Why celebrate Navratri?
Navratri is celebrated in reverence to goddess Durga who killed the evil demon Mahishasur after a battle which lasted nine days and night. Each of the nine days and nights each representing a different form of Durga. According to the Hindu scriptures, the demon Mahishasur began to destroy lives on earth after he was endowed with power by the blessing of Lord Shiva. Troubled by such an outcome, the Gods invoked Goddess Durga and asked for help to put a stop to this barbarism. Hence the Goddess, astride a lion, and armed with Her weapons, the “shul” (pike), “chakra” (wheel), >”parshu” (axe) and “talvar” (sword), started her fight against this demon on the first day of Navratri until he was defeated on the ninth day. The significance of the Navratri puja is to eliminate our negative tendencies and gain true knowledge and freedom through consistent practice. Night represents our ignorance of the Self and worship conducted during the night time is telling us to wake up from this sleep. The
