From Golu To Garbha How Hindus Mark Nine Nights Of Navaratri With Devotion Fasting And Cultural Rituals

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An artisan adorns a gold saree on an idol of Hindu goddess Durga at a temporary platform called pandal, ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata September 23, 2017. — Reuters picKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Hindus across the world are currently observing a nine-day religious festival called Navaratri, worshipping the various forms of the Divine Goddess.
Navaratri, which means “nine nights”, falls in the month of Purattasi — the sixth month in the Tamil calendar — which coincides with the mid-September to mid-October period.
According to Hindu belief, Goddess Durga fiercely battled the demon Mahishasura for nine days before finally slaying him on the tenth day, known as Vijayadashami.
This year, the Navaratri festival began on September 22 and will culminate on October 1.
How is Navaratri generally observed?
Goddess Durga is worshipped on the first three nights, while Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth, is worshipped on the next three days. The final three nights are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the deity presiding over knowledge, speech and the arts.
Hindus observing Navaratri consume a vegetarian diet for nine days and abstain from alcohol. Some also fast throughout the day until sunset, breaking their fast only with fruits, milk or bread made from buckwheat flour.
On the ninth day of Navaratri, Hindus from southern India conduct the ayudha puja at their homes, where they worship musical instruments and any other tools used to earn their livelihood.
On the tenth day, or Vijayadashami, young toddlers are initiated into learning through a ritual called vidyarambham.
During the ritual, parents place the toddlers on their laps, hold their index fingers and guide them to write auspicious words — usually in their mother tongue — on a tray of raw rice. The child’s formal education begins from then on.
Hindu devotees perform Garba, a traditional folk dance, during the celebrations to mark the Navaratri festival at Surat in Gujarat, India on October 17, 2018. — Reuters picHow celebrations compare between South and North Indian Hindus
Hindus from the southern part of India, including Tamil households, make a special altar for Navaratri by arranging colourful dolls and figurines of various Hindu goddesses called golu.
The altar consists of an odd number of steps, often created by stacking household items like cardboard, boxes and tables. The entire setup is draped in cloth.
The lower steps are usually filled with dolls or figurines that represent the battles and glories associated with the goddesses, while the idols of the goddesses occupy the highest step.
Chanting of Vedic hymns and devotional songs is also held every night. Temples conduct similar prayers throughout the nine days.
Additionally, Hindus from North India also worship the nine forms of Goddess Durga, referred to as Navdurga, during Navaratri.
The nine forms encompass the life of Goddess Parvati, starting from her child form as Shailaputri and ending with Siddhidhatri, the bestower of all powers and knowledge.
At the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Kampung Kasipillay here, the divine Goddess is adorned in different colours each night throughout Navaratri.
“The nine forms represent our growth from birth, marriage, parenthood and up until we attain spiritual maturity in life,” temple president Pavan Kharbanda told Malay Mail.
“So, each night is represented by a different colour that reflects the divine nature of each particular form,” he explained.
The nine colours include white, red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, orange, peacock green and pink, and on the tenth day, the Goddess is adorned in either red or green.
The temple also organises dandiya and garbha raas for devotees to dance from 8.15pm to 10.30pm throughout Navaratri.
Garbha, which literally means “womb” in Hindi, is a dance form that originated in Gujarat. Traditionally, dancers twirl and circle around a lamp inside a perforated clay pot to celebrate the cycle of life.

An effigy of 10-headed demon King Ravana collapses after it is burnt during the Hindu festival of Dussehra in Srinagar, India on October 6, 2011. — Reuters picSome also dance in pairs, rhythmically striking a pair of polished wooden sticks called dandiya in patterns that imitate Goddess Durga’s battle with the evil forces.
In northern India, Vijayadashami is also celebrated as Dussehra, which marks Lord Rama’s victory against the ten-headed demon king Ravana.
Theatrical plays of the Ramayana, called Ramlila, are staged on this day and effigies of Ravana are burned to commemorate the triumph of good over evil.
Interestingly, Deepavali — which marks the return of Lord Rama and his consort Sita to their kingdom, Ayodhya — falls less than a month after Dussehra.
According to some Hindu beliefs, the people of Ayodhya lit lamps to welcome their king and queen on Deepavali day — and that’s how the Festival of Lights got its name. -malaymail

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