navratri

The meaning of Navratri is nine nights. The festival dedicated to Maa Durga and her nine avatars is celebrated with much enthusiasm and fanfare. While Navratri falls four times a year, the festivals of Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri are more popular and observed widely across the country.  Chaitra Navratri falls in March-April while Shardiya Navratri is usually celebrated in October or November. Our country is diverse and so are the celebrations. In North India, Navratri is marked by Ram Leela while in Eastern India, the celebrations take the form of Durga Puja. In Gujarat, Navratri celebrations are more colourful with Garba and Dandiya Raas while the highlight of this festival in South India is Kolu – the exhibition of various dolls and figurines. The nine days of Navratri festivities culminates with Dussehra or Vijayadashmi, the day commemorated as victory of good over evil. On the same day, in West Bengal, devotees bid adieu to Durga Maa and organise Durga Visarjan.