Navratri is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in different corners of India with the utmost zeal and enthusiasm. It’s a nine-day celebration to honor the nine different forms of Maa Durga. During these nine days, people worship the Goddess’s different strong avatars and also offer her flowers, fruits, and sweets. People also visit their loved ones’ homes, offering sweets and Navratri gifts with Navratri wishes.
We all know that flowers are a must for every puja in India. In this blog, we will discuss the different flowers used in the Navratri celebrations to impress the nine avatars of the Goddess Durga. Scroll below to learn the flowers used in Navratri celebrations!
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Day 1 – Hibiscus
The first day of the Navratri is dedicated to Maa Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountains. Maa Shailaputri is the embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahadev. This avatar of Maa Parvati is represented with a crescent moon on her forehead, with a lotus in her left hand and a trident in the right.
On the first day of Navratri, you can worship Goddess Shailaputri with hibiscus flowers, which are her favorite.
Day 2 – Chrysanthemums
The second day of the Navratri is dedicated to Maa Brahmacharini. She is the Goddess of austerity and penance, as she is the Goddess who practices brahmacharya, meaning renunciation from all worldly pleasures. She is represented walking on bare feet, with a kamandalu in her left hand and a japa mala in her right hand.
When discussing which flowers to use for Navratri’s second day, you must offer her chrysanthemums, Maa Brahmacharini’s favorite flowers.
Day 3 – Lotus
Devotees worship Maa Chandraghanta on the third day of the Navratri. Ma Chandraghantaa wears a half-moon-shaped bell on her forehead after she married lord Shiva. She is worshipped by the devotees for tranquility and prosperity in life.
Maa Chandraghanta’s favorite flower is the lotus, which you must also use for worshipping the Goddess on the third day of Navratri. Lotus symbolizes the detachment of the soul from negativity and its connection with the one, the supreme. Hence, the lotus is also one of the most pious flowers in the Hindu religion.
Day 4 – Jasmine
The flower to worship the fourth avatar of Maa Durga, Maa Kushmanda, is jasmine. Maa Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of the Navratri festival. She possesses the power to live inside the sun and is known for creating a world with her radiant smile.
Maa Kushmanda blesses her worshippers on Navratri with good well-being, prosperity, and strength. She is represented with eight to ten hands holding a sword, hook, mace, bow, arrow, two jars of honey, discus, trident, and blood, and she rides on a tiger.
Day 5 – Yellow Rose
Roses are also some of the common flowers used in the Navratri celebrations. And, on the fifth day of Navratri, you must honor Goddess Skandamata with yellow roses.
Maa Skandmata means the mother of the war god, Kartikey. She is represented riding a lion and carrying the infant Lord Skanda or Kartikeya in her lap. She is also known as the Goddess of Fire, as she was chosen as the commander-in-chief of a war against the demon. Maa Skandamata is also represented as seated on a lotus flower and, therefore, is also called Padamasani.
Day 6 – Marigold
Marigolds are a part of all Indian festivities and pujas. On the sixth day of the Navratri, offer your love and reverence to Maa Katyayani with marigold flowers and seek her blessings of health and wealth.
Maa Durga took the form of Maa Katyayani to slay the bull demon Mahishasura. She embodies anger, vengeance, and the ultimate victory of good over evil. Maa Katyayani is portrayed as having four hands carrying a lotus, a sword, and her right hands in Abhaya and varada mudra and seated on a ferocious lion. Seek the blessings and get bestowed with boons by offering your prayers with marigold to Maa Katyayani.
Day 7 – Passiflora
On the seventh Day of the Navratri, Maa Kalratri is worshipped. She is portrayed with a dark complexion, having scattered long black hair and three round eyes, seated on a donkey. She is also known as the Goddess of death, the destroyer of darkness and ignorance. She has a furious soul with a fearless posture.
You can revere Maa Kalratri by offering beautiful passiflora flowers with unique features.
Day 8 – Mogra
Maa Mahagauri is worshipped on the eighth day of the Navratri. You can offer her the gorgeous Arabian jasmine or mogra flowers, which will bring peace and good fortune to you.
Out of all the forms of Maa Durga, Maa Mahagauri is considered the most graceful one. She is the Goddess of peace, endurance, cleanliness, and purity. Those who worship Maa Mahagauri, their flaws, and mistakes are burnt to ashes. Goddess Mahagauri has four hands; her right hand possesses alleviating suffering and the lower right-hand holds a trident. Her upper left-hand carries a tambourine and the lower hand offers blessings.
Day 9 – White Frangipani or Champa
The last day of Navratri is all about offering prayers to Goddess Siddhidatri. All devotees must offer white frangipani for intellect and strength.
The ninth avatar worshipped on the last day of Navratri of Maa Parvati is Goddess Siddhidhatri. On this day, you must offer Champa or white frangipani flowers for Navratri puja last day. Maa Shiddhatri possesses natural healing powers. She is represented as sitting calmly and happily on a lion, tiger, or a lotus. She has four hands, holding a gada, chakram, a lotus flower, and a shankha.
What other flowers can be offered to Maa Durga on Navratri?
Besides the flowers mentioned above, here are a few more flowers for Navratri that you can offer Goddess Durga:
1. Red oleander
Red oleander, known as laal kaner in Hindi, is a frequently used flower in worshipping Goddess Durga, Kali, and Parvati. These flowers are also part of the Tantrik sandhana of the Mahakali. You can also offer these flowers when offering prayers to the different forms of Maa Durga in Navratri.
2. Butterfly pea
According to Hindu mythology, the butterfly pea flower was brought to earth by Guru Shukracharya. It is believed that the butterfly pea, also known as aparajita in Hindi, is one of the favorite flowers of Maa Durga. This can also be because the name of the flower means ‘one no one can defeat.’ This flower is among the sacred and is offered to Maa Durga and Lord Shiva at festivals or pujas.
3. Butea Gum
Butea gum, known as Palash in Hindi, is also one of the sacred flowers in Hinduism. This flower possesses many medicinal properties and can also be used to worship Maa Durga on Navratri Dussehra or other pujas.
And these were the best flowers for Navratri that you can offer to the nine forms of Maa Durga. Noting the favorite flowers associated with the nine different Maa Durga avatars and using these flowers, please, all the nine forms will add more depth, meaning, and joy to your puja for the Goddess.
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Pratiksha is our in-house content writer who aims to provide quality content to her readers. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing, and learning about new things.