The 9 days of Navratri focus on Navdurga i.e. the 9 different incarnations or Durga. Each form of Devi brings us closer to an aspect of our own personality. While Shailputri teaches us how to create a resolve, Brahmacharini teaches us how to maintain that resolve.
Shardiya Navratri Begins
This year, the Shardiya Navratri begins on 17th October and will last till 25th October, giving us 9 full days of Devi worship. Dusshera will also fall on 25th October, even though Durga Visarjan will be done on 26th October. With this event, we are now free to buy new things, make purchases etc. However, marriage muhurats will not be available until late November, when Devuthni Ekdashi ends Chaumas and wakes Vishnu up.
The significance of Navratri
A lot has been said about Navratri before. For some, it is the festival of worshipping the divine feminine and for others, it is a time to worship the real feminine i.e. the women in our lives. It truly depends on how you look at things.
For me, it is a time when we acknowledge that Aadi Devi, Ma Bhagwati Paramba is a part of us and we can inculcate her various forms and their lessons in our heart to live a more fulfilled life. As a Devi bhakt myself, I feel a lot more connected to my inner divine during this period and consider it 9 days of ritualistic cleansing of the soul.
It is also a time when seasons are changing and cold breeze start striking your doorstep. Therefore, it is a signal that we must now change our dincharya and get ready for the winter. For people who understand the connections between religious symbols, ritus, dincharya, aahar, vihar, ayurveda and jyotish, this is a time when we can align ourselves to the rhythms of the divine.
No matter how you look at Navratri, I hope that Ma Bhagwati showers her blessings on you. Good luck and keep learning!