Navratri – The Nine Nights Extravaganza!

Dedicated to Goddess Durga and her infinite strength, grace and power, Navratri is a festival that celebrates womanhood and the feminine shakti. This festival commemorates the nine forms of Goddess Durga, and the tenth day is celebrated as Dussehra. In Sanskrit, the term Navratri means nine nights and is a dynamic extravaganza of nine beautiful, colourful and vibrant nights. Filled with dance, music and great food, Navratri is all about fun and frolic, as is evident from the gorgeous ensembles and lively dances. Garba and Dandiya during these nine nights are a common sight, and are played on a large scale across India, especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Kolkata is known across the world for its bigger-than-life Durga Puja festivities during this time.

The first three days of Navratri are dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga where the Goddess is dressed in red and mounted on a lion, flaunting unparalleled strength and power. Her three incarnations – Kumari, Parvati and Kali – representing the three stages of womanhood are worshipped during these three days. The next three days are dedicated to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of wealth. Goddess Lakshmi is dressed in all gold and mounted on an owl and then finally, the last three days are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge.

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Apart from the worshipping of these Goddesses, Navratri is also a lot about spending time within your community and having a good time! It’s a time to treat yourself with good food, fabulous outfits and great fun with your friends and family. Not many residential complexes can be found that do not have garba music playing and people dancing in concentric circles during Navratri.

Finally, the tenth day of this grand festival is celebrated as Dussehra, the day when Lord Rama triumphed over Ravana. This day signifies the victory of good over evil, and is also celebrated on a large scale across India. This year, Navratri starts on the 13th of October. The best way to celebrate Navratri this year is to participate in the festivities and explore how the festival is celebrated in other parts of India. Don’t waste another minute and plan a trip to a lovely destination in India. Check out Travelguru for some of the best Navratri hotel deals on hotels across India!