“Navratri 2024: Celebrating the Divine Victory of Good Over Evil”
Navratri is a significant Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Durga, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. In 2024, it runs from October 3 to October 12. Each day honors a different form of the goddess, with unique rituals and colors associated with each avatar. The festival begins with Ghatasthapana, marking the installation of a sacred pot, and culminates in Vijayadashami, celebrating the triumph of divine forces. Navratri involves fasting, prayers, and cultural festivities, deeply rooted in spiritual traditions across India.
# ASHTAMI AND NAVAMI TIME
Ashtami in 2024 will begin on October 10 at 12:31 PM and end on October 11 at 12:06 PM. This day is significant for worshipping Goddess Durga, particularly through rituals like Kanya Pujan.
Navami will commence immediately after Ashtami, starting on October 11and concluding on October 12 at 10:57 AM. Both days are crucial during the Navratri festival, with special observances and prayers dedicated to the goddess.
#Which of the rituals are mainly performed on Ashtami?
#Main rituals on the Ashtami day are:
Mahasnan: It is actually a puja wherein the goddess idol is formally washed with purification.
Shodashopachara Puja: It is a puja, which is performed with 16 articles like flowers and sweets to call the goddess.
Kumari Puja: Girls are worshiped as the goddesses after which they get to have a feast rich in delicacies.
Sandhi Puja: This is the puja in which Ashtami coincides with Navami, marking the biggest moment of the festival.
Sacred Fire (Homa): Repeated offerings in the fire while muttering mantras to appease the deity.
## Navami rituals
On the day of Navami, falling on October 11, 2024, following activities are prominent:
Mahasnan: Purification ritual by way of ceremonial bath to the Goddess Idol.
Shodashopachara Puja: Giving 16 things that can be flowers and sweets before the Goddess to seek blessings.
Kanya Pujan: Worship of nine girls as Dazzles of the Goddess; her meal is served and gifts are given.
Kanya Puja: This is the special worship done at the time of transition from Ashtami to Navami. Kanya Puja is the most important moment of the festival.
Havan: The sacred fire ritual where offerings are given to the god while reciting mantras to invoke blessings
##How is Kanya Pujan performed on Maha Navami?
The Kanya Pujan done on Maha Navami involves the following activities:
Pujan ritual performed on Maha Navami
Invite Young Girls: Gather nine girls in the age group of 2 to 10 years. All of them will embody one of the nine forms of the goddess Durga.
Wash Feet: Clean each girl’s feet by washing to show respect and clean them.
Dress and Ornament: Dress them in new garments, bangles, and bindis. Make an application of kumkum- the red powder on the head, and a red kalava band is tied on the hand.
Seating Arrangement: Place them on a clean decorated dais or mat.
Offerings: Offer a dinner of sweets, fruits, and the traditional items like halwa and puri. Add incense sticks and lamps to the offerings.
Chanting Mantras: Chant mantras for Goddess Durga on this ritual day.
Gifts and Seeking Blessings: Gift money or clothes to the girls and seek their blessings by touching the feet before they leave.
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#What is the difference between Kanya Pujan on Ashtami and Navami?
The ceremony of Kanya Pujan is fundamentally different on Ashtami and Navami with regard to meaning and time:
Time: In 2024, both Ashtami and Navami occur on the same date, 11th October. On account of this collision, the event of Kanya Pujan will occur on 11th Oct 2024 because Ashtami and Navami overlap that year. In traditional rituals, Ashtami is performed in honor of the eighth manifestation of Goddess Durga, and Navami to the ninth form.
Meaning: On Ashtami, Kanya Pujan is focused on the worship of young girls replete with Goddess Durga and invokes purity and strength. On Navami, it symbolizes the culmination of the festival wherein people seek blessings for spiritual uplifting and prosperity while getting ready for the celebration of Vijayadashami.
Rituals Differences: Although the rituals on the two days are quite alike, washing the feet and offering food and taking blessings; the surroundings of Navami are usually more celebratory in nature since it is the last day of Navratri celebrations.
## What special rituals are performed when both Ashtami and Navami fall on the same date?
When Ashtami falls on the same date as Navami 8th and 9th of October 2024, several special rituals and observances are in focus:
Both Puja will be done. Invitation will go to young girls with an offer to stay at houses for blessings and offerings. Spiritual Power Boosts since they are being worshipped as manifestations of the Goddess.
Increased Devotion: The closeness will intensify the spiritual forces of the day, and thus blessings and avoiding adversities will be especially potent for prayers and fasts.
Rallies at Large: The numbers of people visiting temples and Durga pandals are expected to go up, indicating more devotion and participation by the community.
Sandhi Puja: This special puja to mark the AshtamiNavmi transition also needs to be performed, making this be a ritual-packed day in all respects without such deviation from other customary practices.
##What does the colour yellow symbolise in Navratri on the very first day?
On the very first day of Navratri, yellow is the colour, depicting bliss and hopefulness. It depicts qualities of strength as well as purity in goddess Shailaputri. While worshiping in yellow, it is believed that her blessings will attract people to energize and look forward to nine days of festival. The color marks spiritual awakening, encourages introspection, and thus spreads joy and gives a new beginning in life.
## What are the primary rituals of Dussehra
Dussehra, or also known as Vijayadashami is one celebration that commemorates Lord Rama’s victory over the demon king, Ravana, meaning good destroying evil. Key rituals include:
Ravan Dahan: Burning effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnad signifies the annihilation of evil.
Ram Leela: The performances of the drama or play telling Ramayana. Engaging the community in storytelling and cultural expression15.
Ayudhapuja: Worshipping weapons and utensils for prosperity and success.
Shami Tree Puja: The worship of the Shami tree means victory and new things.
These customs give respect to the moral values and community feeling in this joyous festival.
##What is the importance of Shastra Puja during Dussehra?
Shastra Puja during Dussehra forms a nice cultural and religious ceremony. Puja of weapons and instruments; rituals symbolising strength signify safety. This act showers praise upon the powers being divine that empower people for their mission. It is said that after killing evil forces, Goddess Durga worshiped her arms.
Key points:
Historical Background: Ancient tradition follows and instruments depicting power in which royal practices are used.
Spiritual Blessings: The rite is performed by the followers to attain the grace of goddesses like Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati in the form of strength to defeat the evil elements in life.
Present Relevance: It is also performed by the armed forces to maintain the feeling of spirituality and national security.
The day is Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, which falls on October 12, 2024. It marks the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana and Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, signifying good over evil. Dashami tithi starts at 10:58 AM on October 12 and ends at 9:08 AM on October 13. Some local rituals include festivities in burning of effigies of Ravana along with Durga Visarjan in Bengal.
##Preparation at home
How to prepare for Dussehra in home can be an engaging process, which can be done as follows:
Saraswati Puja: Prepare a small altar with books, toffees, and other offerings to worship the Goddess of knowledge.
Ravan effigy: Get your family to engage themselves in the process of making a Ravan effigy from papers.
Host a Storytelling Session: You can share the Ramayana or perform a skit, by which everyone is educated and entertained.
Decorate with Rangoli: Colorful rangoli designs at your entrance with traditional colors, red, orange, and yellow.
Dandiya Party: Invite friends over for a lively dandiya dance night. They should dress up in traditional attire and listen to traditional music.
These are a few fun activities that’ll make your Dussehra celebration lively while observing its true spirit.
10, 11 या 12 अक्टूबर में से किस दिन की जाएगी अष्टमी-नवमी की पूजा? यहां जानिए सही तारीख और पूजा मुहूर्त
Ashtami and Navami date Puja Muhurta : इस बार एक नवरात्र बढ़ जाने के कारण आम लोग अष्टमी और नवमी तिथि को लेकर थोड़े कंफ्यूज हैं. ऐसे में हम आपको इस लेख में अष्टमी और नवमी तिथि की सही तारीख बताने जा रहे हैं ताकि आप विधिपूर्वक नवरात्रि का समापन कर सकें.
Ashtami Navami puja Vidhi & muhurat : वैदिक पंचांग के अनुसार शारदीय नवरात्रि हर साल अश्विन माह में आने वाली शुक्ल पक्ष की प्रतिपदा तिथि से आरंभ होती है, जिसका समापन नवमी तिथि पर होता है. इस साल नवरात्रि 3 अक्तूबर दिन गुरुवार से शुरू हुई है जिसका समापन 11 अक्तूबर को होगा. वहीं, मूर्ति का विसर्जन 12 अक्तूबर को किया जाएगा. इस बार एक नवरात्र बढ़ जाने के कारण आम लोग अष्टमी और नवमी तिथि को लेकर थोड़े कंफ्यूज हैं. ऐसे में हम आपको इस लेख में अष्टमी और नवमी तिथि की सही तारीख बताने जा रहे हैं, ताकि आप विधिपूर्वक नवरात्रि का समापन कर सकें.
कब है अष्टमी तिथि – When is Ashtami Tithi
पंचांग के अनुसार, इस साल शारदीय नवरात्रि की अष्टमी तिथि की शुरूआत दोपहर 12 बजकर 31 मिनट से शुरू हो रही है जिसका समापन अगले दिन 11 अक्तूबर को 12 बजकर 6 मिनट पर होगी. इसके समापन के तुरंत बाद नवमी तिथि शुरू हो जाएगी, जो 12 अक्तूबर सुबह 10 बजकर 57 मिनट पर होगी. आपको बता दें कि उदयातिथि पड़ने के कारण अष्टमी और नवमी तिथि का व्रत 11 तारीख को ही रखा जाएगा.
अष्टमी और नवमी तिथि पूजा मुहूर्त – Ashtami and Navami date Puja Muhurta
पंचांग के अनुसार 11 अक्तूबर 2024 को पूजा का मुहूर्त सुबह 6 बजकर 20 मिनट से लेकर 7 बजकर 47 मिनट से लेकर 9 बजकर 14 मिनट तक है. 11 अक्तूबर को अमृत मुहूर्त सुबह 9 बजकर 14 मिनट से लेकर सुबह 10 बजकर 41 मिनट तक है.