The 9-day-long festival of Shardiya Navaratri festival dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine avatars began on Monday with the first day of the festivity being marked with Kalash or Ghatsthapna.
The festival is celebrated with much fervour all across the country by Hindus. The festival takes place in the month of Ashwin during the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the Moon), hence the name. Pratipada Tithi, the first day of Navaratri, marks the arrival of the Goddess.
Mata Shailputri is worshipped on the first day. She is also referred to as Hemavati and Parvati. After her self-immolation, Goddess Sati was born to King Himalaya as Shailputri.
Shailputri is a combination of two words: Shail, which means mountain, and Putri, which means daughter, daughter of mountains. She is depicted with two hands, with a Trishul in the right hand and a lotus flower in the left.
Goddess Shailputri is also known as Vrisharudha because she rides a white bull.
Kalash or Ghatsthapna
The most important ritual during Navaratri, Ghatsthapna is done to mark the beginning of the 9-day festival. The Ghatsthapna Abhijit Muhurat will take place from 11:44 AM to 12:30 PM on October 15, 2023.
Shailputri Puja Vidhi
The festival begins with Ghatsthapna and is followed by Panchopachara Puja. Goddess Shailputri is presented with an oil lamp, incense sticks, flowers, fruits, and sweets made of desi ghee as bhog.
Significance
On the first day of Navaratri, devotees worship Maa Shailputri and seek blessings for the well-being of the family.
Navaratri means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit It is intended for worshipping Goddess Durga and her nine avatars, known as Navdurga.
Hindus observe a total of four Navaratri throughout the year. Only two of them, Chaitra Navaratri and Shardiya Navaratri saw widespread celebrations, as they coincide with the beginnings of the seasons.
In India, Navaratri is celebrated in a wide range of ways. Ramlila, a celebration in which scenes from the Ramayana are performed, is organised in North India, mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. The burning of King Ravana’s effigies marks the conclusion of the story on Vijayadashami.
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