India has versatile styles, cultures, and festivals. Just like many other festivals that are celebrated grandly, Navratri is a huge and culturally enriched festival in India. The excitement of the Navratri Festival in India is not only among the people of a particular religion but also among everyone throughout the country.
Basically, Navratri is a festival that celebrates feminine power and grandness. In this festival, Goddess Durga, in various forms, is worshipped and celebrated. Every region has its own way of celebrating the Navratri festival, and this is what makes it much more special and versatile.
Significance of Navratri Festival and Durga Puja
The importance of the Navratri Festival in India is huge as worshipping Goddess Durga is considered very auspicious and rich-cultured. Some of the key points regarding the significance of the Navratri Festival –
- Celebrating the Power and Divine Spirit of Feminine Energy:
The feminine energy that is most important on planet Earth is celebrated and appreciated on occasions like Durga Puja. Best decorations are made for Navratri Temple Celebrations and to show gratitude towards the power and spirit that a woman holds inside her.
- Bringing People Together and Showing Social Unity:
Nowadays, everyone has an immensely busy schedule where they don’t have any time to even interact or communicate with each other. In such a situation, spiritual and cultural festivals such as Durga Puja help bring them together and let them spend some time with each other.
This way, the cultural and social unity increases among people and they get connected with each other emotionally.
- Worshipping the Spiritual Power with Devotion:
Durga Puja, or any cultural festival for that matter, is to make people realize the power of spirituality and cultural roots. The Durga Puja Rituals show people how women were treated by Gods in ancient times and how this should continue even today.
Difference of Durga Puja Celebrations across Temples throughout India
Durga Puja is a very grand festival celebrated throughout India in a lot of fancy ways. However, the patterns and themes of celebrations are different in different places in India.
- Differences in the Durga Puja Rituals according to the Regions:
According to different regions such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, etc., the festival of Durga Puja is celebrated differently. Southern regions such as Tamil Nadu believe in worshipping girls more than idols. In this place, Kanya Puja is done with great celebration by organizing feasts for unmarried girls.
On the other hand, in West Bengal, Durga Puja Rituals are carried out by organizing grand Pujas in common and huge temples.
- Varied Practices of Worshipping the Goddess:
It is believed that even some Southern regions differ in their idol worshipping during the festival. Some Best Places for Navratri in India are Karnataka, Odisha, etc.
Karnataka is famous for worshipping Goddess Durga as Chamundeshwari Devi while Odisha organizes its Navratri festival and worships Goddess Durga in the Katak Chandi Temple.
- Different Styles of Idols of Goddess Durga:
It is observed that there are differences in the formation of idols of Goddess Durga in different places as well. In Bengali temples, the idols are made of ornate clay and that is why they are not preferred to be washed during the Navratri festival.
- Architectural Differences in Temples According to the Locations:
Different locations have different temple architecture and setup & celebrations are done in alignment with those setups. For example, in Himachal Pradesh folk dances and music of regional form (Hidimbi Devi) are performed during Navratri while Southern temples may adopt their own style of dance, music, and celebrations.
Conclusion
Just like Diwali, which is a festival of lights, is celebrated grandly by all religions and regions in India, Navratri is a very huge festival having its own importance. There are many best places for Navratri in India which people can visit to experience the grandness of this festival. Among these places, West Bengal tops the chart with its purest and most original form of Navratri and Durga Puja celebration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Navratri celebrated throughout India in the same way or differently?
The Navratri Temple Celebrations are done differently in different regions of India. This can be considered as the beauty of the festival as well because a single festival can see a lot of varied patterns and styles of celebrations.
What is the reason for fasting in the Navratri Festival?
For all 9 days and nights of the Navratri festival, people practice fasting and purifying themselves from the inside. This is done as a symbol of self-discipline as well as to show worship and devotion to Goddess Durga.
In which months of the year is the Navratri festival celebrated?
The Navratri festival and Durga Puja celebrations are done in the Ashwin month according to the Hindu calendar. This month falls under the months from September to October according to the international calendar.
