Navratri
Navratri -- Nine Nights -- is the great festival of the Divine Mother, Shakti. Celebrated twice a year (Sharada Navratri in autumn and Chaitra Navratri in spring), Navratri is nine nights of worship, fasting, and devotion to the Goddess in her many forms. It culminates in Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) -- the Day of Victory.
Significance
Navratri celebrates the victory of the Goddess over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, as narrated in the Devi Mahatmya. When Mahishasura threatened the gods, no male deity could overpower him due to a boon. The gods pooled their divine energies -- their shakti -- to create the supreme warrior Goddess Durga. Over nine nights of fierce battle, she fought and ultimately beheaded Mahishasura on the tenth day. This mythic victory represents consciousness (the Goddess) defeating the animal ego (Mahishasura, the buffalo-demon). The nine days correspond to nine forms of the Goddess: Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.
Rituals & Observances
Navratri practices include: daily recitation of the Durga Saptashati or Devi Mahatmya; fasting, eating only sattvic foods such as fruits, milk, and root vegetables; worship of the Goddess with flowers, especially red hibiscus and jasmine; akhand jyoti (continuous flame) maintained for all nine days in the home shrine; Kanjak Puja on the eighth or ninth day, worshipping young girls as embodiments of the Goddess. In many communities, the sacred pot (Kalash) is established at the beginning representing the Goddess's presence.
Regional Variations
In Gujarat: Navratri is the state's most celebrated festival, featuring the renowned Garba and Dandiya Raas -- community dances performed in circles around an image of the Goddess, lasting through the night. In West Bengal: Durga Puja -- elaborate public installations (pandals) of Goddess Durga with her children; the goddess is welcomed, worshipped for four days, and then immersed in the river on Bijoya Dashami. In Tamil Nadu: Golu (Kolu) -- elaborate display of dolls on stepped platforms. In Karnataka: Mysore Dasara, a royal procession and state festival. In North India: Ram Lila performances narrating the Ramayana, culminating in the burning of Ravana's effigy on Dussehra.
Region: pan-india