ALL YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT NAVRATRI
Navratri means the nine nights of vibrant worship, music that echoes in the soul, and a spectacle of colours that illuminates the darkest nights. Navratri, which translates to “nine nights” in Sanskrit, is not merely a festival; it’s a grand carnival of spirituality and cultural splendour. Join me on a fascinating journey through the enchanting realms of Navratri to learn about the significance, rituals, dos and don’ts, celebrations, and more. Sharadiya Navratri: 2025 Shardiya Navratri starts on Monday, September 22, 2025, and will continue till the Dussehra celebration on Thursday, October 02, 2025. Besides, Goddess Durga arrives on an elephant this year. The Visarjan (immersion) of the idol of Maa Durga will be on Vijayadashami, i.e. on 02 October 2025. Nine Nights – Three Dimensions The nine days of Navratri are a symbolic journey. In the first three days, the focus is on overcoming laziness and inertia (Tamas). The next three days are about controlling and overcoming our desires and passions (Rajas). Finally, the last three days are dedicated to maintaining our minds in a state of purity and wisdom (Sattva). Thus, the nine days are an opportunity to recharge our energies. For the first three days, we worship Maa Durga, seeking her strength. Then, we turn our attention to Maa Lakshmi, symbolizing wealth and prosperity, for the next three days. Finally, we invoke Maa Saraswati, representing knowledge and wisdom, during the last three days of Navratri. The tenth day of the festival marks Vijayadashami, also popularly known as Dussehra. The three goddesses are the incarnations of Shakti, the mother goddess. Each goddess signifies different aspects of life, guiding us toward a balanced and harmonious existence. Colours of Navratri Each day of Navratri is associated with a specific colour, and devotees wear clothes of that colour to celebrate the festival. The colours may vary based on different traditions and regions, but generally, the colours for the nine days of Navratri are: Day 1 (Pratipada): Grey Day 2 (Dwitiya): Orange Day 3 (Tritiya): White Day 4 (Chaturthi): Red Day 5 (Panchami): Royal Blue Day 6 (Sashti): Yellow Day 7 (Saptami): Green Day 8 (Ashtami): Peacock Green Day 9 (Navami): Purple Ghatasthapana Kanya Pujan Kanya Puja, also known as Kanjak Puja, is a ritual on the eighth (Ashtami) and ninth (Navami) days of Navratri. It is a way of honouring the divine feminine energy and acknowledging the power of Maa Durga. The rituals include washing their feet, tying a red sacred thread (mauli) to their wrists and a tilak to their foreheads. Then touch their feet and seek the Goddess’s blessings through them. During the ritual, devotees welcome nine girls into their homes and offer presents and tasty bhog prasad to them. Special bhog dishes (kanjak) include poori, chana, sheera/halwa, sweets and kheer, while gifts include new dresses, bangles and money. Fasting/Vrat Fasting during Navratri is considered a way to purify the body and soul, enhance spirituality, and build self-discipline. Types of Fasting: There are different ways people observe fasts during Navratri. Some people abstain from all kinds of food and consume only water or fruits for the entire duration. While others opt for a diet that excludes certain foods like grains, non-vegetarian items, onion, and garlic. Use rock salt instead of common salt for cooking. Foods Allowed: One can have fruits, milk, yoghurt, and specific flours like buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta) or water chestnut flour (singhara atta), nuts, seeds, dry fruits and coconut. Moreover, you can prepare simple dishes like Sabudana Vada, Sabudana Khichdi, Singhare ka Halwa, Kuttu Ki Poori, Singhare Ke Pakore, as well as sweet potato, arbi (colocasia), and yam (suran). Foods to Avoid: Grains like wheat, rice, and oats, and lentils like dals and pulses, Non-vegetarian foods, onion, garlic, ginger, and certain spices like turmeric, cumin, and mustard. Breaking the Fast: The fast is normally broken in the evening with a special meal called “prasad” that is offered to the Goddess first and then consumed. What to do during Navratri? Navratri Celebrations North India: In North India, Navratri celebrates the triumph of lord Rama over Ravana and Rama’s homecoming to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. People in UP and Bihar celebrate Navaratri with the Ramleela– a dramatic enactment of the life of Lord Ram from the Hindu epic Ramayana. East India: In West Bengal and the North-East, Navratri is known as Durga Puja. People celebrate goddess Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura. Durga Puja marks the homecoming of goddess Durga from Kailash Parvat to her maternal house. Devotees offer prayers in the evening and perform a dhunuchi naach, a special dance with earthen lamps. Dancing to upbeat dhak (a large drum) beats, hopping from one pandal to the next, munching on lip-smacking bhog prasad and adorning yourself with beautiful, traditional attire is a must-do during Durga puja in West Bengal. West India: In West India, especially in Gujarat, people celebrate Navratri with a lot of enthusiasm and verve. The women who are fasting dedicate their prayers to an earthen pot called garbo lit with diyas (lamps). These colourful pots represent the source of life and the light represents shakti (power). People dress in colourful traditional attire and participate in energetic traditional Garba and Dandiya Raas dances. South India: The South Indian way of celebrating Navratri is more spiritual and artistic. In Tamil Nadu, one of the significant aspects of Navratri is the Golu display. Golu is an exhibition of various dolls and figurines depicting gods, goddesses, and other themes. Devotees also perform Ayudha Puja wherein they worship Agricultural implements, tools, books, musical instruments, machinery and automobiles. In Telangana, women arrange colourful flowers in the form of a cone and offer prayers to Goddess Bathukamma, seeking her blessings for health and prosperity. In Karnataka. Yakshagana, a night-long dance in the form of epic dramas from the Puranas, are enacted during the nine nights of Navratri. The people of Kerala give prominence to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of
AMAZING SCIENTIFIC REASONS BEHIND TRADITIONAL RITUALS
AMAZING SCIENTIFIC REASONS BEHIND TRADITIONAL RITUALS Many traditional customs, rituals and rites which we have been following for years may seem to be irrational or superstitious to some. But on introspection, one realises that these traditional rituals indeed have scientific or logical reasoning behind them. Let us understand the scientific reasoning of a few Indian traditional rituals and habits. NAMASTE-GREETINGS WITH FOLDED HAND NAMASTE = NA + MA + ASTE = ‘I’ + DON’T + EXIST. Yes, this humbleness is a part of the ancient Indian Culture. When we greet someone, it should mean to honour, to respect that person. Namaste is a representation of just THAT. It’s like saying: ‘ I do not harbour any ego while associating with you‘. What a way to begin good relations! APPLYING TURMERIC TO THE BRIDE/GROOM: In most Hindu traditions, Haldi (turmeric) paste application to both the bride and the groom as a pre-nuptial ritual. Why? – Just because it is an auspicious ritual? But what makes it so auspicious? Well, marriage is a social function in India – a great time for a get-together. The Bride/Groom is surrounded by relatives, friends and well-wishers from DIFFERENT places and environments. Now the bride/groom may be sensitive to certain things. Thus, the chances of the spread of allergies or viral are high. So as a precaution, applying Haldi all over the body became a custom. Who doesn’t know that turmeric is a wonderful antiseptic? Besides protecting the skin from rashes and pimples, it also exfoliates the skin making it smooth and luminous. For the same reasons, in many communities, it is a necessary custom to tie a piece of haldi to the wrist of the bride/groom. CHARAN SPARSH: Since ancient times, children and students have been following the ritual of touching the feet of their parents and teachers. The gesture of touching the feet of elders is another form of an important yoga asana – Padahastasana. Charan Sparsh – Touching the feet of elders is a good stretching exercise that improves blood circulation and helps in strengthening the back – thereby improving the posture. But then why touching the feet of ‘elders’? Because bending down is also a symbol of humility – this posture teaches us a lesson that howsoever successful or big we may become, our elders are always superior to us and deserve all our humble respect and salutations. PARIKRAMA: Parikrama or Pradakshina means walking the circular path around a religious spot/place/temple – barefoot. Many of us have read about the Magnetic effect of electric current (Oersted’s Experiment). In fact, all energy sources have magnetic fields around them. Religious temples are generally places that are great sources of energy. Performing Parikrama of such places energies oneself. Besides this, walking bare feet works as an acupressure exercise for tired feet. Have you noticed that you have to walk long distances or climb many steps to reach most of the temples / spiritual spots? BLOWING A CONCH (SHANKH): Blowing the conch is a part of daily rituals for performing the pooja and ceremonies in temples and houses. Did you know that blowing a Shankh is beneficial both to the person who blows the shankh and to those around him? – it energizes both. First of all, blowing a shankh involves taking a deep breath and controlling it – as the Shankh Naad is done in one breath with lungs filled to full capacity. Secondly, when a shankh is blown, the sound energy emitted by it is of such high intensity and frequency that it destroys harmful germs in the immediate atmosphere, cleanses them and reverberates strong positive energy around. DAHI SHAKKAR (CURDS WITH SUGAR): Dahi Shakkar is one of the age-old rituals of India. It is an ancient custom still prevalent in India to have curds with sugar before setting out for some important work such as exams/interviews/business meetings. The logic behind this is: Curd is a coolant and a good digestive agent. It prevents heartburn and gas formation. Sugar is an instant energizer. One needs to be cool, collected and energized when setting out to accomplish an important task. WEARING TILAK ON THE FOREHEAD: A Tilak is a mark worn on the forehead by Hindus. It is applied between the eyebrows – the seat of Ajna Chakra. Ajna Chakra is the seat of intuition, memory and thinking. When a person is tensed or worried, electromagnetic waves in the form of heat energy are emitted through this Ajna Chakra. This intense energy emission causes headaches. The ‘Tilak‘ not only cools the head but also minimizes energy loss. Research has proved that the application of Tilak clears sinuses. The application of Tilak on the forehead stimulates the discharge of serotonin and beta-endorphins in the brain. This reduces the negativity of the mind and increases confidence. HAVING FOOD SITTING ON THE FLOOR: Indians have a tradition of having meals sitting on the floor cross-legged. In fact, this is a yogic position – ‘Sukhasana‘. In this position, one has to slightly move his body forward to eat and then come back to the original position. This repeated action results in activating the abdominal muscles; which increases the secretion of stomach acids and allows food to digest faster. The cross-legged position not only enhances blood circulation in our body but also calms the nerves. PIERCING OF EARS AND NOSE: Ear piercing or Karna Vedha is one of the 16 samskaras or sacraments mentioned in the Ayurveda. Piercing the ear helps maintain a healthy menstrual cycle in females. Besides, it improves the health of the intestines and testicles in males. The ear lobes consist of acupressure points that get stimulated on the piercing. This ensures healthy brain development and improvement of memory. Also, piercing the left nostril helps to minimize the discomfort and pain experienced by females during menstrual cycles and childbirth. WORSHIPING TULSI PLANT: Every Hindu householder considers Tulsi to be a very sacred