Chaitra Navratri - the beginning of the Hindu New Year

चैत्र नवरात्रि

18 मार्च - 25 मार्च 2018

आत्‍मशुद्ध‍ि और मुक्‍त‍ि का आधार

उपासना और पूजा करने से घर की नाकारात्मकता दूर होती है और वातावरण में साकारात्मक ऊर्जा का संचार होता है

नौ दिन - मां दुर्गा के नौ रूप की पूजा
नौ रूप - मां शैलपुत्री, ब्रह्मचारिणी, चन्द्रघंटा, कूष्माण्डा, स्कंदमाता, कात्यायनी, कालरात्रि, महागौरी और मां सिद्धिदात्री

चैत्र नवरात्रि का महत्‍व
चैत्र नवरात्रि में सूर्य का राशि परिवर्तन होता है।  सूर्य 12 राशियों का चक्र पूरा कर दोबारा मेष राशि में प्रवेश करते हैं और एक नये चक्र की शुरुआत करते हैं।
चैत्र नवरात्रि से हिन्दु नव वर्ष की शुरुआत होती है।

Chaitra Navratri symbolizes the beginning of the Hindu New Year

It falls in the month of chaitra and the beginning of the spring season

Nine forms of Goddess Durga - Shailputri, Brahmachaarini, Chandraghanta, Kushmaanda, Skandamaata, Katyaayani, Kaalraatri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri are worshipped.

Navratri - ‘Nav’ means nine and ‘Ratri’ means night in Sanskrit

= ‘Navratri’ is nine nights of worship and celebration.

Mahishasurmardini (Goddess Durga killing the buffalo-demon, Mahishasur-'Mahish' refers to a 'buffalo' and 'asura'-means demon). 20^th century, West Bengal, colour on cotton cloth, 112 x 92 cm, collection: National Museum, New Delhi

According to the Hindu legends, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva evoked Goddess Durga to save the Devalok (heaven) and the living beings on earth from the tyranny of Mahishasur. The dominion of the Gods had been overpowered by the buffalo demon and hence they were worried about their survival. Using her prowess, the ten-armed goddess on lion slayed the demon, restoring peace in the heavens and on the earth. This pata (cloth) chitra (painting) delineates the victory of good over evil.

Another portrayal of Ma Durga in Mahishaasurmardini avtaar is seen in this beautiful sculpture which was returned to India by Germany

The 10^th century Durga idol had gone missing from a temple in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s and surfaced at the Linden Museum, Stuttgart, in Germany.

The idol was handed over by visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi after their talks in New Delhi, three years after it was spotted in a museum in Stuttgart. Shri Modiji  thanked Merkel and the people of Germany for returning the idol, saying “The statue is from Jammu and Kashmir & is a symbol of victory of good over evil.”