Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated annually from the first day of the Hindu New Year. This year, it will begin on April 9 and end on April 17. While there are four Navratri celebrated throughout the year, Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri are more popularly observed across the country. Devotees worship Maa Durga and her nine divine forms during Chaitra Navratri.
Chaitra Navratri is a famous Hindu festival. Chaitra Navratri, also known as Vasant Navratri, is a Hindu festival celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March–April) every year. It is a nine-day festival that honors the nine forms of Goddess Durga or Shakti. It marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. During this festival, devotees fast, pray and perform traditional rituals. The nine days of the festival are dedicated to nine different forms of the Goddess and each day is devoted to worshipping a different form. On the ninth day, the Goddess is worshipped in her full form. Chaitra Navratri is celebrated with much enthusiasm across India and is a joyous occasion for Hindus.
In this festival of Navratri, the two seasons meet. Navratri is celebrated twice a year. This festival is called Chaitra Navratri and Ashwin Navratri. Chaitra Navaratri falls during the months of March or April. Chaitra Navaratri is also known as Vasant Navaratri.
The festival is celebrated to honor the nine forms of Goddess Durga and her various powers and accomplishments. During the first three days of the festival, the Goddess is worshiped in her form of Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, and Chandraghanta. The next three days are devoted to worshiping the Goddess in the form of Kushmanda, Skandamata, and Katyayani. The remaining three days are dedicated to honoring the Goddess in her form of Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.
Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama is usually on the ninth day during the Navratri festival. Hence Chaitra Navaratri is also known as Rama Navaratri.
Most of the customs and rituals that follow during Sharadiya Navratri are followed during Chaitra Navratri. Ghatasthapana Puja Vidhan is the same for Sharadiya Navratri and Chaitra Navratri.
Chaitra Navratri is more popular in North India. In Maharashtra, Chaitra Navratri begins with Gudi Padwa and in Andhra Pradesh it begins with Ugadi.
The festival is marked by traditional rituals such as chanting mantras, lighting diyas or small lamps, and offering prayers to the Goddess. Devotees also observe fasts and perform pujas or religious ceremonies.
Chaitra Navratri is an important festival for Hindus, as it is believed to be an auspicious time to seek the blessings of the Goddess and to improve one’s spiritual and material
What is ‘Chaitra’ month?
According to Hindu scriptures, Lord Brahma started the creation of the world from the month of Chaitra, which is regarded as the first month of the Hindu calendar. It marks the beginning of the new season when new flowers and fruits start to blossom. Chaitra month fall in March- April, when the Sun starts its journey through the Zodiac cycle. Some people believe that Goddess Durga descended on the first day of Chaitra Navratri and Brahma started the work of creation of the universe at the behest of Mother Durga. Another belief is that Lord Shiva allowed his wife Durga to visit her parent’s house for nine days (Chaitra Navratri). During these nine days, it is said that the Goddess killed demon Mahishasura. This signifies the victory of good over evil. It is customary for Hindu women to visit their parents’ home during this auspicious time.
During Navratri, we worship the nine incarnations of Goddess Durga, called Navadurga. Durga mata or Devi represents the omnipresent cosmic Energy, which permeates through the whole Creation. Some devotees fast for the whole period, during which they only eat fresh fruits, milk and water. We believe that Goddess Durga provides us with inner strength, gives us blessings where all our wishes are fulfilled. In the Chaitra Navratri, the Kalash is installed and a flame is lit for nine days.
The festival honors the nine avatars of Goddess Durga and every day has its own significance & its own auspicious color, worn as clothing. Offering flowers to the deities during the Puja is considered to be one of the most important rituals, and there is a particular flower associated with each form of the Divine Mother. This makes the colourful spring season all the more fascinating and divine.
Day 1: Devi Shailaputri
Devi Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya, the King of mountains. She is the divine consciousness that surges from the peak. We pray that we may also attain the highest state of consciousness. Devotees wear yellow, which symbolises joy, happiness and nature and the special flower for offering is Hibiscus.
Day 2: Devi Brahmacharini
Brahma means divine consciousness and achar refers to behaviour. Brahmacharya is to be established in divine consciousness. This day is especially sacred to meditate and explore our inner divinity. This is the form of Devi Parvati in which she undertook severe penance to have Lord Shiva as Her consort. She blesses her devotees with a long, peaceful and pure life, particularly those who are going through a troubled married life. Devotees wear green & the special flowers are Chrysanthemums.
Day 3: Devi Chandraghata
who has half-moon on her head. Chandraghata is the form that Devi Parvati assumed at the time of Her marriage with Lord Shiva. Chandra means moon, and ghanta means a bell. The moon represents our mind, which keeps moving from one thought to another. The significance is that when our mind is established with Mother Divine, then our inner life force energy gets stabilised leading to peace & harmony. Devotees wear Grey and offer lotus flowers.
Day 4: Devi Kushmanda
Ku means little, ushma means energy and anda refers to egg. This entire universe which arose from the cosmic egg is manifested from the energy of Devi. By praying to her, we also get blessed with her divine energy, intellect, strength & power. Devotees wear orange, which represents brightness, happiness and energy, & the associated flower is Jasmine.
Day 5: Devi Skandamata
Mother of Skanda, This is the motherly aspect & affection of Devi Parvati. Worshiping this form of Devi brings abundance of wisdom, wealth, power, prosperity and liberation. The day represents purity and one should wear white colour & yellow flowers offered e.g yellow rose and bananas are offered as bhog.
Day 6: Devi Katyayani
It is a form who slayed the demon, Mahishasura. She was born from the anger of the gods. She is the anger that arises in creation to restore balance. She is puts an end to all our inner conflicts that are an obstacle on the path of spiritual evolution. Devotees wear red, which represents the anger of the Goddess towards the enemies. The flower for offering is Marigold.
Day 7: Devi Kalaratri
Mother Nature has two extremes. One is terrifying and devastating. The other is beautiful and serene. Devi Kalaratri is a fierce form of Devi. Kalaratri represents the infinite dark energy that houses innumerable universes. Night is also considered an aspect of Mother Divine as it is night that brings solace, rest and comfort to our souls. By praying to her, we invoke fearlessness & stress-free life. Devotees wear dark blue, representing the immense dark power, and the associated flower is Passiflora or Krishna kamal.
Day 8: Devi Mahagauri
Devi Mahagauri represents the beautiful and serene aspect of Nature. Goddess Durga took this form after Lord Shiva was pleased by her penance and appeared in front of her. This is when Lord Shiva poured Ganga Jal on the Goddess and her complexion became milky white. She is that energy which propels our lives and also liberates us. Devotees wear pink, which represents hope & self-refinement & the associated flowers are Mogra (Arabian Jasmine).
Day 9: Devi Siddhidatri
Siddhi means perfection. She brings perfection in life. She makes the impossible, possible. She blesses us with divine knowledge, energy, strength and wisdom. Devotees wear violet, which represents aspiration & power and the flower for offering is Champa. According to Hinduism, our spirit or eternal essence within us has always existed. This is the source of energy of this universe. The prayers, chanting, and meditation performed during Navratri connects us with our spirit, which invokes positive qualities and destroys laziness, pride, obsessions & cravings. The prosperity that we enjoy in our daily lives is a manifestation of Devi. Mother Divine serves us in so many forms: our mother, father, friend, wife, daughter and also our Guru. Through puja we say, “Oh Mother, whatever you give to me I give back to you.” E.g. during the Puja, we offer food grains to Devi as Nature provides us with food. The puja that we perform during the 9 days of Navratri is a way of honouring the Devi and showing our gratitude to the Mother Divine. While attending the puja we give up all our worldly activities for a while and enter into deep meditation. The enlightened ones will realise that “There is Devi energy (Shakti) within all of us. Devi is not somewhere else, not in some other world.”
Ghatasthapana: Beginning
of Chaitra Navratri
As mentioned above, Ghatasthapana holds a very important place in the festival of Chaitra Navratri 2024. Ghatasthapana translates to the establishment of an earthen pot. For that, on the day of Pratipada Tithi of Shukla Paksha (Day 1 of Chaitra Navratri), after taking a bath in the morning, a resolution (sankalp) is taken.
After taking the resolution, barley is sown in the earthen pot and this is then placed. The idol of Kuldevi (a clan/family’s deity) is installed on top of the pot and Durga Saptashati is recited, worshipping the Goddess. An akhand lamp may also be lit. With this Ghatasthapana, the Navratri begins!
Here’s how the Hindu festival is celebrated in different parts of India
Many people also associate this festival with the birth of Lord Ram, the seventh avatar of Hindu god Vishnu and son of King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Places associated with Ram’s birth and his life are decorated on this day and people come to these places to worship him.
Celebrated as Ugadi or Yugadi, the festival marks the beginning of a New Year according to traditional calendars followed by the Hindu community. Ugadi formed by combining two Sanskrit words – ‘Yuga’ and ‘Adi’ – means new beginnings. While the day has a special significance for the people of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka who celebrate the day as Ugadi, people in Maharashtra and Goa celebrate the festival as ‘Gudi Padwa’. It is also celebrated as ‘Chaitra Navratri’ in some parts of the country.
People celebrate Ugadi to mark the fresh beginnings and the joys of the upcoming year where ugadi symbolises that people should bask in the goodness of life and celebrate all flavours in the New Year. The festival also celebrates the onset of spring, which symbolises relief from the harshness of the winter weather.
To mark new beginnings, people buy new clothes and decorate their homes with mango leaves and flowers. On the day of the festival, people use a mixture of water and cow dung and use it to sprinkle on the areas around their homes.
They worship the Gods and welcome the New Year. In southern states, devotees start the day with an oil bath while relatives gather together to celebrate as well.