Introduction				Legend				Rituals

	Shri Durga Navarathri Vrat Story				Nav Durga				The Devi Mahatmya

	Nav Chandi				Durga Saptashati				Legendary festival of Dassera

The Dassera festival has its roots laid deep in 'Dwapara Yuga' and which symbolized victory over evil is celebrated with great pomp and show in all parts of India.

Among these 9 days the most important festive days are the following three:
Durgaashtami
Maharnavami
Vijaya dasami

In North India it is celebrated to mark the victory of Rama over Ravana, and in South, it is the victory of 'Maa Kanaka Durga' over Mahishasura (a demon).

The Festival runs into 9 nights and 10 days where each day the Devi is decorated as one Avataaram (attire).

1^ST DAY

On this day the Devi is decorated as Sri Bala Tripura Sundari
Devi in this avataar is in the form of a small girl holding Sacred Nectar in one hand and a book in the other. Devotees perform Bala Poojas on this day i.e., small Girls are believed to be the Bala Tripura Sundari Goddess and Pooja is performed to them and blessings are taken from those children.

She is the Goddess of Knowledge and brings peace and prosperity to her devotees.

2^ND DAY

In this attire Devi is decorated as Sri Gayatri Devi
In this attire Devi with her magical powers is seated in a lotus with five faces and eight shoulders (Ashta Bhuj) armed with Khadga (Sword), Baana (bow and arrow) and Ankusa (something like a spear) and with a flower on to her right. She is considered the most powerful Mantra japa (chanting of certain words) among all the other Mantra japas quoted in Vedas. Gayatri Devi, as a Mother, protects the one who chants this Maha Mantra devotedly by giving them money, food, worldly pleasures and good offspring. Gayathri Devi is the whole and sole cause of Srushti (creation) Sthithi (well being) Laya (destruction) of living things.

She is so bright (thousands of times as of the sun) and is not visible to the naked eye unless and until the devotee is Nitya Gayathri Upasaka i.e. one who performs (chants) this Gayathri Maha Mantra thrice a day (at the time of Sunrise, noon and Sunset). Maa Gayathri protects such devotees and gives them Moksha.

3^RD DAY

In this attire Devi is decorated as Sri Annapurna Devi
In this attire the Devi Maa is seen with a stem of paddy in one hand and a spatula in another. Devi in this attire blesses her worshippers with enough food. Devotees perform special Poojas, Ashtotras, and Sahasra Nama Poojas and offer different kinds of eatables to her as Nivedan. Goddess Annapurna protects her devotees in all walks of life.

4^TH DAY

In this attire Devi is decorated as Sri Maha Lakshmi
This avataar is the most Shubhakara avataar (which bring about luck). Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi showers riches in the devotees who worship her. She was born in the Milk Sea (Kshira Samudbava) and married Sri Maha Vishnu. As said before, she is the Goddess of Treasures (Ashta Aishwaryas) and so also comprises of Ashta (eight) Lakshmi. People who are blessed by Her find Heaven on Earth and who can't gain Her blessings feels Earth a Hell and suffer a lot. She reigns the world with riches. All people worship Her; particularly ladies worship her for Sarva Saubhagyas (all wordly pleasures) and Ashta Aishwaryas.

In this attire the Goddess is decorated with many ornaments. People love to see her and pray.

5^TH DAY

In this attire Devi is decorated as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi
In this avataar the Devi by name 'Sri Lalitha' (Bijaakshari Mantra Swarupini) is a component of letters (Bijaakshar). She is Goddess of Sound (OM). Worshiping this Goddess everyday gives happiness and pleasure to devotees. Married women worship her with Red Kumkum. She can be chanted daily in the form of Lalitha Stotram. We perform pooja by chanting Lalitha Ashtotharam and Lalitha Sahasram. Lalitha Devi is also worshipped as Tripura Sundari. She is the combination of three Goddess (Tri Jagajjanani). The three forces of Nature - Passion (Tamas) as Goddess Parvathi, Anger (Rajas) as Goddess Lakshmi and Truth (Satva) as Goddess Saraswathi. These three forces lead by these Goddesses run the world.

6^TH DAY

In this attire Devi is decorated as Sri Saraswati Devi
The Devi in this attire is adorned with white silk sari (Swetha Vastra Dharani), has a beautiful white swan as Vaahana.

She is the Goddess of knowledge. Education, Literature, Music, etc. are easily learnt with her blessings. On the Moola Nakshatra day people especially students pray her for all these. With her blessings even a fool can become a scholar and attain Moksha. As she is the wife of Lord Brahma, by knowing her we can know Brahma Swaroopam. This Devi is known for her simplicity (Satva Guna Swaroopam).

7^TH DAY

Devi is adorned as Sri Kanaka Durga in this attire.
On the day of Aswayuja Suddha Ashtami, the Devi is adorned as Sri Kanaka Durga and symbolizes victory of evil. She is a terror for her enemies and is a friend for the needy and suffering people. Holding weapons such as Sword, Spear, Chakra, she makes the lion as her Vaahana (Simha Vahini) and is fierce in her looks.

This avataar has taken its birth to kill an evil demon called Mahishasura. On this day she tool the avataar of Durga, fought with the demon Mahishasura on Maharnavami (the next day) and won victory on VijayaDasami (the other day). So these three days are festive days to us.

On this day married women perform Kumkumaarchana along with Ashtotharams and Sahasrams. Durga is the Goddess of Power. Worshipping the Goddess frees us from enemies, wars and other difficulties.

8^TH DAY

In this avataar, the Devi is adorned as Mahishasura Mardhini Devi
This is the most fierceful avataar of the Devi of all the other avataara. Mahishasura Mardhini in this attire has the powers of Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara and armed with different kinds of weapons fought fiercely for nine days. Devi is a terror for evil in this avatar. This frightful avatar is also named as Chandi and Bhadra Kali.

The Devi in this avatar mezmorises and surprises her devotees with different avatars and different weapons. When Sri Maha Vishnu was in deep sleep (Yoga Nidra) she killed the demons Madhukaitabha. She was the one who put an end to the lives of demons Sumbha & Nisumbha.

She is the left part of Sri Parameshwara and is responsible for Dushta Sikshana and Sista Rakshana (condemning evil and helping needy)

A demon named Mahishasura meditated on Lord Brahma and was blessed by him that he would not be killed by any Devata or by Trimurthis (Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara). He was only afraid of Gods but never thought of Goddesses. Later the Devataas couldn't endure his evil deeds and along with Trimurthis sought the help of Parvathi. She decided to save the world from this evil Mahishasura and fought for nine days during this Nav Rathri and killed him. So she was praised as Mahishasura Mardhini. On the day of Aswayuja, Maha Navami, the Devi is decorated as Mahishasura Mardhini and is offered special poojas with Ashtotrams and Sahasrams. Devotees who have enimity perform pooja on this day and sing the Mahishasura Mardhini Stotram. Devotees are free of tensions & fears after performing this pooja.

9^TH DAY

On this day the Devi is protrayed as Sri Raja Rajeshwari
On this day Suvasini Poojas are performed . The Devi blesses her devotees with wordly pleasures.

10^TH DAY

Vijayadashami