Goddess durga is omnipresent.As navratra is a very important festival in India,this festival is also known as durga puja.In different states it is celebrated in differnt ways.
As name suggest(nav+ratri)this festival is celebrated for nine days people devoted themselves to worship the nine avtars of goddess durga.As the nine days of navratri,festing and fasting take precedence over all normal daily activities amongst the hindus.Evening give rise to the religious dances in order to worship goddess durga maa.
Navritri festival begins on the first day of Ashwina of the fortnight.
On the[1st-3rd] first three days of the navratras,a small bed of mud is prepared in puja room and barley seeds are sown on it.These initial days are dedicated to durga maa,the goddess of power and energy.
On[4th-6th]days of navratri lakshmi maa,the goddess of peace and prosperity is worshipped.
On[7th-8th]final days of navratri belong to sarsvati maa,who is worshipped to acquire the spritual knowledge.This in turn will free us from all earthy bondge.On the 8th day this colourful festival,yagna is performed.
The differnt avtars of goddess durga are as follows:-
Durga Shalputri:-
The name 'shailputri' means the daughter of mountains.Parvati,the daughter of the king of mountains himalya.The first among nine durgas and first night of Navratras is devoted to the puja of shailputri.Her two hands display a trident and a lotus.Her mount is bull.
the second durga shakti is Brahamcharini.Here braham means 'tapa'.Her one hand holds a 'kumbha' or water pot,and the other holds a rosary.She personifies love and loyality.Bharamcharini is the store house of knowledge and wisdom.Rudraksha beads
are her most adord ornaments.
The name of third shakti or avtar of goddess is chandraghanta.There is half-circular moon in her forehead.Eight of her hands dispaly weapons,chandra+ghanta,means supreme bliss and knowledge,showering peace and serenity.This durga shakti rides a tiger,she is mainly worshipped in tamilnadu.
The fourth avtar of godess durga is known as kushmanda devi,possessed of eight arms holding a weapons and a mala(rosary),her mount is the tiger and she emanates a solar aura.'kumbah bhand'means to see the cosmic dance in the form of Pindi,the knowledge of cosmic intricacies in human race.The abode of kushmanda is Bhimparvat.
The fifth avtar of goddess durga is 'Skanda mata'.Rising a lion as her chosen vehicle,she holds her son skanda on her lap,she displays three eyes and four hand.It is said by merch of Skanda mata,even the fool become an ocean of knowledge by worshiping her.
The sixth avtar of goddess durga is known as 'katyayani'.It is said that once upon a time a great sage called kata who underwent long austerities and penance in order to receive the grace of the mother goddess.According to his wish and desire the goddess granted his request.Katyani was born to kata as an avtar of durga.
The seventh avtatar of goddess durga is known as 'kali-maa'.Black skin with bountiful hair and 4 hands,2 clutching a cleaver and a torch,while the two are in the mudras of 'giving'and 'protecting'.Her vechicle is a faithfully donkey.The destroyer of darkness and ignorance,kaalratri is the seventh form of nav-durga means enemy of darkness.
The eighth avtar of durga is 'maha-gauri'.She is as white as conch,moon and jasmine.She is of eight years old with four arms and the fairest complexion of all the durgas shaktis,mahagauris radiaties peace and compassion.She is often dressed in a white or green sari.She holds a drum and a drum and a trident and is often depiected riding a bull.
The ninth avtar of goddess durga is known as 'siddhidatri'.There are eight siddhis,they are-Anima ,mahima,garima,laghima,prapti,prakamya,lishtva & vashitva.It is said in "devipurn" that the supreme god shiv got all these siddhies by worshipping maha shakti.With her gratitude the half body of shiv has become of goddess and there fore his name 'ardhanarishvar'has become famous.
