Hinduism- The Way of Life

Navadurga refers to the 9 forms of Maa Durga. Below are her 9 forms. 1. Shailaputri- Daughter of the Mountains Mantra: Om Devi Shailaputrai NAmah || Prathna: Vandhe Vanchitha labhaya chandra rakshita shekaram|                     Vrisharudam Shuladharam Shailaputrim Yashasvinim || Meaning: Worshiping goddess Durga in the form of Maa Shailaputri will help to overcome any bad affect of the moon, which is governed by this form of Adhi Shakthi. Origin: After the immolation of Goddess Sati, she was reincarnated as Parvati, the daughter of Lord Himalaya. In Sanskrit, 'Shail' means mountain, and due to this she is known as Shailaputri, the daughter of Mountain. She is also known as Hemavati and Parvati, and is considered as the eternal form of Mother Nature. Iconography: She mounts on a bull. She is depicted with 2 hands. She carries a Trishul (trident) in her right hand. The prongs on the Trishul represent the past, present and future. Whereas, she hold

Navarathri translates 9 nights. This 9 nights is dedicated to the Mother Goddess with such grandeur, incorporating dedications of songs, music and dance to her. The beginning of Spring and Autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These 2 periods are considered as sacred occasions to worship the Divine Mother. Navarathri is celebrated twice prominently. The first Navarathri is observed in the month of Chaitra/Chitra, which usually falls between March-April also symbolising the start of Spring. This Navarathri is known as Vasantha Navarathri, celebrated during Shukla Paksha (1st fortnight between New Moon Day and Full Moon Day, the period of waxing moon). The commence of this Navarathri also marks the start of New Year as per lunar calendar. This Navarathri is mostly celebrated in North and Western India. The second and most common Navarathri is Sharad Navarathri , also known as Ashwin Navarathri or Maha Navarathri. It is known as Durga Pooja