Nagpur: It is festival time, again. The City of Nagpur will witness and enjoy musical extravaganza in the form of Garba, Dhamal Dandiya and other religious ceremonies with the beginning of Navratri festival. Thousands of devotees will throng different temples as well as Sarvajanik Durga Mandal pandals for darshan and puja-archana of Goddess Durga during the festivity.
On the first day of Navratri, Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and his wife visited Shree Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Mandir in Koradi and performed puja and arti of the deity. Bawankule being the President of Koradi Mandir Samiti, has made excellent arrangements for the visiting devotees. After the puja and archana, Bawankule extended his greetings to people on the occasion of Navratri.
Navratri symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and involves the worship of the three forms of Devi. Each of these aspects of the Goddesses are adored for three days. First comes Durga, the form of the Mother Goddess who triumphed over the demon Mahishasura after a battle lasting nine days and who wipes away negativity. The next three days involve the worship of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, Fortune and Prosperity, before moving onto Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. After the nine nights are completed, the tenth day is known as Dussehra, the day of victory.
Fasting is the most common form of marking Navratri and is the way to invoke Shakti, the divine energy, in order to cleanse the body and mind. Dancing also plays a big part with the dance of Garba performed specifically during Navratri.
Traditionally it involves performers in outfits full of colour circling an image of Durga. Along with dancing, the evenings also involve “Mahaprasad” that brings together whole communities.
