The festival of Navratri is here and everyone is set to soak in the festivities. Celebrated with full fervour across eastern parts of the country in states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and parts of Assam and Tripura as Durga Puja. Nine nights of feasting, revelry, celebrations and good times awaits everyone.
Devotees of Goddess Durga do not fast and they do not abstain themselves from eating non-vegetarian delicacies too, unlike the customs in the states of Punjab, Maharashtra and Gujarat. What remains common is the devotion with which people pray to the different avatars of the goddess during nine days and nine nights The eastern part of India celebrates Durga Puja and worships the goddess and her nine avatars through pushpanjali every day and only then relish the lavish feasts. According to the popular beliefs, Goddess Durga comes to her maternal home with her children Saraswati, Ganesha, Lakshmi and Kartikeya during Navratris and hence should be welcomed with all kinds of delicacies. That's the reason enough why devotees in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Assam do not fast during Navratri.
The festival may be celebrated in different ways in different parts of the country, but at the end it just comes down to nine days of festivities. So, here is our list of devotional songs dedicated to Godess Durga which set the mood for Navratri celebrations.
Jai Ambe Gauri is the main aarti sung for Goddess Durga. This bhajan glorifies the goddess and how she saved the world from asuras Mahishasura, Shumbh and Nishumbh. The bhajan also explains the appearance of Goddess Durga and the weapons that she carries. The bhajan also takes into account the relationship of Goddess Durga or Goddess Amba with that of her husband Lord Shiva.
Mahishasura Mardini was an early Bengali radio programme that is played on the mornings of Mahalaya in West Bengal. This has been going on air since 1931 on All India Radio. Birendra Krishna Bhadra is forever immortalised for lending his voice for the two-hour Sanskrit recitation of Mahishasura Mardini on All India Radio Calcutta. His recital of shlokas can give goosebumps to any Godess Durga devotee.
Aigiri Nandini Nanditha Medhini is a very popular Durga Devi Stotram and is believed to be penned by Adi Shankracharya sometime around 810 AD. The song is dedicated in praise of the Goddess Durga who kills many demons in her fearsome avatar of Mahishasura Mardini and that explains ten arms adorned with different weapons and lion as her ride.
Durga Chalisa is the song that is sung to praise Goddess Durga and most devotees who are fasting or praying to the Goddess during Navratri read this bhajan to appease the goddess. This bhajan praises all the nine forms of the goddess and glorifies them.
Ya Devi Sarv Bhuteshu exemplifies the Goddess Durga and salutes the divine power that in inherint in all living beings.This bhajan praises the three flowing channels of energy that is Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Parvati, and Goddess Saraswati. It even talks about how the Holy Trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva created Goddess Durga a manifestation of the Supreme Power Adishakti herself.
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 "Navratri celebrations begin September 21st")
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