Navaratri Celebration

Navaratri is one of the most enjoyable celebrations of the entire year. It celebrates the power of the various forms of the goddesses and asks for their blessings for the coming year. It is also a metaphorical representation of the spiritual journey to enlightenment.

Three manifestations of the goddesses are worshiped for three days each during this festival;. Durga is the combined energies of all the deities and as such she represents the power of purification. Lakshmi is abundance in all forms and she represents the spiritual and material abundance that comes from increased purity. Saraswati is the embodiment of full knowledge and symbolizes the dawning of wisdom based on pure consciousness.

The 10th day is called Vijaya Dashami; the festival of victory. On one hand it is the celebration of the vicotry of Durga over the demon Mahishasura, but it is also symbolic of the eventual victory of pure consciouness over the darkness of ignorance.

India Events

In India, we have arranged for 25+ priests to perfoprm an extensive series of yagyas during each day of the 10 day celebration. Each morning a group of highly train pundits will recite the entire 700 verses of Chandi Path, also know as the Durga Saptasati, and the Devi Mahatmyam. This recitation requires special training and takes several hours. It is considered to be one very long mantra which bring strength, fulfilllment and enlightenment. During the recitation the other priests will be conducting our usual pujas and mantra japa for the planets and deities in the usual monthly schedule.

Following the recitation all 25 priests will join together to perform the Chandi Yagya consisting of goddess pujas followed by the fire ceremony. we are fortunate to have been able to hire a specialist pudit for this Chandi yagya to lead the performance on the first and last days. This will add considerable strength to the yagya sequence. Each day for 9 days, the complete yagya will begin at 8:00 AM and conclude at 2:00 PM.

Then the yagya continues in the evening with the process of mantra japa for the various forms of the goddess. By tradition the 1,008 mantras, or Sahasranam, for each form of the goddess (by tradition Lakshmi (for abundance and wealth in all forms), Lalitha (for beauty and strength), and Saraswati (for wisdom)are recited; 2 sahasranams per evening.

Those wishing to can sponsor a private priest for the evening japa session, either for the goddesses or the planet or deity of their choice. Please see the Yagya Signup page link below.

The 10th day is called Vijaya Dashami; the day of victory; mostly in a spiritual sense to celebrate the growth of enlightenment and gradual defeat of illusion and ignornace. The day also celebrates the victory of Durga over the demon Mahishaasura, the final defeat of Ravana by Rama at the end of the war in Lanka, and the time when the Pandava Brothers completed their year of living incognito and began preparing for the war croncicled in the Bhagavad Gita. So it is a day of victory in every sense of the word.

US Events

In the US we will support and participate in the events at the Malibu Temple. Each day we are sponsoring the recitation of Lalitha Sahasranam; the 1008 names of the Divine Mother, and Lakshmi Sahasranam, the 10008 mantras for the Goddess of Abundance. These pujas take place every evening from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for each of the 9 days of Navaratri starting on the 14th.

On the last day, we will sponsor the Chandi Homam which removes obstacles and establishes a new foundation of strength for the coming year.