Navratri – Nine nights (Day 1 to Day 10) INDIA Oct 16 to Oct 23, 2012 (actually 8 days) Bodhayana on Oct 14th and Sarva Amavasai on Oct 15TH, 2012 www.saveca.ca

Date Day Count Tithi Star 15 Mon 0 Mahalaya Sarva Amavasai Hastam (upto 9:09am) +Chitra 16 Tue 1 Prathama – Navratri Begins Mahalaya Paksham TharpaNam Ends 16 Tue 1 Prathama (upto 2:18pm am) + Dviti Swaathi 17 Wed 2 Dvitiya (upto10:59am)+Tritiya Vishakha 18 Thurs 3&4 Tritiya (upto 7:44am)+Chathurthi Anuradha 19 Fri 5 Panchami Jyeshta 20 Sat 6 Shashti Moolam 21 Sun 7 Saptami Poorva Shada 22 Mon 8 Ashtami Uthra Shada 23 Tue 9 Navami Sravana 23 Wed 9 Navami – Navratri Ends Sravana 24 Wed 10 Vijaya Dashami Sravishta Navrathri Pooja Worship – Goddess Durga Slokams Recommended 16 Mon 1 Neivedhyam: Pal Paayasam Durga Suktam, Devi 17 Tue 2 Mahatmyam/Durga Saptashati (13 18 Wed 3&4 CDs: Slokas in MP3 and text available in chapters – 700 verses on Durga), pdf Lalitha Trisathi, Lalitha Sahasranamam, Shyamala Dandakam *Durga Saptashati - Devi bhagavatam notes that Rama meditated and fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana Worship - Goddess Maha Lakshmi Slokams Recommended 19 Thurs 5 Neivedhyam: Sarkarai Pongal Lakshmi Sahasranamam, Lakshmi 20 Fri 6 Ashtothram 21 Sat 7 CDs: Slokas and text available in pdf Worship - Goddess Saaswati Slokams Recommended 22 Sun 8 Neivedhyam: Sarkarai Pongal Saraswati Dwadasa Nama, Saraswati 23 Mon 9 CDs: Slokas and text available in pdf Stothram, Saraswati Ashtothram 24 Tue 10 *Chapter 1 (Madhu kaitabha samhaara) is to be read for 1st day, *Chapter 2, 3 and 4 (Mahishhasura samhaara) to be read on 2nd day, *Chapter 5 and6 (Dhuumralochana vadha) on the 3rd day, *Chapter 7 (Chanda Munda vadha) on 4th day, *Chapter 8 (Rakta biija samhaara) on 5th day, *Chapter 9 and 10 (Shumbha Nishumbha vadha) on 6th day, *Chapter 11 (Praise of Narayani) on 7th day, *Chapter 12 (Phalastuti) on 8th day, *Chapter 13 (Blessings to Suratha and the Merchant) on 9th day.

(Compiled from various sources) Navratri – Nine nights (Day 1 to Day 10) INDIA Oct 16 to Oct 23, 2012 (actually 8 days) Bodhayana on Oct 14th and Sarva Amavasai on Oct 15TH, 2012 www.saveca.ca

Mahanavami (9th day) The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya Puja is performed. On eighth day of Navratri, invite little girls of age group 5-12 (not attained puberty) for food on 9th day. You can invite girls in number 1 to 9 as per your capacity. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper.

What's the Significance of Navrathri?

"As we take nine months in our mother's womb, before we are born, we take these nine days to go back to our source. These nine days are to be spent in meditation, satsangs, silence and knowledge."

Navratri purifies the individual & universal consciousness, the environment and the creation by eradicating the misery, sorrow and pain in the world. Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess. To know more about these three aspects, read Honoring Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati.

During Navarathri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.

Why Worship the Mother Goddess?

We think this energy is only a form of the Divine Mother, who is the mother of all, and all of us are her children. "Why mother; why not father?, you may ask. We believe that God's glory, his cosmic energy, his greatness and supremacy can best be depicted as the motherhood aspect of God. Just as a child finds all these qualities in his or her mother, similarly, all of us look upon God as mother. In fact, Hinduism is the only religion in the world, which gives so much importance to the mother aspect of God because we believe that mother is the creative aspect of the absolute.

Why Nine Nights & Days?

Navarathri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of

(Compiled from various sources) Navratri – Nine nights (Day 1 to Day 10) INDIA Oct 16 to Oct 23, 2012 (actually 8 days) Bodhayana on Oct 14th and Sarva Amavasai on Oct 15TH, 2012 www.saveca.ca

bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

NAVRATRI POOJA

Navratri puja might seem a huge complicated event for many. You can always perform a simple pooja by worshipping the Goddess on nine days by lighting a lamp and offering a fruit as prasadam. Rituals are not important but devotion is important. Here is a step by step method on how to perform Navratri Pooja:

Getting Ready (Start preparations on Oct 14th evening)  Get the house cleaned and ready. You are inviting Goddess into the home. Usually this is done on the Amavasi day, a day before the beginning of Navratri.  Mango leaf festoons are installed on doors, windows and in pooja room. Fresh Kolams are drawn.  If you are keeping Kolu, get all the Kolu dolls ready. Repair broken pieces and use natural colors to paint them.  Decide upon the Bommai Kolu Theme. Plan early about the pooja prasadam (neivedyam) and also about the gifts that you plan to give to women guests. If you are giving gifts to women invited for Navratri Pooja, then the bag should contain betel leaves, betel nuts, a pair of round turmeric roots, a coconut, fruits, sweets, flowers, a small gift. You can also include cosmetics like eye kohl, kumkuma, bangles, comb etc.

Requirements for Navratri Pooja  If you are keeping Kolu dolls, purchase new dolls at least a couple of new ones. The most important doll needed is the Marapachi dolls (Male and Female pair of dolls)  A pot for Kalasha or Kumbha (brass pot) & a clay pot to sow barley seeds  Face of Goddess to be stuck on Kalasha  Sweets  Ingredients of the Prasadam to be prepared (this depends on what neivediya you are preparing) Betel leaves, Betel nuts, Bananas, Coconut, Usual fruits, Usual pooja items like lamp, incense, agarbathis, Lotus flower for Goddess Saraswathi and Goddess Lakshmi. Jasmine for Durga.etc

(Compiled from various sources) Navratri – Nine nights (Day 1 to Day 10) INDIA Oct 16 to Oct 23, 2012 (actually 8 days) Bodhayana on Oct 14th and Sarva Amavasai on Oct 15TH, 2012 www.saveca.ca

A day before the Navratri Pooja Navaratri Pooja begins on the Amavasai day, a day before Navratri begins. All arrangements are done on this day. Male members perform Tarpanam or Shardham dedicated to dead ancestors in the morning.

 In the evening, Kalasha or Purna Kumbha is prepared. This is an invitation to Goddess to enter your home.  Purna Kumba or Kalash is kept on a kolam in such a place that there is space behind to keep the Bommai Kolu. You can attach a face of Goddess to the Purna Kumbha and decorate the Kumbha with jewelry, turmeric, sandal paste, flowers etc.  Those who do not keep Kolu, keep the Kalash in the Pooja room.  Betel leaves, Betel nuts, a coconut is placed in front of the Kalasha. Cooked rice or boiled and sweetened milk is kept as prasadam or neivedya in front of the Kalasha.  This Kalasha is to be kept for next nine days – it symbolizes Goddess. A lamp is lit every evening and morning for nine days. It is diffused every day after the pooja. Normal pooja is performed. The pooja concludes on the 9th day.

Arranging the Bommai Kolu Next you can start arranging the Kolu dolls.

Steps to be followed for the Navratri Pooja

Kalasha sthapana (1st step)

It is performed on the next day to Mahalaya Amavasya or on First day during Durga puja. At the time of Kalash Sthapan you should reap the barley as per your family custom. Worshiping Maa Durga

Maa Durga should be worshiped with Panchopchar (Fragrances, Flowers, Inceses, Diayas and Rice) or Shodoshopchar.

Take a fresh silver or bronze or copper or earthen pot and fill it (upto its neck) with holy water place Pancha pallavas (five types of sacred leaves) or mango leaves. Kalash is decorated with haldi (turmeric powder), chandan (sandalwood powder) and kumkum. Keep a coconut on the Kalash and cover it with a blouse piece. The coconut is also decorated with chandan paste. Place idol or picture of Goddess Durga next to the Kalash.(installation and invoking of Goddess Durga). Put flower and coins inside the Kalash. Place a lid on the Kalash and fill the lid with raw rice. Keep the coconut on top of the lid.

(Compiled from various sources) Navratri – Nine nights (Day 1 to Day 10) INDIA Oct 16 to Oct 23, 2012 (actually 8 days) Bodhayana on Oct 14th and Sarva Amavasai on Oct 15TH, 2012 www.saveca.ca

Ghata sthapana (2nd step)

A clay pot to sow barley seeds, Soil to pour in clay pot, Barley Seeds, Water to sprinkle on soil.

Worship of Goddess & all Gods in the Kalash (3rd step)

Lit the lamp, because all kinds of puja starts with lighting a lamp. Now invoke (avahan, call) all Gods and sacred rivers in Kalash and pray them to purify water and reside there for nine days, destroy all obstacles of life and give wisdom. Do worship of Kalash with Panchopchar. Panchopchar means worship of deity with five things, i.e. Scent, Flower, Dhoop, Deepak and Naivedya. Offer these five things to deities present in Ghat. Don't put these things inside the Kalash, put these five things near Kalash instead.

Invoke Goddess Durga in the idol or picture (4th step)

Pray Mother Goddess to come and stay at your home for nine days of Navratri and give love in her lotus feet. After praying, do panchopchar. Offer five things to Mother Goddess.

Aarti to mother Goddess (5th step)

For Aarti, stand up at your place. Take Pooja platei and bell in hand. Sing the aarti with jingle the bell. After you complete aarti, give aarti first to Goddess Durga, (Kalasham) and deities present in Kalasham. At evening (sandhya) repeat the aarti. You done first day worship of Navratri. Do the aarti in morning and evening (sandhya) for nine days. You should keep fast for 9 days.

Kannika / Young Girl Pooja (6th step)

On eighth day of Navratri, invite little girls of age group 5-12 (not attained puberty) for food on 9th day. You can invite girls in number 1 to 9 as per your capacity. On 9th day of Navratri, prepare delicious food for girls. On 9th day of Navratri, when girls come to your house, feed them with full love and devotion, considering that Mother Goddess Durga herself has come to get food on your invitation with love. When they finish food, put tilak on their forehead and give some gifts to them.

10th day (7th - Penultimate to last step)

(Compiled from various sources) Navratri – Nine nights (Day 1 to Day 10) INDIA Oct 16 to Oct 23, 2012 (actually 8 days) Bodhayana on Oct 14th and Sarva Amavasai on Oct 15TH, 2012 www.saveca.ca

On 10th day of Navratri , go to your place of worship. Take some flower and raw rice in your hand, and pray all Gods present in Kalash, "O Dear Gods! Thank you for coming. We surrender our devotional practice to you, which we done for you for nine days of Navratri. I request you to go back to your homes and come again when we pray." Offer flower and rice to them. Pick the Kalash and keep aside.

Similarly pray to Mother Goddess, "O Mother Goddess! Thank you for coming. We surrender our devotional practice to you, which we done for you for nine days of Navratri. I request you to go back to your home and come again when we pray." Pick photo/idol of Goddess and put it at it's permanent place.

Take the coconut on Kalash as Prasad, just eat it. Give raw rice on lid to birds to eat. Sprinkle the sacred water of kalash in your entire house and pray it will remove all negative energies and bring prosperity. You can also drink it and can take a bath of this sacred water. Take out coins and keep safe along with your money, they will bring prosperity.

10th day (8th - Last step)

Observe the growth of barley. If they are fresh and sparkling green and in abundance, then it is sure sign of your prosperity. Search for white Barley sprout. If you find one, it is very rare and very much fortunate. Dig it carefully with root. Surrender it to Goddess Durga with some green sprouts and keep it at place of pooja forever. After the puja, these seedlings are pulled out and given to devotees as a blessing from Goddess/Gods. Significance of Durga Saptashati Recitation

Those who reads Shaptshati on Sunday get nine times benefit, on Monday, get Thousand times benefit, on Tuesday get hundred times benefit, on Wednesday get one Lakh times benefit, on Thursday and Friday get two Lacs times benefit and on Saturday get one Cr times benefit by its reading.

The devotee who starts reading from sixth day till fourteenth day of Shukl Paksha, they get benefit in all areas of life. By disciplined recitation of Durga Shaptshati, all wishes can be fulfilled. During Navratri Pooja Try to

 Avoid eating non-vegetarian food during Navratri vrat.

 Avoid Maithuna (Sexual activities) during Navratri.

 Do charity and donation as much as you can.

 Food charity is the main thing of this puja. Kumari Puja, Suhasini Pooja and Brahmin santarpana has to be performed during Vrata. Atleast a single Kanya or suhasini should be fed.

(Compiled from various sources)