Navratri Festival – Mocomi.com

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Festivals are for fun and food, friends and family, and of course holidays!!

India has festivals to mark seasonal changes, seeding and harvesting, family occasions just about everything! Navratri as the name indicates is a nine day festival or a nine-night festival. Navratri is celebrated twice a year in India.

The earlier one falls roughly in April, and ends in Ram Navami, where all Hindus celebrate the birth of Ram, the king of Ayodhya famed for his scrupulous justice. Typically, people fast for the nine days. It's not like they go hungry for the entire time but eat a variety of grain and cereal, except for wheat and rice. The change of diet is a good practice to ensure the health of the digestive system.

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In many parts of North India, there is a ‘jagran’ or ‘awakening’ for the entire period. People stay awake all night, singing ‘bhajans’ or devotional songs together. Pop stars are roped in to keep everyone awake! On Ram Navami the birth of Ram is celebrated with worship and feasting.

When Navratri is celebrated again in October, the nine-day fast is made in the name of King Ram. As it goes, Ram had spent fourteen years in exile. Around the middle of that time a demon king Ravana kidnapped his wife, Sita and carried her off to his kingdom in Lanka.

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After much searching he found her found her and

attacked the 10-headed king with the help of his friend Hanuman. He had slayed Ravana, and restored the balance of good and evil in the world. Navratri celebrates this triumph of good over evil.

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In all the northern states of India Ram Leela a nine evening traditional drama eulogizing the life of Lord Ram also concludes on Dashera , the tenth day. Huge effigies of Ravana are burnt down to much merriment and bursting of crackers and feasting.

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Huge fairs emerge in cities and towns across the country where all kinds of food and curio stalls offer their fascinating wares. People enjoy themselves late into the night, gorging on traditional sweets and savories. In Gujarat, people step out and dance the Dandiya all night long, in glory of the goddess Durga.

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Navratri in October is also important in West Bengal and the seven north eastern states of India. Here it is called Durga Pooja. For ten days, everyone in West Bengal is on a holiday no school, no office! The militant and fiery Goddess Durga is venerated all during this time. Worshippers fast for nine days and pay obeisance to huge effigies of Durga slaying the wicked demon Mahishasur.

NAVRATRI IN THE NORTH-EAST

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It is a time when the rich literary and artistic tradition of Bengal is brought out on stage. There’s dancing, drama, painting competitions and so on. Food and fun is high on the agenda of this colourful and culturally rich festival.

The purpose of this festival (and many others around the world) is to tell us all that good wins over evil and each of us is meant to chase away wicked thoughts and replace them with good ones.

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PROJECTThe entire story of Ram, Sita and the triumph of good over evil is in the epic Ramayana. Find a member of family and ask them to tell you about why Ram was exiled in the first place. There are also many other sources online and in books where you can find the information if someone in your family doesn't know.

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Navratri Festival – Mocomi.com

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