‘Nava’, a relevant word that we all are familiar with signifies ‘nine’- the number to which sages connect special meaning. Therefore, we have Navaratri means nine auspicious nights, Navagraha- 9 planets, Navapatrika (9 leaves), and Navadurga- the 9 appellations.
Here in this blog we are going to discuss the forms of manifestation of Navadurga that holds greater significance in Hindu mythology.
Navadurga literally means the nine Goddess Durgas- the nine different forms of Deity Durga, the Aadi Shakti which Hindus worship on Durga Puja.
Each one of the forms of Navadurga has a particular name and the deity has a specific dhyan-mantra, a mantra for meditation.
Nine Famous Forms of Deity Durga
Shailputri: Maa Shailputri is a daughter of Himalaya/ Himvanth or the ‘Parvata Raju’. Shailputri is the firt among nine forms of Durga and people worship her on the very first day of Navratri. It is believed that in her earlier birth she was ‘Sati Bhavani Mata’, King Daksha’s daughter. She is also known as Parvati- the consort of Lord Shiva.
Mata Shailputri holds a Trishul in her right hand and a lotus bloom in her left hand. The bull is her savari. She bears a pleasant smile on her gracious face.
Brahmcharini: On the second day of Navaratri, Maa Brahmcharini is adulated. She is the Goddess who performed penance. In fact, it is signified by her name- (Brahma= Tapa, Charini= Performer. She is the personification of love and loyalty and she holds japa-mala in her right hand and kamalkandal in her left hand. She is also known as Tapacharini and Uma and bestows her devotee with wisdom and knowledge.
Chandraghanta: On the third the avatar of Maa Durga worshiped is called Maa Chandraghanta. Her avatar is said to be very bright and charismatic. She is astride a tiger, features a golden hue on her skin, and has ten hands and three eyes. There are weapons in eight of her hands and the two other hands are in the varmudras. Chndra + Ghanta means supreme bliss and wisdom, showering her devotees with peace and calmness like a fresh breeze in a moonlit night.
Kushmanda: On the fourth day, maa Kushmanda is adulated. She has gentle smile on her face and shines brightly. She is said to be the controller of the whole solar System. In her eight hands, she possesses a rosary & a lotus in her six hands and different types of weapons in her remaining hands. Lion is her savari and she likes offerings of Kumhde, therefore she became popular as Kushmanda.
SkandaMata: On the very fifth of Durga Puja people worship Skanda Mata. She holds her son Skandaa on her lap. She has four hands and three eyes. Her two hands hold lotus flowers while the other two displays defending and varmudra (granting) gestures. It is believed that the mercy of Skundmata can make a simple person the powerhouse of knowledge. It was the grace of Skandmata that turned Kalidas- once a fool, into a famous creator of “Raghuvansh Maha Kavya”, and “Meghdootam”. He is said to be the deity of fire.
Katyayani: On sixth day of Durga-Puja people worship Mata Katyayani. She is said to have taken the avatar of Katyayani after Rishi Katyayan’s penance on the banks of the river Jamuna. She is said to be the prime deity of Vraj Mandal. She has three eyes and four hands. The left hand holds a weapon and the other a lotus. She rides on a lion.
Kalratri: She is adulated on the seventh day of Durga Puja. Her skin is as dark as night, therefore she got her name Kalratri. Hair mane remains in unlock position and she has three eyes and four hands. Her two hands remain in varmudras while the other two possesses weapons. She is the destroyer of ignorance and darkness and spills fires from her nostrils. She is also linked to prosperity hence, she is also known as ‘Shubhamkari’.
Maha Gauri: On the eight day of Navratri, Maha Gauri avatar of Goddess Durga is worshiped. She appears as white as moon & jasmine. She radiates peace and compassion and she is dressed in white or green saree. She rides a bull. She holds a trident and a drum in her two hands while the two other hands are in granting positions.
Siddhidatri: On the ninth day, the nine avatar- Mata Shiddhidatri is worshipped. She gives all the eight siddhis- Anima, Garima, Mahima, Laghima, Prakamya, Prapti, Iishitva and Vashitva. As per Devi Puran, Lord Shiva possessed all these siddhis by adulating the supreme Goddess MahaShakti.
So, Navratri is literally nine auspicious nights to worship these nine forms of Devi Durga, make whoopee, buy online gifts and share it with loved ones.
Sakshi Ecavade is our in-house content developer having a good understanding about the gifting industry. She creates quality content surrounding flowers, chocolates, plants, cakes, and other products which makes excellent gifts for the people. Accurate and authentic information is what she tries to deliver through her blogs.