Festivals of India: Navratri & its meaning
India celebrates Navratri from Oct 13-22. Yes a nine-day festival. We don’t believe in going easy on our festivities☺
Jokes aside, the essence of this festival has great meaning to all our lives, especially NOW:
"Navratri represents how negativity can be conquered by the inherent positive qualities in an individual so that one emerges as a Divine being."
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
[10,000 oil lamps bedeck this Navaratri puja at Dahisar off Mumbai during last year's festivities. Imagine making that metaphorical offering of all your fears, anxieties and negativity in such a serene, ethereal atmosphere]
Navratri is a dedication to Shakthi or "Power", the feminine form of the Divine, known as Goddess Durga. ‘Nava’ means ‘nine’ and ‘ratri’ is made up of ‘ra’ which also means ‘night’ and ‘tri’ meaning the three aspects of our life – body, mind and soul. There are three types of botherations or problems that may affect a person – physical, mental and spiritual. That which gives you relief from all these difficulties is ‘ratri’. ‘Ratri’ or night relieves you of misery and brings comfort. The night relaxes everybody; whether happy, unhappy or miserable, everybody goes to sleep.
During Navratri, offer all anxieties, fears, worries, negativity into the sacrificial fire and be rejuvenated with courage, enthusiasm & knowledge and spread wisdom & light to the suffering world.
What an awesome thought: offer your negativity into the sacrificial fire and be rejuvenated with wisdom and light! Let’s bring Peace, Love, Joy and Happiness to all.
