What Is Chaitra Navratri? How It Is Celebrated in India?

Chaitra Navratri is celebrated with many rituals, Navratri puja being one of them. The devotees of Mata buy different puja items to perform the puja at home.

The term ‘Navratri’ is derived from the two separate words ‘Nav’ meaning nine and ‘ratri’ meaning night. This tells that the festival is celebrated for a period of nine days in which nine different forms of Goddess Durga is worshipped with different Indian spiritual accessories on each day beginning from the Pratipada, the first day.

The Nine Forms of the Goddess are Named as:- 

1. SailaPutri,
2. BrahmaCharini,
3. ChandraGhanta,
4. KushManda,
5. Skanda Mata,
6. Katyayani,
7. Kalaratri,
8. Maha Gauri and
9. Siddhidayini.

Chaitra Navratri is celebrated on the Chaitra month, which gave it the name ‘Chaitra Navratri’. This year, the celebration will begin on 6th of April and will continue till nine days from the date. People will be found in new clothes enjoying and rejoicing these nine days with lots of cheerfulness, happiness, enthusiasm, and faith in their hearts.

Chaitra Navratri is one of the most auspicious festivals that is solely dedicated to worshipping Maa Durga. This festival holds a significant place in different communities and religions of India. Navratri symbolizes the victory over every odd and evil. The festival begins with the Ghatasthapana, which is the traditional ritual of this festival. Some of the devotees also perform a puja at home and some even keep fasting on these days. They buy different puja items for performing the puja with devotion.

It is believed that Goddess Durga comes to meet her parents for these nine days with the permission of Lord Shiva. This is the reason for the celebration. During these nine days, Durga also demolished Mahisasur, the demon which stands for the victory of good over the evil. This showed the eternal spiritual power of the Goddess, that can never be destroyed or reduced.

What One Should Do During these Festive Days?

• Those who perform the pujas must take their bath early morning of each of these days. They should also keep the puja samagris ready from beforehand. They need to look for the Premium Puja Samagri for this puja.
• It is believed that red is the favorite color of the Goddess. So, it is always suggested to use red-colored cloth in the puja. Keep this in mind while choosing to buy puja samagri online.
• Those who keep fasting on these days can starve on fruits and sweets during these nine days.

Which Is the Most Interesting Auspicious Puja of this Festival?

On the Eighth day that is the Maha Asthmi, Kanya puja is performed in which girls are worshipped as it is believed that women and girls are the different forms of Goddess Durga. In some of the regions, this puja is also performed on the Ninth day that is the Maha Navami.

These pujas need different types of samagris that can e bought separately from the online stores today or can be bought in the form of a kits. The online navratri puja kits has everything inside it to perform the puja with ease and perfection.

Why Is Chaitra Navratri Celebrated? Know the Significance

Every festival has a reason behind celebrating it. So is the Chaitra Navratri festival. People do pooja samagri online shopping to perform this puja at home. 

Chaitra Navratri is also celebrated for continuous nine days. This festival takes place in the Chaitra month that is in the March or April. The devotees are found to worship Goddess Durga and perform puja at home to seek blessings from the Goddess of power and strength. People do pooja samagri online shopping to make the puja arrangement perfect. This puja is performed to fight the wrongs of life. This is the first grand festival in the Hindu calendar. It is also known by the names Gudi Padwa, and Ugadi. Chaitra Navratri is also popular by the name Vasant Navratri. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm, vigor, and pomp in Northern India.

One may get confused as Navratri is celebrated twice a year. This is the first one. With the arrival of the summer days, the festival also begins. The rituals and customs observed on this festival is nothing less than the enthusiasm seen in the hearts and faces of the people during the second Navratri days that is celebrated with the onset of the winter days. The devotees perform the puja on both the Navratris with each and every Premium Puja Samagri.

The devotees worship the Goddess on all the nine days of Chaitra Navratri. It is believed that the devotee who will worship her during these nine days without any wish or desire, will attain salvation.

Its Mythological Significance:-
Navratri is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘nine nights’. This festival also calls for nine nights of celebration along with worshipping the nine forms of Goddess Durga. Chaitra Navratri represents the victory of good over evil. As per the Hindu beliefs, Lord Shiva gave the permission to Goddess Durga, his wife to go and meet her mother only for these nine days. The tale of Navratri also says that When she was coming to her mother’s house, she had a fight with Mahisasura, the demon, and killed him. This is the reason why she is considered as the Goddess or power and strength. She symbolizes shakti. It is said in the Shastras that Maa Durga can never be destroyed.

What are the Rituals Performed During this Festival?
During this festival, people clean their home, buy new clothes, and buy pooja products online to perform the puja at home. Along with this, the devotees keep fasting on these days. Some people also feed on vegetarian meals on all these nine days. The ninth day is marked as the Ram Navami according to the Hindu calendar.

Chaitra Navratri is the period of purification and introspection of oneself. Celebrate this festival and begin your new ventures this year.