Devi Navaratri

 The Hindu festival Navaratri -- Sanskrit for nine nights -- is observed twice a year, in the beginning of summer and again at the start of winter. Nava translates to nine and Ratri means nights.
For the festival's nine nights, people worship the different aspects of the Divine Mother, often referred to as Durga, which translates to the remover of life's miseries.
Durga is often called Devi, which translates to Goddess, and shakti, which means energy or power. This energy helps God to continue the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In observing Navarati, the energy aspect of God is invoked in the form of the universal Mother.
As Srila Gurudev writes in the introduction chapter in his book yoga union with reality: 
" The Saktagamas or Tantras do not accept Sakti as God, but consider Sakti as the creative power that deserves to be worshipped, thought obviously inseparable from the masculine principal , or Siva. " 
In the first three days of the festival, Durga is called upon as a spiritual force to destroy all our impurities. She is also called Kali, Goddess of Death and Destruction and is the wife of Siva.
During the following three days, Mother Durga is adored as Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Lakshmi, the giver of spiritual wealth, is considered to have the power to bestow inexhaustible wealth upon her devotees.
Sarasvati, the Goddess of Wisdom, who helps with learning and speech, is worshipped during the final three days.
On the tenth day, called Dassera, all three forms of the Divine Mother are worshiped.

    English    Español     Forums     Videos      Radio     Daily Schedule     Event Calendar     Contact Us     Donate     Store