Navaratri is celebrated twice a year in India. The first Navaratri falls in the
month of Chaitra i.e. March- April according to the Gregorian calendar and the
second in the month of Ashwani i.e. September – October according to the
Gregorian calendar. The first one is called as the Chaitra Navratri and the
second one is celebrated as Durga Pooja. Chaitra Navratri commences with the
beginning of the new year according to the 'Vikram Sambat' i.e the 1st day of
the month of Chaitra. It is celebrated all over the country with extreme zeal
and enthusiasm.
It is a nine days celebration and devotees during these nine days observe fasts,
go to temples, and worship Goddess Durga. The entire surrounding is full of
pious echo of Maa Durga bhajans. People do Jagraate, organize community feasts
and celebrations. The celebrations are at its climax on the eighth and the ninth
day of the Navratri. In Hindus this festival is given immense importance and
treated as a festival of eternal enlightenment. Quotes of some popular Hindu
scholars will explain you the eternal significance of the Pooja. Read the
Navaratri quotations given below to understand more.
Popular Navratri Quotes
During Navaratri, Goddess Durga is invoked first to remove impurities from the
mind. The Goddess Lakshmi is invoked to cultivate the noble values and
qualities. Finally, Saraswati is invoked for gaining the highest knowledge of
the Self. This is the significance of the three sets of three nights when all
these three are gained subjectively, and then there will be Vijayadasami, the
day of true victory. – Swami Tejomayananda of Chinmaya Mission
Navaratri is celebrated in various parts of India in different styles. But the
one basic aim of this celebration is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her
aspect as Power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity,
knowledge (both sacred and secular), and all other potent powers. Whatever be
the particular or special request that everyone may put before the Goddess,
whatever boon may be asked of Her, the one thing behind all these is
propitiation, worship and linking oneself with Her. There is no other aim. This
is being effected consciously or unconsciously. Everyone is blessed with Her
loving mercy and is protected by Her. – Swami Sivananda
Man, the imperfect, the bound, the sorrowful, has a thousand enemies within. He
is riddled with negative thoughts fears, yearnings. These are selfishness,
jealousy, meanness, prejudice and hatred – just to mention but a few. The Sadhak
must get rid of these lawless villains within. With Mother Durga’s kripa, these
destructive masters are to be annihilated. Invoke the Mother Terrible to help us
annihilate within ourselves all negative forces; all weaknesses, - all
littleness. – Swami Chinmayananda |
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