Why is Godess Devi worshipped during navratri? Significance of Garba

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It is certain most people are unaware that Navratri is every month. In Sanskrit the word "Navratri" literally means Nine nights. The first nine nights after the each new moon in the lunar calendar are called Navratri, a period considered feminine in nature.

Navratri 2022 begins on 26 September 2022 and ends on 4 October 2022. According to Hindu legends, Mahishasura was a demon who had a buffalo’s head and he had received a boon from Brahma- the God of Creation, that no man nor any god could kill him. This created terror for the Gods as well as to the humans, due to the horrors of Mahishasura's rule. It was then that Devi took the form of Durga, who rode fiercely on a lion and was armed with the divine weapons of all the other gods, she battled the demon for nine days and nights.

These nine days are traditionally eulogized during the nine nights of Navratri, culminating in the goddess’ victory on the tenth day of Vijayadashami. But there are deeper spiritual dimensions to this much beloved tale of yore. The Gujarati are customed with the form of Garba and Dandiya during Navratri. It has become very popular all around the country as well as globally. Traditionally, the dance form depicts an artistic dramatization of a mock fight between the goddess Durga and Mahishasura.

The Garba traditionally is danced around an earthen pot (garbo) with a lamp inside, called a “Garbha Deep” - it symbolizes that the very body is made of earth, within which a life resides. A more energetic and vibrant dance that is Dandiya is danced after the evening arati, in the south gujarat region people use sticks which symbolize the sword of Goddess Durga, also earning it the name of “The Sword Dance," whole the saurashtra region dances carrying the sword in hand. During the nine nights of Navratri, a fast is observed by the people during the day and broken in the evening, followed by festivities and dances.

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