This is the third day of the nine day/night cycle, called Navratri or Navratra -- literally Nine Nights -- and celebrated twice a year in India.
The festival is based on stories from the ancient Vedic texts.
[Vedic texts. Enc. Brittanica.
The only extant Vedic materials are the texts known as the Vedas, which were written down over a period of about 10 centuries, from about the 15th to the 5th century BC, this being the period when Vedism was a living force. The Vedic corpus is written in an archaic Sanskrit. The most important texts are also the oldest ones. They are the four collections (Samhita) that we call the Veda,
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SECURITY IS TIGHT
from NewKerala.com/news
Quote:Both Hindu God Rama and Goddess Durga are worshipped all over India in different forms. The festival is called Durga Puja in West Bengal while in the rest of the country, it is known as Navratri.
Devotees in New Delhi queued up outside various temples since early in the morning to pay their obeisance to the presiding deities.
Many were seen thronging the market outside the temples buying flowers, fruits and "chunni" (holy red cloth) to offer to the deity.
Meanwhile, in Jammu, the winter capital of the restive Kashmir region, security was tightened to prevent any militant attacks while the festivities are on.
Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed at the revered shrine of Vaishno Devi, which is thronged by hundreds of thousands of devotees during the festival.
"We have put in round-the-clock security around temples. Apart from that we have deployed our men at all sensitive areas in the city," said Mukesh Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu.
The nine-day festival signifies the nine manifestations of the Goddess Durga.
Durga stands for "shakti" or power. She is depicted as riding a raging lion, holding weapons in her ten hands.
Navratri begins with a new moon and continues through what is called the Bright half of a lunar month. This year, it started on Monday October 4 and will end on the 12th of October.
from NDTV (New Delhi TV)
Quote:Rajiv Pathak
Thursday, October 6, 2005 (Ahemadabad):
Old age homes in Gujarat are staging big celebrations during Navratri festival.
The annual event of music and dance is a huge hit even with elders who are taking part whole-heartedly in it.
Navratri is celebrated across India over nine days when special prayers are offered to Goddess Durga, who is believed to exist in many forms.
Celebrations at old age homes were aimed at getting the seniors on one stage to sing and dance together.
The participation and involvement of one and all during the auspicious occasion indicated the true spirit of the festival.
Is the Almighty a He or a She? We lesser mortals may never know for sure, but Navratri is a celebration of the female cosmic energy that makes it possible for humankind to continue--Devi, the Mother Goddess. It marks the victory of the Warrior Goddess Durga over the Buffalo Demon Mahisa, whom she fought for nine days and vanquished on the 10th, and so is a celebration of women's power.
The first three days of Navratri are devoted to the worship of the Goddess Durga; the next three days are dedicated to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, and the final three days to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, art, and learning.
They spin round and round, going faster and faster, but never breaking the sacred circle, as they clap their hands rhythmically, dancing around the Garba, or earthen pot. They smile as they twirl around, for in these nine nights they are celebrating the Goddess that is enshrined in all of us. (from Lavina Melwani)
Navaratri - Nine Nights
Quote:NAVARATRI - DASSARA - by Dr. Satyavati Kandala
Navaratri (Nine Nights) is one of the greatest festivals of India. This festival is celebrated for nine days in which God is worshipped in the form of Mother. Divine Mother (Shakti) represents Prakriti, counterpart of Purusha jointly making possible the creation of the world according to the religious ideology of Goddess Worship. According to Vedic
scriptures (The Daksha Yajna) that Lord Vishnu had to cut the body of Sati into pieces to stop the destruction of Shiva who was perturbed by her death. At fifty-two places these pieces fell. They are called Shakti Pithas. Through out India this festival is celebrated.
See also:
http://www.indiavisitinformation.com/indian-culture/indian-festival/Navratra-in-india.shtml
[size=7]Om Shakti Shakti Om Om Shakti Om[/size]
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