Navratri and Dasara

The festival of Navratri lasts for nine nights.According to the Hindu calendar Navratri celebration begins from the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin.This festival is fully dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga Mata and her nine forms. These nine days are celebrated in all over the country with an ardent zeal and enthusiasm. The devotees all over India celebrated the last three days with much solemnity, calm and joy. But in the tenth day, Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Goddess Durga over Deamon Mhaisasur and also Lord Rama over Ravana.

Before the Navratri festival starts, all house is cleaned, because Goddess Lakshmi...Goddess of prosperity, which is one of nine forms of Durga likes cleanness. So, to invite her to house, the house must be clean. Also one Nanda-deep is lighted and kept lighted till whole 9 days without fail. On tenth day, dasara is celebrated. In Maharashtra, we give leaves of a tree called 'apta' to the elders and also cross the border of the city as a symbol of victory, cause dasara is also called VijayaDashami laso.


This starts the festive season in India!