The 9 nights festival of Navratri begins on the first
day of Ashwina of the bright fortnight. Seeds are sown, sprouting is watched, the planets are consecrated, and on the 8th and 9th days,
Goddess Durga, Vijayashtami and Mahanavami are worshipped (the 2 Navratri’s per
year).Durgaji, the Goddess of Power and destruction is worshipped in these 9 days. We know her 9 forms. Each day is dedicated to one of her forms of worship. They are:v Skondamata - She is the Goddess of Fire. She has four
arms and three eyes. She
rides a lion.v Kushmanda - Seated on a lion, she has a magnanimous presence, and possesses eight arms. Her abode is the solar region.v Shailputri - The embodiment of the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, she rides a bull and carries a trident and a lotus in her two hands.v Kaalratri- This four-armed form rides an ass. She dissipates darkness from amidst her devotees, and bestows freedom from fear and adversity.v Brahmacharini - She is the one who practices devout austerity. Filled with bliss and happiness, she is the way to emancipation – Mokshav Maha Gauri -She is like an eight-year-old girl. She is intelligent and peaceful, possesses three eyes and four arms, and uses the bull as her vehicle.v Katyayani - The chosen goddess of Vrindavan, she is alluring in her golden form. She has four arms and three eyes. She is seated on a lion.v Chandraghanta - She is the apostle of bravery; she rides a lion, and has ten arms. She drives away all evildoers and demoniac incarnation.v Siddhidatri - The bestower of accomplishments, this manifestation is worshipped as one blessed with glory. Seated on a lotus, she has four arms.It is a very auspicious period in Hindu mythology. On the culmination of the 9th day, Dusshera is
celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. Ravana had kidnapped Sitaji, beloved wife of Lord Rama. With the help of Lord Hanuman when Lord Rama found that Sita was in the grip of Ravana, he marched with his army to Lanka (where Ravana lived). After a fierce battle that lasted for days, Lord Rama finally won the battle and got back Sita. In Mahabharata, Lord Rama’s victorious return to Ayodhaya, his homeland was celebrated with crackers. People danced in happiness and fun. To commemorate this day in the history of Hindu religion, every year, on Vijayadashmi, massive artificially built Ravana is burnt to mark the authenticity of the day. Bengalis celebrate this festival with utmost devotion and religious spirit.The word Garba comes from the sanskrit word Garbha deep. The closest meaning of Garbha in the English language is "inside" or "womb", as inside of an earthen pot which people still use to store drinking water. The word Deep means lamp (diya), a burning cotton wick in oil in a small earthen vessel. People in western India do Ghat Sthapana, which is an earthen pot with holes in it, and decorated with colors, patterns, mirrors, etc, with a diya inside. Traditionally, Navratri was celebrated by Hindu women only, in the honor of goddess Amba/Durga. Amba/Durga is believed to be a Shakti, originating from Lord Shankara.Women would put this Garbha deep in the center, as a symbol of shakti/goddess. And at the rhythm of prayers/bhajanas they will be dancing with clapping in concentric circles around the Garbha Deep or Garbo.Although
dandiya raas is also somewhat associated with garba, it is originating from a totally different root. Dandiya raas was traditionally performed by men only. This dance/art originated in western part of Gujarat state in India. The dandiya is actually a pair of bamboo or any wooden sticks of the length 1.5 to 2 feet (45 to 60 cm). Men would hold these sticks in hand, and start with a circular formation. Traditionally, this was a pseudo practice of the sword fight with footwork, you can call it as in poomse in Tae Kwon Do or Kata in Karate. And that is the reason it was performed by men only. It is a highly energetic sort of exercise. You will still find these traditional movements and forms of Dandiya raas in Saurashtra (Western Gujarat). This was an excellent social tradition of incorporating goddess with an art of swords and also with entertainment, when there were many invasions happening on small kingdoms and almost every man in society was responsible for his region's and community's safety. It is celebrated every year.
More summaries about the NAVRATRI, the 9-Day Festival of India