the goddess Adhya Shakti. The Gods gave her ornaments, arms and a lion as a vehicle. She fought with the evil Mahisasur for nine long days and nights, and at last resulted in the beheading of Mahisasur on the tenth. So, the nine nights for which the war was fought is called Navratri. The tenth day that brought the triumph of good over the evil is called dussehra.

Navratri is celebrated in different types in different states.

In West Bengal it is celebrated as Durga Puja, magnificent, huge and beautiful idols of goddess Durga are worshipped for nine days. People offer prayers, perform devotional songs and dances before the idols. The tenth day, grand processions are taken out, and the idols are immersed in water.

The Navratri celebrations of Gujarat and its Garba Raas are popular all over the world. These nine days, whole of Gujarat is trapped in the extravaganza of Navratri celebrations.

In southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu it is celebrated by inviting people home and enjoying festivities, the process is called as Golu or Bombegolu.

One of the most known ways of worshipping or the way of seeking blessing of Goddess Durga is fasting. Fasting in Navratri follows a practice of cleansing, and purifying one’s body and soul, which is believed to result in blessing a person with virtual.  In Navratri all womens wear traditional ghagra and choli with bright colors. Men wear traditional kurtas embraced with dazzling mirror work and pair up with the ladies to grace this spirited festival.

In Gujarat, everyone is so thrilled at the anticipation of this festival coming round the corner. The teens start gathering passes to various Dandiya events in the cities. The events generally start at around 9 PM and last till 4 AM. The buzz is all about which events are the most popular ones and a must visit.