Kushmanda - Navratra day - 4

Kushmanda:
The fourth swaroop of Ma Durga is Kushmanda. The creation of the entire cosmos or 'Brahmand' is credited to her. She is 'Adi Shakti' or the primordial ancient creative force and power. When there was nothing but darkness all around, she created everything.

Kushmanda is believed to reside in the 'Surya Lok' or in the region of the Sun. Nothing in this entire cosmos is comparable to her power, brightness, and might. She is also known as 'Ashta Bhuja' or one with 8 hands. She has the power to grant her devotees immense power, wealth, and might. She rides a lion.

She blesses her devotees with a Healthy strong body, Long life, Shining Name and Repute, Courage and Power. Along with worldly gains, she also grants boons beyond worldly life.

Chandraghanta - Navratra day - 3

 

 
Chandraghanta:
The third swaroop of Ma Durga is Chandraghanta.This swaroop is extremely peaceful and very beneficial. In this image, she has 10 hands and holds a weapon in each hand, ready for battle. Her body shines and shimmers like Gold. Her 'chand dhwani' or battle call leaves the deadly demons shivering. She rides a Lion.

Praying to Ma Chandraghanta destroys all 'paap' or sins and 'badha' or difficulties. All problems come to an end at her feet.  Her devotees become fearless like her Lion. Even though she is ready to destroy the demons, her form is very peaceful and blissful. Therefore, her devotees also become humble and quietly confident, as they receive the gift of fearlessness. 

If one is in a difficult situation in life or if one is surrounded with problems - one should pray to Ma Chandraghanta. She helps her devotees overcome all problems and emerge victorious.

Brahmacharini - Navratra day - 2

 

Brahmacharini:
The second 'swaroop' of Ma Durga is Brahmacharini. Brahmacharini means the one who practices penance. In this form the Goddess holds a 'mala' or rosary in her right hand and a 'kamandal' in her left hand. 

Parvati underwent 'tapasya' or hard penance for thousands of years in order to receive Lord Shiva as her husband. She lived the austere life of Brahmacharini, eating nothing but fruits and vegetation. Soon she gave up that also bearing heat, cold, and rain continuously for thousands more years. 

She is also know as Uma and Aparna. She grants her devotees many blessings and the fulfillment of many desires.

Shailputri - Navratra day -1

Shailputri:
The first swaroop of Ma Durga is Shailputri. She holds the Trishul in her right hand and a Lotus in her left hand. She rides on 'Nandi'.

Shailputri is the daughter of Parvatraj Himavan, the king of the Himalayas. She is also known as Parvati.

In her early incarnation, she was born as Sati. Her father in that life was Prajapati Daksha. Sati married Shiva but never received the full acceptance and support of her arrogant father. Unable to put up with the humiliation piled on her husband and herself, by her father, she jumped in the 'Yagna Agni Kund' and self-immolated herself.

Sati was reborn as Parvati. In this life she again married Shiva and set the example of the most auspicious, most superior, and most complete married life.

Durga Puja - Navratra begins

OM SHRI GANESHAY NAMAH

Sharad Navratri 2012 Dates
16 October 2012 - 24 October 2012

Shri Durga Puja is celebrated with pomp and glory twice a year. Once in the month of Chaitra and once in the month of Ashwin. This festival takes place during the 'Shukla Paksha' or bright half of the moon.

Jivatputrika puja

Jivatputrika Vrat - 8th October 2012

Jivat Putrika vrat or also known as Jitiya is a festival celebrated mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP. Today, Lord Jimutavahana or Vishnu is prayed. This Vrat takes place on Ashwin Krishna Ashtami or eighth day of first half of Ashwin month. This is a 'Nirjala' Vrat or a fast where even water is avoided.

Pitr Paksh

Pitr Paksha - 30th September 2012
Acknowledging Indebtedness To Our Ancestors

 

Consider  this - We are all manifestation of our many-many ancestors, who came and went before us from this world. A part of all of them is carried through in us and makes us what we are today. Just like we have our duties towards ourselves, our next generation (our children), we also have duties towards our gone by previous generations (our ancestors or Pitr).

Anant Chaturdasi

 Anant Chaturdashi - 29th September 2012

 

 
Anant Chaturdashi is celebrated on the Chaturdashi that falls on the Shukla Paksha, in the month of Bhadrapad. Anant Chaturdashi is a day with two fold importance.

First, today the 10-day long Ganeshotsav comes to an end and Ganesh Visarjan takes place with great fanfare all over the world by Ganesh devotees. One bids farewell to the beloved 'Ganesh Bappa' and requests him to return again next year and bless our homes, loved ones and us.

Goddess Varalakshmi or Maha Lakshmi Vrat

Maha Lakshmi vrat or Varalakshmi Vrat is a prayer/fasting that lasts for sixteen days. It is believed that Lord Shiva recommended this Vrat to his wife, Goddess Parvati, to gain wealth and prosperity. Varalakshmi is one who grants a 'Vara' or boon. It is an important pooja performed by many women in both North and South parts of India like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharastra, and Uttar Pradesh. 

The Hindu festival, Vara Mahalakshmi Vrata, is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before Purnima, or full moon's day, in the month of Shravana, around July–August.

Maha Lakshmi or Vara Lakshmi Vrat is a special Vrat that gives wish-fulfilling results in wealth, prosperity, fertility, courage, wisdom, and success. A devotee prays to the 'eight roops' or eight aspects of Goddess Lakshmi in her Ashta Lakshmi form. The eight representation of Ashta Lakshmi are the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Wisdom, Love, Fame, Peace, Contentment, and Strength.

The Eight forces or energies of Lakshmi are also Shree (Wealth), Bhu (Earth), Saraswathi (Wisdom), Preethi (Love), Keerthi (Fame), Shanthi (Peace), Santhushti (contentment) and Pushti (Strength). Each one of these forces is called a 'Lakshmi':

• Aadi Lakshmi (the Protector)
• Dhana Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth)
• Dhairya Lakshmi (Goddess of Courage)
• Sowbhagya Lakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity)
• Vijaya Lakshmi (Goddess of Victory)
• Dhanya Lakshmi (Goddess of Nourishment)
• Santana Lakshmi (Goddess of Progeny)
• Vidhya Lakshmi (Goddess of Wisdom)

All the eight forces combined are called the Ashta Lakshmis. Vishnu is also called 'Ashtalakshmi Pati' or the husband of Ashtalakshmi. 

In Bhavishya Purana, one of the eighteen major Puranas or ancient Hindu scriptures, there is a legend that explains the significance of Mahalakshmi Vrata. Lord Krishna recommended this Vrat to the Pandavas after they lost everything in their gamble with the Kauravas. Krishna assured the five brothers that they would regain their kingdom, wealth, prosperity, family, and fame by observing this Vrat.

Varalakshmi Vrata is observed by a sumangali or married woman for the well being of her husband, children, and family members. It is believed that worshiping the Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshiping Ashtalakshmi.

Steps to take 

1. On the auspicious day of the vrat, women get up early in the morning and begin the ritual fast and perform the Varalakshmi Pooja, in which they offer mithai or sweets, lit diya, and flowers to the Goddess.

2. People who perform the Varalakshmi Puja refrain from eating that day. Either they hold a complete fast or eat fruits and milk.

3. A clay or brass Kalash is a pot that symbolically represents the Deity. It is wrapped and decorated with a sari. A swastika symbol is drawn with kumkum and sandalwood paste on it. The Kalash pot is filled with rice or water, and coins, beetle nuts, a pinch of Haldi, and kumkum dropped in it.

4. Finally, mango leaves are placed around the Kalash's mouth, and a coconut stained with turmeric serves to close the mouth of Kalash. 

5. A thread with sixteen knots are tied on the wrist of those observing the puja. After sixteen days, once the puja is completed, this thread can be kept in the money box or hand purse for continued blessings.

6. The treats and offerings placed before the Deity are called bhog or prasad or naivaidya

7. During the evening, an aarti is offered to the Goddess.

8. The next day, the Kalash water is sprinkled around the house. If rice grains are part of Kalash's ingredients, they are used to make a meal of rice or Prasad for the family the next day.

Mantras to sing

The mantras given below should be recited on the day of Varalakshmi Vrat to receive the Goddess Lakshmi's blessings:

||ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं लक्ष्मीभयो नमः॥

|| Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmibhayo Namah ||

Meaning: " We bow to Shree Lakshmi"

or 

||ॐ श्री महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे विष्णु पत्न्यै च धीमहि||

||तन्नो लक्ष्मी प्रचोदयात् ॐ ।।

||Om Shree Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidraahe Vishnu Patrayai Cha Dheemahi ||

||Tanno Lakshmi Prachodayat Om ||

Meaning: "We meditate on the greatest Goddess, Who is the divine consort of Lord Vishnu. Kindly bless us with higher intellect, abundance, and prosperity."

 If one cannot do sixteen days of fast/puja, then one can observe puja for just three days. The first day, the last day, and the day in the middle.