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Why Is Navratri Celebrated? The Spiritual and Mythological Meaning Behind the Festival
Date 9 September 2025 Reading time: 7-10 mins
The scent of incense fills your home, colourful rangolis grace doorsteps, and the rhythmic beats of garba echo across neighbourhoods. As autumn arrives, India transforms into a celebration arena with Navratri festivities lighting up communities nationwide. But why is Navratri celebrated with such devotion and joy across India?
Whether you're planning to participate in community festivities, conduct home rituals, or simply want to understand the history behind Navratri and the reason why Navratri is celebrated twice in a year.
What is Navratri?
Navratri, meaning "nine nights" in Sanskrit, stands as one of Hinduism's most significant festivals dedicated to worshipping the divine feminine energy. These nine sacred nights focus on honouring Goddess Durga and her nine manifestations, collectively representing Shakti – the primordial cosmic energy believed to be the source of all creation, preservation, and transformation.
The festival creates a rhythm to life across India, from Gujarat's energetic garba circles to Bengal's elaborate Durga Puja pandals. During these nine days, devotees engage in fasting, prayers, and celebrations that vary dramatically across regions but share the common thread of venerating the goddess.
Why is Navratri Celebrated?
Why do we celebrate Navratri with such enthusiasm? At its core, this nine-night festival commemorates the eternal battle between divine and demonic forces – a theme that resonates across cultures and generations. Navratri festival history says the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura symbolises the triumph of righteousness over wickedness.
Beyond mythology, the reason why Navratri is celebrated is because it serves as a spiritual reboot, inviting devotees to cleanse their minds, cultivate self-discipline through fasting, and nurture inner strength through devotional practices.
The Spiritual Significance of Navratri
The spiritual dimensions of Navratri extend far beyond its outward festivities. Why do we celebrate Navratri from a spiritual perspective? The answer lies in understanding how the festival guides devotees toward inner awakening.
Each of the nine nights corresponds to different energy centres or chakras within the human body. The spiritual journey progresses from the root chakra to the crown chakra, symbolising the awakening of kundalini energy and spiritual consciousness. This gradual progression mirrors the soul's evolutionary journey toward higher awareness.
How do you celebrate Navratri spiritually? Consider these practices:
- Begin each morning with a short meditation focusing on the day's specific goddess
- Maintain a sattvic (pure) diet, avoiding tamasic foods that create heaviness
- Chant the Devi Mahatmyam or specific mantras associated with each form of the goddess
- Create a designated prayer space with fresh flowers, fruits, and a sacred lamp
- Practice introspection each evening, examining qualities you wish to cultivate
The Mythological Meaning Behind Navratri
The dramatic saga behind why is Navratri celebrated begins with a cosmic crisis. According to Hindu scriptures, particularly the Devi Mahatmyam, the buffalo demon Mahishasura had become virtually invincible after receiving a boon that no man or god could defeat him.
As Mahishasura wreaked havoc across the three worlds, the distressed gods combined their energies to manifest Goddess Durga – a divine female warrior equipped with weapons from each deity. Navratri history says that for nine days and nights, Durga battled the shape-shifting demon, finally defeating him on the tenth day (Vijayadashami).
Different regional traditions emphasise various aspects of the history behind Navratri. In North India, the focus shifts to Lord Rama's victory over Ravana, while in Bengal, the celebration centres on Durga's annual visit to her maternal home (Earth). These regional variations add richness to why Navratri is celebrated.
Why is Navratri Celebrated Twice a Year?
The Hindu calendar follows both solar and lunar movements, creating natural junctures for spiritual observances. These transition points mark shifts in natural energies and are considered especially potent for spiritual practices. Navratri strategically falls during two such significant transitions – the spring and autumn equinoxes – when day and night achieve perfect balance. Why Navratri is celebrated twice in a year relates to the cosmic calendar and the dual aspects of nature's cycles.
In which month Navratri is celebrated in depends on which of the two events we observe. The spring celebration (Chaitra Navratri) usually occurs in March-April, while the autumn festival (Sharad Navratri) typically falls in September-October. These timings align with seasonal shifts that ancient wisdom recognised as important energetic transitions.
The Two Navratris: Chaitra and Sharad Navratri
The spring celebration known as Chaitra Navratri coincides with the beginning of the Hindu lunar calendar. When is Navratri celebrated in spring? It typically falls in March-April (the month of Chaitra), marking nature's reawakening after winter. This Navratri welcomes new beginnings, planting seeds both literally in fields and metaphorically in our lives.
The more widely observed autumn festival, Sharad Navratri, occurs during September-October (the month of Ashwin). This version garners greater popularity and more elaborate celebrations across India. The autumn timing aligns with the harvest season, making it a celebration of abundance and gratitude.
While both festivals honour the goddess, they differ in how you celebrate Navratri and when Navratri is celebrated in different regions:
- Chaitra Navratri: More prominent in northern and western India, with emphasis on Rama's birth during this period
- Sharad Navratri: Celebrated nationwide with particular enthusiasm in Gujarat (Garba), Bengal (Durga Puja), and South India (Bommai Kolu)
Why is Navratri Celebrated for 9 Days?
The nine-day duration of this festival isn't arbitrary but deeply symbolic. Why Navratri is celebrated for 9 days connects to both cosmic numerology and the spiritual progression the festival represents.
In Hindu spiritual traditions, the number nine holds special significance as the highest single-digit number, representing completion and divine perfection. Nine also corresponds to the nine forms of cosmic energy or the nine planets in Vedic astrology, each influencing different aspects of human experience.
The Nine Nights of Navratri: A Day-by-Day Guide
How to celebrate Navratri festival differs slightly each day as devotees honour a different form of the goddess. Here's a day-by-day guide to the nine divine manifestations:
Day 1: Shailaputri (Daughter of the Mountains)
- Represents purity, innocence, and connection to nature
- Colour: Yellow
Day 2: Brahmacharini (The One Who Practices Penance)
- Represents self-discipline, austerity, and spiritual pursuit
- Colour: Green
Day 3: Chandraghanta (The One Adorned with Moon Bell)
- Represents courage, readiness for battle against evil
- Colour: Grey
Day 4: Kushmanda (The Creator of the Universe)
- Represents cosmic creation energy and healing power
- Colour: Orange
Day 5: Skandamata (Mother of Skanda/Kartikeya)
- Represents motherly love and nurturing qualities
- Colour: White
Day 6: Katyayani (The Warrior Form)
- Represents fierce courage and determination
- Colour: Red
Day 7: Kalaratri (The Dark Night)
- Represents destruction of evil and negative energies
- Colour: Royal Blue
Day 8: Mahagauri (The Fair One)
- Represents purity, serenity and intelligence
- Colour: Pink
Day 9: Siddhidatri (Bestower of Supernatural Powers)
- Represents completion, fulfilment of spiritual aspirations
- Colour: Purple
How to celebrate Navratri at home can be as simple or elaborate as you prefer. Creating a small altar with the goddess image, offering seasonal fruits, lighting a lamp, learning about the history of Navratri fast, and reciting prayers creates a meaningful connection.
Embrace The Divine Wholesomeness of Navratri
From mythological battlefields to modern living rooms, the question of why is Navratri celebrated continues to resonate, connecting generations through a rich spiritual and cultural legacy.
If you're thinking about how to celebrate Navratri at home, consider turning each day into a celebration of colour and intention. Men can embrace the spirit by dressing in the designated colour for each day. Explore Diwas for a wide range of outfits, including the festival collection for thoughtfully curated kurta sets that align with each day's hue.
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