Dussera, Navaratri, Durgapooja and Bommala Koluvu

Navaratri is a festival of Hindus celebrated with devotion, love and favour all over India. It is also called as 







Dussera, Navaratri, Durgapooja and Bommala Koluvu

The feel of Navratri is very unique. It incorporates worship along with remembrance by means of songs, different forms of dances, Hari-Kathas and Burra Kathas. Navratri chiefly means "Nine Nights" "Nav" meaning nine and "Ratri" meaning nights. These nights are devoted to the reverence of Goddess Maha Lakshmi, Maha Saraswati and Maha Kali.It is the symbolic representation of all three Goddesses in one form of Maha Shakti. (Maa Durga) who also exists in many forms and is the manifestation of the absolute energy that encompasses the Universe. During these days and nights prayers, Poojas, Parayanams(lengthy recitation of Maha Devi Bhagavatam, Ramayan, SundaraKandam) is offered to Mother Goddess. For the devout these days are the sacred for it is during these days when Goddess Durga as per Maha Devi Bhagavatam Mother Goddess in Maha Shakthi from killing demon (Symbolic evil) and restored peace and fraternity (symbolic good) after a fierceful battle for long periods. During these night days Mother Maha Shakthi assumed many forms both aggressive and powerful forms to for her devotees and grants all blessings, removes ills and evils and ensures trouble-free life for her devotees on this earth.

Dasara or Dussera (Ten days or destroying ten sins is technically another name given for Navarathri (Nine Nights) festival. It also denotes  the Great Ninth (Mahanavami and Victoriouys Tenth-Viijaya Dashami. It  commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over Buffalo demon Mahisa or Rama’s Conquest of Lanka.  Yet another version that is said here is, the ninth day, the warriors Pandavas in the epic of Mahabharata recovered the weapons he had hidden in Sami tree also called as Jammi tree during their exile. On the ninth day, Pandava warriors worshipped their weapons –Ayudha Puja and set out for the battle

Navratri is celebrated four times in a year:

In a one year period four Navarathri are observed and devoted for attribution on the lotus feet of Mother Goddess. Of the four the Navarathri that two navarathri , namely one that comes during September-October as per English Almanac and Poratasi month or Kanya month in Tamil and Aswin or Asvija month in Kannada or Telugu during Shukla Paksha of the lunar month after the Mahalaya Paksha or Paksha masa. It is known is more sacrosanct than the other three, as it is observed in the whole country in varied rituals and rendition. (Paksha Masa is totally attributable for the observation of Ancestors). It is believed that remembrance and observation of Ancestors first that pleases God or Goddess. God/Goddess blesses the family that primarily remembers their ancestors and carries on the culture and tradition. Second blessed Navarathri comes during Shukla Paksha of the lunar month of Chaitra, corresponding to mid-March to mid-April. The timing of these Navratras relate to the autumn and outbreak of diseases and illness due to the change in time and seasons change, and have a good harvest. During this period less water is found on the land due to extreme heat generation and humidity.

The Motherhood of God

Navaratri is a festival in which the Almighty is adored as Mother. Hinduism is the only religion  in the world which has highlighted to such an extent the motherhood. To get a good harvest, health, longitivity, prosperity, progeny, and protection from evil effects of nine planets, women plant nine different kinds of food grain seeds (symbolic representation for each planets and also called pleasers) in small containers during these nine days and then offer the young saplings to the goddess. Again, it is the first salutation and Thanksgiving to Mother of food in the form of Annapurna who bestows enough food to all.

The Nine forms in which mother is alankaram or decorated are:

Mother Shailputri or Sati or Bharmi who was the daughter of Himalaya (King of the Mountain), wife of Lord Shiva and mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya;

Mother Brahmachaarini or Indrani-, who gives the message of pure love to the world;

Mother Chandraghanta or Varahi, who establishes Justice and wears the crescent moon on Her head;

Mother Kushmaanda or Narasimhi, who provides the basic necessities to the world and safeguards it ;

Mother Gaja Lakshmi , who gives the gift of differentiation of right from wrong to the world and ensures power;

Mother Kaatyayini or Koumari, who persistently battles against the evil and deceitful entities;

Mother Kaalratri or kali, who killed Raktabeej ( a demon who produced  demons from every drop of blood that fell from his body. Goddess eventually licked the blood before it could reach the ground and hence conquered him);

Mother Chaamunda, who killed two demons--Chanda and Munda and restored tranquility;

MotherMaha Gauri or Mother Durga who also liberates the world of evil forces;

Mother Sidhidaarti or Saraswati, who is a treasure house of Mystic Powers (Yantra Tantra) and Knowledge (Gyaan).

Mother Rajarajeahwari or Kamadenu- Who ensures the vicory of Good over Evil and blesses the humanity with abundance prosperity on the tenth day called Vijay Dashmi or Dussara (dasva rath or tenth day-and-night).

According to legends the nine days are divided and devoted to the Trinity of God or Maha Maya worshipped in a female form. The first three days for Mother Durga (Goddess of fearlessness) is worshipped, for three days Mother Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and three days for Mother Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge and Art). On the fifth day, that is, Lalita Panchami books are gathered; the lamp is lighted to appeal to Saraswati. The eighth and ninth day, Yagna (sacrifice offered to the fire) and Maha Chandi yagna or homa is performed to honour heavenly Goddess and bid her farewell.

On the occasion of Navaratri, we invoke three kinds of potential energies--Ichchaa Shakti (willpower), Kriyaa Shakti (the power of action) and Jnana Shakti (the power of discrimination) from Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

Navratras are celebrated with great passion particularly in West Bengal where it is known as "Durga Pooja". The celebration starts from the fifth day of Navarathri. On the following full moon day Maha Lakshmi pooja is done to please the Goddess of wealth in particular. In Gujarat it is celebrated along with pooja and vrat for all nine days. Special feature here is Garba dance and dandiya in the evening as a get-together of all the sections of the community with out discretion of age, class and clan.

In south in Tamil Nadu along with Amman (Goddess) pooja Bommai Golu- decoration and arrangement of dolls in steps are the major highlight event. In Tamil, Nadu Navarathri is celebrated by setting up ‘Golu' in a corner of every home. It is the gallery of handcrafted dolls representing major deities, scenes from everyday life, thematic doll sets representing mythological events or even modern day happenings and so on. In Tamil, Golu means a sovereign sitting in his royal durbar. The underlying belief in arranging these Navratri dolls on the tier is to depict that Goddess Durga or Mahishasuramardini is sitting in her Golu, prior to the slaying of the demon Mahishasura. In Telugu is known as Bommala Kolu. In some part of Andhra regions arrangement of dolls similar to Tamil Nadu exists especially towards Kakinada region and all. Where as, in Telanga region the arrangement of dolls are done during Deepavali and Sankranti. During Navarathri Batkamma is played. Batkamma comes from two words called Baduku means Life and protect and Amma is mother. Mother is symbolically represented in the form of flowers and leaf arrangements. In a way it is thanking mother for safeguarding all through and expecting her to safeguard in the future.

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh celebration of Navrathri is done with intense Ammavaru (Goddess) poojas and prayers.

At some places, clay idols of Goddess Durga are ornamented with different weapons in her eight arms, riding a lion, with demon Maheshasur lying dead at her feet. For eight days these idols are worshipped and then immersed in a river or sea-shore on the ninth day with great fanfare.

This period of Navratri also is believed to be sacred for recitation of sacred scriptures such as Durga Sapshudi from Markanday Puran. DeviSahasaranam, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Annapurna, Kali, Rajarajeshwari Sahaaranams. This narrates how Goddess Maha Sakthi was blessed and provided with weapons by our Trinity of Gods to annihilate Maheshasur, the demon who had forced Gods to leave heaven and take refuge on earth. Musical recitations (Kirtans) by famous musicians are offered for the benefit of the Goddess and devotees.

The other version of the legends relates to Ramayana. It was after the fierceful battle with demon Ravana for the night day, Raja Ram killed him on the Tenth day. As Dashmi or Dussara is the day of Victory. In some parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and northern India the effigy of Ravana is made and arrows are shot by the people to symbolize the victory and finally the dummy is burnt.