Celebration of festivals is a part of our spiritual culture. Navaratri is one such important festival. The Goddess Herself speaks of this to Markandeya, making it doubly spiritual in nature. Although there are Navaratris occurring in many months, such as in the Vasanta season, the Navratri falling in the month of Purattasi is highly sacrosanct, Tiruvidaimarudhur Brahmasri Niddhiswaran Shrowthigal said in a discourse.
If we pray to Ambal during this period, there is no doubt that our hardships will be alleviated. On nine days, we pray to the Nava Durgas, the nine different phenomenons of Ambal. This is why we pray to Ambal, Lakshmi and Saraswati sequentially. Saraswati Puja in particular is also observed as the day of Ayudha Puja. In the past, kings and garrison chiefs offered their weapons to Saraswati and sought Her blessings.
Navratri finds mention in Durga Saptashati in the Markandeya Puranam, which says Suraghan, a king, and Vaishya Samadhi, a man of commerce, created a form of Ambal from clay and prayed to Her.
How do you conduct the puja? Many households follow the tradition of putting up a display of dolls known as kolu to this day. Holding centre stage is the kalasam with Ambal presiding over it. Although there are many ways of celebrating a festival, the chanting of slokas is the most beneficial during Navarati. It’s also the easiest form of worship since we can chant a prayer regardless of where we are at a given point of time.
Durga Saptasati from the Markandeya Puranam is chanted by many. The powerful Durga Kavacham hails Her as Shailaputree, Brahmacharinee, Chandragantaa, Kooshmaandaa, Skandamaata. Kaatyayanedd, Kaalaratree, Mahagauree, and Siddhiaatree. Chanting from the beginning of the sloka — ‘Prathamam shilaputree cha dviteeyam brahmachirnee’ — is recommended.
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