Chaitra navratri 2022- A detailed view!

Chaitra Navratri 2022, also called as vasant navratri is a significant and widely celebrated religious festival of India. The festival of Chaitra Navratri is celebrated during the brighter half i.e. shukla paksha of chaitra month. It marks the beginning of a new year as per the Hindu calendar and generally falls in the month of March-April. The word navrarti has been formed by two words- nav means new and ratri means night. Thus the festival is observed for consecutive nine days to worship Godess Durga and her nine forms. Know in detail about this important festival of chaitra navratri 2022 through this article.

As per our ancient scriptures, the Navratris are celebrated 4 times in a year coming in pausha, ashaadh, chaitra and ashwin months of Hindu calendar. Two of them are celebrated secretly or are called Gupta Navratri. 

While two are celebrated with great enthusiasm by vaishnav communities and has special significance in Sanatan Dharma. These are also known as Ram Navratri. In the year 2022, the chaitra navratri will commence from April 2nd 2022 and the ninth day will be on 10th April 2022 which is celebrated as Ram Navmi across the country. Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in honor of Godess Durga and her nine forms. 

People worship Maa Durga and her nine forms or avatars in these auspicious nine days. Each day is dedicated to a specific avatar and keeps its unique importance. According to mythology, Lord Rama before ascending to Lanka, worshipped Goddess Durga to attain her blessings. It is believed that through worship of nine different forms of Maa Durga in the prescribed nine days of Navratri, the natives is blessed with wealth and fortune in life. All their miseries come to an end and they lead a blissful life. Legend mentions that Lord Brahma himself narrated the importance of Chaitra Navratri to devguru Brihaspati (Jupiter).

Check below Chaitra Navratri 2022 April dates:

Pujan vidhi

The pujan vidhi of Navratri starts with the kalash sthapana, followed by prayers, aarti and full-day fasting. Many people fast for all nine days, while others fast for the first and last days or the last two days. Those who keep fasts pray twice daily.

Pujan samagri:

Idol or picture of Goddess Durga, an earthen dish filled with soil to sow barley seeds, coconut, mango leaves, ornaments and clothes for the idol of Goddess Durga, mauli, red cloth, ganges water or ganga jal ,akshat or raw rice, incense sticks, ghee lamp, camphor, fruits, sweets and flowers. People worship goddess Durga with these items and on the tenth day visarjan is done.

Food items for fasting

• Kuttu/singhara atta
• Sabudana
• Dry fruits
• Makhana
• Fruits
• Milk and dairy products
• Potatoes

Why Chaitra Navratri 2022 is so auspicious?

It is believed that during 9 holy days of Chaitra Navratri, Goddess Durga in her nine forms comes and stays on the Earth amongst her devotees to give her blessings. We all see a lion as her vaahan or vehicle but during these 9 auspicious days she changes her vehicle to demonstrate the likely future events. Devotees show their true devotions by keeping fast for the whole chaitra navratri days i.e. 9 days and pray to her to protect them against all evils and troubles in life. The day is also celebrated as the day of start of the New Year for many Indian states. In Maharashtra, first day of chaitra navratri is celebrated as gudi padwa while in Kashmir it is called Navreh.

Nine forms of Goddess Durga

Navadurga or 9 forms of Goddess Durga are nine manifestations of Goddess Parvati in Hindu ideology. The nine avatars or forms of Durga are often considered collectively as one deity, while the nine forms are worshipped throughout the nine days. As per Hindu mythology, the nine forms are seen as the nine stages of Parvati during the nine-day long duration of the war with demon-king Mahishasura. The goddess killed the demon on the tenth day which is celebrated as vijaydashmi- the day of victory. Thus the navratri depicts divine female power and victory of good over bad.

Shailaputri- Shailputri is the daughter of the Mountain King Himavat. She is the first form of goddess Durga worshipped on the first day of chaitra navratri. She is a reincarnation of Goddess Sati known as goddess Parvati. The goddess is depicted with two hands and with a crescent moon on her forehead. She also holds a trident in her right and a lotus flower in the left hand. She rides on the bull Nandi.

Stage: She represents Goddess Durga in her childhood stage.

Mantra: ॐ देवी शैलपुत्र्यै नमः

Brahmacharini – Brahamcharini depicts the second form of goddess Durga who is shown as a devoted female student living in an ashram to gain knowledge. The goddess Brahmacharini wears white clothes, holds a rudraksha mala in her right hand and a water utensil or kamandala in her left hand.

Stage: She represents the ascetic state of Goddess Durga.

Mantra: ॐ देवी ब्रह्मचारिण्यै नम:

Chandraghanta- Chandraghanta is the third form of goddess Durga worshipped during navratri. She always keeps her third eye open to immediately attack against demons. She blesses the natives with her grace, bravery and courage. With her blessings, all sufferings both physical and mental and ghostly hurdles of the devotees are removed. She has ten hands and holds a trident, mace, bow, arrow, lotus, sword, bell and a waterpot in her nine hands, while with remaining one hand she blesses her devotees. She rides a fierce tiger.

Stage: She represents married form of Godess Durga in the form of shakti.

Mantra: ॐ देवी चंद्रघण्टायै नम:

Kushmanda- Kushmanda is the fourth form of Goddess Durga worshipped on the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri. She is believed to create the world with her divine smile. She is believed to bestow health, wealth and strength to its worshippers. Goddess Kushmanda has eight hands and that’s why is known as Ashtabhuja Devi also. The goddess likes Bali of white pumpkin known as Kushmanda and it is due to her association with Brahmanda and Kushmanda that she is popularly known as Goddess Kushmanda. She resides in anahata chakra in our body.

Stage: She is a depiction of Mahashakti form of Goddess Durga.

Mantra:  ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं कूष्मांडायै नम:

Skandamata – Skandamata is the fifth form of Goddess Durga and is worshipped on the fifth day of navratri. She gets her name from Skanda, an alternate name for the warrior god Kartikeya and mata means the mother. She resides in vishuddha chakra. She has four hands, two hands hold lotuses, the third holds her son, the six-headed infant Kartikeya is seated on her lap, and the fourth hand blesses her devotees. She rides a lion.

Stage: She represents the Goddess in her stage of motherhood.

Mantra: ॐ देवी स्कन्दमातायै नम:

Katyayani - Katyayni devi is the sixth avatar of Goddess Durga. She killed the tyrannical demon Mahishasura. She may be depicted to have four, ten, or eighteen hands in different idols across the country. She wears heavy ornaments and has four hands each carrying a sword, shield, lotus and trident. She's seen seated on a fearsome lion.

Stage: She represents the warrior stage of the goddess.

Mantra: ॐ देवी कात्यायन्यै नम: 

Kalaratri – Kalratri is the seventh of the nine forms of Goddess Durga to be worshipped on the seventh day of navratri. Kalaratri is widely regarded as one of the many destructive forms of the Goddess. She has three fierce eyes, unmanaged hairs, and wears a garland of skulls around her neck, which shines like lightning. Her four hands hold a trident, scimitar, vajra, and a paatra. She has taken donkey as her vehicle.

Stage: She represents the destructive form of the goddess.

Mantra: ॐ देवी कालरात्र्यै नम:

Mahagauri- Mahagauri is the eighth form of goddess Durga and is worshipped on the eighth day of chaitra navratri. As per legends, Goddess Mahagauri may fulfill any desire of her devotees. One, who worships the goddess, gets relief from all the sufferings in life. Maa Mahagauri has four arms. Three of which carry a trident, mini-drum, and a pink lotus while her one hand promises protection to her devotees. She rides a white ox.

Stage: She represents the goddess in her form of recovery. 

Mantra: ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नम:

Siddhidhatri- Siddhidhatri is the ninth form of the Goddess Durga and is worshipped on the final day of the navrati. Siddhi means supernatural power or meditative ability, and Dhatri means one who gives. It is believed that she represents one side of Lord Shiva’s body popularly known as Ardhanarishwar. As per Vedic scriptures, Lord Shiva attained all the siddhis by worshiping Siddhidhatri Goddess. She has four hands and carries a discus, conch shell, pink lotus and a mace in each of them. She is seated upon a fully bloomed lotus.

Stage: She represents the goddess in her stage of reaching her highest and supreme state of Mahashakti.

Mantra: ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं सिद्धिदात्यै नम:

May this Navratri remove all obstacles and sufferings in our lives!