Navratri

Navratri is one of the most gorgeous festivals in India. It is a great festival to experience for visitors as the festival involves a number of religious traditions and customs. Navratri is celebrated in Gujarat in the grandest way. It is a festival that lasts for 9 days. Though this is a festival mainly for the Hindu community but people from other communities also join the celebration.

Each of the days of this festival requires a number of rituals to be performed. The first three days of the festival involves preparation of small bed of mud where barley seeds are sown. The initial days are dedicated to Goddess Durga and her various manifestations. The fourth day starts with the worship of Lakshmi Maa as the Goddess of peace and prosperity. During the fifth day, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped as the Goddess of knowledge and art. This continues till the eighth day of the festival. On the ninth day of the Mahanavami, Kanya Puja is performed as nine young girls are worshipped. These nine girls represent the nine forms of Goddess Durga.

The celebration of Navratri will start on September 28, this year. Indianholiday.com offers online information about Navratri.