The Nine Nights of Lights

As I sit in my room, to write about the nine auspicious nights, on one of these, all my senses collaborate to remind me the essence of the festival. The aroma of ‘incense sticks’, up roaring music of the ‘Dandiya night’ in my society park and the lights peeking into my room from the ground where Lord Ram has come to bless us once again in the demeanor of a sixteen year old, remarkably tall boy. Navratri translated as ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit celebrates nine different incarnations of ‘Ma Durga’. Believed to be conceived from the light emitted by Devas and the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), Durga came to rescue the three worlds (The underworld, The Earth and The Heaven) and succeeded at the same by slaying Rakshas Mahishasur when everyone else failed to do so. However, different narratives of the Goddess’s birth are recited in different regions of the country, they are united, by the unanimous belief that the primordial energy fought against the evil energies and saved the world. The goddess is depicted as armed with nine weapons bestowed on her by distinguished deities to empower her in her quest against the malevolent. The nine weapons include a Chakra, conch, bow and arrow, sword, spear, club, trident, thunderbolt and a lotus, apparently after all the war and cry, even gods yearned only for peace.

The festival in the western part of the country, mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra is celebrated with a folk dance custom wherein people gather in large numbers in community grounds and perform Garba Rass and Dandiya Rass. Cities like Ahmedabad and Surat also observe a similar manner of celebration wherein community members as a collective honor and praise the goddess. People can be seen decked up with traditional attires of colorful Ghagra Choli and Dhoti Kurta and atoned with ethic silver jewelry. A spectacle to watch, it is a scene of true merriment when a sense of devotion and gaiety sweeps all as they swing together with Dandiya sticks in hand

However, in Eastern India, the Goddess is welcomed and worshipped in a completely different manner. Durga Pujo or Durgotsava, epitomizing the victory of good over evil, is celebrated from the sixth day till the tenth day of the nine day long festival. The ritualistic and social significance of this grand community celebration can be seen manifested in its extravagant Pandals and splendid tableaus of the glorious Goddess and her family. The true meaning of Durga (the impenetrable and self-sufficient) is realized in the grandeur of the idols worshipped in Pandals. A spirit of fervor and divinity ties all as the embodiment of Shakti, Ma Durga is carried for immersion signifying her reunion with Shiva, the Goddess’s father. The vibrancy and jubilance of the Pujo elevates due to the prayer rituals, music and dance performances observed in Pandals along with the feast set up every night for devotees. [endif]Ramleela performance in community grounds and abstinence from onions for a successful nine day fasting, is how Northern India celebrates its dear festival. A re-enactment of Lord Rama’s life is staged for a magnificent theatrical experience. Depicted in the form of a play, spanning over ten days, Ramleela celebrates the life of Lord Ram as a mortal being on Earth. To symbolize the victory of morality over immorality, an effigy of Ravana is burnt on a bonfire on the tenth day known as Dusshera or Vijayadashami. The northern cities of India such as Delhi and Varanasi usually witness the biggest celebration of Dussehra, culminating a nine day fasting period.

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and various other states of South India celebrates the auspicious festival with ritualistic exhibition Bommaikalu or ‘Kolu’/’Golu’ wherein women display the dolls representing various deities, renowned saints. In some parts of southern India, these dolls areconsidered royal audience to the traditional performances performed to honor the gods. The women invite other women from the neighborhood to visit their homes and exchange presents and sweets to mark harmony and jollity. The three goddesses namely Saraswati (the goddess of wisdom), Durga (the goddess of power) and Laxmi (the goddess of prosperity) are worshipped on different days during the nine day celebration in South India. Moreover, In Kerela on the eighth day (known as Durgashtami) a ceremonial ritual is performed and all tools, providing livelihood, including books, are put off for the evening in order to draw Saraswati’s blessings.

It would not be wrong to generalize that all regions through their distinguished detailed ceremonies ultimately aim to commemorate the prevalence of good over evil. Thus tied through a secret thread of devotion, the nine days acts as a reminder to the individual and the community that right has triumphed over wrong since time immemorial and instills a need for communal harmony and respect, thereby, strengthening unity in diversity. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif] [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]