The country today celebrating Mahanavami which falls on the ninth day of Navratri puja that is celebrated across India in the month of Ashwin as per Hindu calendar.
Navratri falls during this month and it is the most significant of festivals among all the four Navratris which are Chaitra Navratri, Paush Navratri, Magha Navratri and Sharad Navratri.This year, Navratri started from September 21 and will culminate ahead of Dussehra on September 30. Mahanavami is celebrated a day before Dussehra.
Significance and importance
On the day of Mahanavmi, Shodasopachar puja (puja with sixteen offerings) and Mahasnan is done for Ma Durga. The goddess is worshipped as Mahishasura Mardhini or the destroyer of Mahishasura on the day. As per scriptures, the goddess killed the demon on this day. It is with this belief that she is given a holy bath and honoured with sixteen types of offerings to her. On this day Navami Havan, which is also called Chandi Homam, is conducted.
Devotees of the goddess organise the havan and pray to Ma Durga for prosperity and good health, as per astrosage . On this day the havan must always be done in the afternoon. In West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Tripura the puja is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Pandals are seen bustling with the huge crowd, offering their prayers or roam around in festive mood, having delicious snacks and participating in cultural events.
Kanya puja is performed on this day in states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, on this day. As many as nine girls are invited in homes. These girls are treated like nine forms of Durga, and are also offered delicacies like puri, chana ka sabzi, kheer and halwa.
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