Navratri, the nine nights Hindu festival, is observed every year in October. This festival comes post-monsoon and is also called Sharada Navratri that is observed to honour Goddess Durga. Sharada means autumn.
The festival is celebrated in the bright half of the Hindu calendar month Ashvin, which falls in the Gregorian months of September and October. Navratri signifies a battle and victory of good over evil.
The festival, which commenced on September 29, is dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess Durga. It will culminate on the tenth day with Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra, on October 08.
During these nine days, devotees dress up, seek blessings of the Goddess Durga daily, light diyas, offer flowers and perform aarti in the morning and evening and observe fast to pay respect to the Goddess.
During the festival period, Ramlila is organised at various places, and on the final day, when Rama ‘kills’ Ravana with his bow, the festival is culminated by burning effigies of Ravana and his brothers Meghnad and Kumbhakaran. During the festival, people dress up in traditional attire, observe fasts, offer prayers to the lord and distribute sweets to relatives and friends.
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