Navratri Festival
Navratri Festival or Navaratri Festival is one of the most important Hindu festivals of India celebrated with great religious fervor throughout India. Navratri means “Nine Nights in Sanskrit”; Nava meaning Nine and Ratri meaning nights. The nine forms of Goddess Shakti are worshipped during these nine nights and ten days. Each of the three days is devoted toworship of Goddess Durga – the Goddess of courage, Goddess Lakshmi – the Goddess of Wealth and Goddess Saraswati – the Goddess of Knowledge.
Navratri Festival is celebrated twice a year. Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in March-April, and Sharad Navratri is celebrated in October-November. The day after Sharad Navratri, ie., on the tenth day, Dussehra or Vijayadasami is celebrated. While the tenth day festival is called as Dussehra in Northern India, in Southern India, it is called as Vijayadasami. According to the Hindu calendar, Sharadeya Navratri fallson the first day of the Shukla Paksha
(waxing phase of moon) in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September- October).