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Rituals of Navratri
The festival of Navratri is
dedicated to the divine manifestations of Goddess Durga. Beginning with the new moon in the month of Ashwin, the
festival consists of fasts and worship of the nine aspects of Goddess
Durga.
Known by more than a thousand epithets, Durga is sometimes worshipped
as Mahakali for annihilating the demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, sometimes
she is propitiated as Chamunda for killing the demons Chunda and Munda and at
times as Nanda for predicting the death of Kansa at the hands of Krishna.
Whatever the epithet maybe, we venerate Durga for being the Goddess of
power
and wisdom.
The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya
Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess
Durga are worshipped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess
and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshipper. This
ritual is performed in most parts of the country. Another important ritual of this
festival is Shastra Ayudhi Puja wherein the most important article of the
household is worshipped. In earlier days, the soldiers used to worship their
weapons on this day. This pooja is performed on the Dussehra day. On this
day,
the Goddess of Learning, music and arts is invoked.
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