Navratri: The Hindu celebration of the Divine Feminine

Navratri is a major Hindu festival that spans nine nights.  It honors the Goddess Durga and her nine forms, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. But why is it important?

Victory of Good Over Evil: It commemorates Goddess Durga’s battle and triumph over the evil king, Mahishasura, who was creating chaos on Earth. He was half buffalo and half human (find out why in our next blog post!)  Legend has it that he asked one of the gods, Brahma, to grant him a wish - that he couldn't be defeated by gods or men.  He never mentioned defeat by a woman! 

Celebration of Feminine Power: Navratri celebrates "Shakti", the divine feminine energy in each of us. Each of the nine days is dedicated to one of Durga’s nine forms. These forms represent different aspects of strength, courage, wisdom, and love.

Cultural Celebrations Differ: Different regions in India have their own ways of celebrating Navratri. In the state of Gujarat, people dance garba around an image of the goddess, and often keep the beat using dandiya sticks. In West Bengal, it's celebrated as Durga Puja with grand pandals and rituals. Hindus around the world decorate their homes and temples, and people wear colorful traditional clothes to honor the Goddess.

Empowerment and Worship of Women: For some Hindus, young girls (representing the Goddess) are invited into homes for "Kanya Pujan", where they are honored with food and gifts as a symbol of respect for female energy.