Navratri Festival
Festivals in India epitomise the
religious, cultural and social aspirations of the people, and are
occasions to reaffirm one's gratitude and allegiance to one's family.
Most Hindu festivals are a soul-purifying experience for the believer.
and festivals are instrumental in diluting the humdrum of everyday
life by adding their special touch to it.
¤ Navratri Celebrations
Navratri Festival coincides with the end of the rainy season. This
season is considered to be an auspicious one as it is generally
associated with the sowing of seeds, and watching new seeds sprout - a
sign of prosperity and abundance. Most people consider it the best
time of the year to undertake or start new ventures.
¤ Durga- The Holy Deity
The Navratri festival is dedicated to the Mother Goddess. Known by
other names such as Durga, Devi, she occupies a special place in the
Hindu pantheon. She represents Shakti, the cosmic energy that animates
all beings, and is also considered to be prakriti (nature), the
counterpart of purusha. Together, they are responsible for the
creation of the world according to the Puranas and Vedas (ancient
Hindu Scriptures).
¤ Worshipping of Diverse Goddess
This nine-day festival is celebrated in a unique manner. A different
form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped on each different day. On the
first three days, the Goddess Durga (Goddess of Valour) is venerated.
The next three days are spent in the worship of the Goddess Lakshmi
(Goddess of Wealth). and the last three days are a celebration of the
Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Learning and Arts). Together, the three
goddesses are worshipped as the feminine equivalent of the Hindu Holy
Trinity.
¤ The Rituals Performed
This festival symbolises health and prosperity, and is celebrated in
a very traditional way. People perform yagna (sacrifice offered in
order to procure purification through fire) or havana (symbolic
ceremony involving the purifying aspects of fire). During both the
ceremonies, ghee (clarified butter), paayas or kheer (rice cooked in
condensed milk) and sesame seeds are poured into the holy flames to
the chanting of mantras (holy verses). Each cycle of oblation
culminates with the priest summoning Swaha, the consort of Agni, or
fire. Some believers fast (vrat) throughout the nine days, whilst
others settle for a daylong fast. Fasting is considered to be one of
the most popular means of self-discipline and spiritual development.
On the fifth day, known as Lalitha Panchami, it is customary to gather
the books in the house and place them before a sacred lamp in order to
seek the Goddess Saraswati's blessings. Artisans also lay their tools
at the feet of the Goddess for a more prosperous trade.
¤ Navratri Celebrations in Different Parts of India
Navratri is celebrated in different regions of the country with a lot
of vim and brio.
In West Bengal, it takes the form of Durga Puja, an occasion to
celebrate the Triumph of Good over Evil. According to legend, a
vicious buffalo-demon, Mahishasura, had raised hell at the gates of
heaven, causing widespread terror. The Goddess Durga was actualised by
the combined efforts of all the deities to slay him. Thus, Durga
astride a lion, with an assortment of weapons in her 10 hands, slayed
Mahishasura. Durga is also worshipped as Shakti, and beautiful idols
of the Mother Goddess adorn elaborate pandals (marquees) for five days
(starting from the fifth day of Navratri). Believers (and
non-believers) flock to these pandals with gay abandon. On the tenth
day of the celebrations, the idols are carried out in colourful
processions to be immersed (visarjan) in a river or a pond.
In the state of Punjab, people usually fast during this period, for
seven days, and on Ashtami, the eighth day, devotees break their fast
by worshipping young girls who are supposed to be representatives of
the Goddess herself by offering them the traditional puris (sort of
deep-fried Indian bread), halwa (a dessert primarily made of flour and
sugar), chanas (Bengal gram) and red chunnis (long scarves). In this
region, the festival is predominantly linked with harvest. This is the
time of the khetri, (wheat grown in pots in the urban context) that is
worshipped in homes, and whose seedlings are given to devotees as
blessings from God.
¤ Dussehra or (Vijaya Dashmi)
The festival of Navratri also coincides with the festival of Dussehra
or Vijaya Dashmi. Vijaya Dashami (literally meaning 'The Day marking
the Triumph of Good over Evil') falls on the day after Navratri, and
is associated with another legend where Lord Rama killed the
demon-king Ravana. In the northern parts of India, Ram Lilas draw from
the epic, theRamayana, to bring the life and times of Lord Rama back
to the common folk through dramatic representations.
¤ Celebrations in South India
In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh, the festival of Navratri is celebrated in a different manner.
Women adorn their houses with dolls (Bommai Kolu), draw traditional
designs or rangolis (patterns made on the floor by using various
coloured powders and flowers), and light lamps. During this festival
(also known as Kolu in the state of Tamil Nadu), families proudly
display traditional wooden dolls and gather to sing songs and depict
scenes from the various epics, for a period of ten days. Another
runaway hit is the sundal, a special sweet made from lentil and brown
sugar. Families and friends exchange the traditional gifts of
coconuts, clothes and sweets on this occasion.
¤ Garbha and Dandiya-Rasa-- The Highlights of Navratri
The festival of Navratri acquires quite a fascinating and colourful
dimension in the region of Gujarat, and in some parts of Rajasthan and
. The highlights of the festival are the extremely colourful dances of
Garbha and Dandiya-Rasa during which, both men and women dressed in
the traditional attires of dhoti-kurta (traditional Indian attire worn
by menfolk, comprising a long shirt and a long flowing garment worn
over the lower part of the body), and chania-choli (mirror-work skirts
and blouses), put up stunning performances to the vibrant rhythm of
music. These dances are performed around the traditionally decorated
terracotta pot called the garbi that has a small diya (lamp) burning
inside signifying knowledge, or light meant to dissipate the
ignorance, or darkness, within. Dholak players (drummers) accompany
the dancers, and groups of singers sing songs handed down generations.
Today the commercialisation of these dances seems evident, with the
traditional and delicate rhythms being replaced by alternate forms
that are quite far-removed from the original versions.
As a dance form, the Garbha is mainly performed by women. The leader
starts with the first line of the song. Other dancers who sway
gracefully, with their arms describing movements in perfect synchrony
to the rhythmic clapping, or beating of sticks then pick this up.
Yet another variation of the Garbha is the Goph Guntan, or the string
dance. As the dancers execute the movements, they hold on to one end
of a rope in strands, while the other end of the rope is tied either
to the ceiling or a wooden pole. Gradually, as the dancers weave in
and around each other, a braid is formed. It is quite an interesting
sight as it takes a certain degree of skill and accuracy to intertwine
and untangle the braid without falling out of pace.
Another dance form that is popular during the Navratri celebrations
is the Dandiya-Rasa, performed mostly by menfolk forming complex
circular patterns to represent the lotus and other floral designs.
These dancers hold the dandiyas (small wooden sticks with tiny bells
attached at the ends) and dance in complex concentric circles. The
dancers rhythmically beat the sticks even during a series of
complicated moves that they must execute while sitting, standing or
lying down.
Different communities have different variations of these dances. and
the heady mix of jubilation and enthusiasm is all-pervasive. |
