The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti / Devi are worshiped. Navratri is celebrated across various parts of India for nine nights and ten days. The Navratri festivities begin on 15th October 2018. The story behind celebration of Navratri originates from the Hindu perspective of good triumphing over evil, i.e., of Goddess Durga defeating the asura Mahishasura, to claim her rightful place in the hearts of selfless worshippers.
With the aim of pleasing our deity with all that we have and all that we can, we might offer a few things which are unconsecrated and might end up spreading inauspiciousness around. Therefore, one must always know what are the things that are sacred and what are not, before performing Navratri Puja.
Tips to please Goddess Durga this Navratri 2018 (The Do’s and Don’ts)
• Wake up in the morning and chant the following Durga Gayatri Mantra along with the proper procedure: “Om girijaye viddhhe Shiv priye dhimahi Tanno Durge prchodayat”
• On Navami, wake up early in the morning and worship Goddess Durga along with the proper procedure before Durga idol, after taking a bath. Then offer kumkum, sandalwood paste, red cloth, beetle nut, hibiscus flower, kaleva and fruits. After this, take a svatik rosary and chant the above given mantra atleast 108 times.
• Do not lie or use unkind words on others as it spews ill effects and creates a circle of negativity around you.
• Chanting the mantras with a foul-smelling mouth is considered inauspicious too. The hair also must be washed. Offering puja with unclean hair and foul-smelling mouth makes the offering unsuccessful.
• Do not dirty your home, specially your puja room. Keep it dirt-free and cleansed to reflect positive energy.
• Offer home-made naivedyam or milk and sweets to Goddess.
• Do not study on the 9th day. On the contrary, keep your books, pens, pencil and other tools of education near Goddess Saraswati so that you can get her blessings.
