Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated in autumn that honors the goddess Durga for defeating the demon Mahishasur and god Ram for defeating Ravana. The celebrations include worshipping nine goddesses over nine days through stage decorations, recitals of legends, and chanting scriptures. Devotees also fast, and on the final day statues representing evil are immersed in water or burned with fireworks to mark the destruction of evil. The festival preparations lead up to Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated twenty days later.

1. NAVRATRI
HELLO, I AM MASTER OF MASTER. TODAY I AM GOING TO TELL ABOUT
‘NAVRATRI?’

2. WHY DO WE CELEBRATE NAVRATRI?
 NAVRATRI IS A HINDU FESTIVAL THAT SPANS NINE NIGHTS AND IS
CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR IN THE AUTUMN.
 THE FESTIVAL HONOURS AND CELEBRATES GODDESS DURGA FOR
DEFEATING THE DEMON MAHISHASUR AND GOD RAM DEFEATED
RAVAN.
GODDESS DURGA GOD RAM

3. HOW DO WE CELEBRATE NAVRATRI?
 CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE WORSHIPPING NINE GODDESSES IN NINE DAYS,
STAGE DECORATIONS, RECITAL OF THE LEGEND, ENACTING OF THE
STORY, AND CHANTING OF THE SCRIPTURES OF HINDUISM.
 THE NINE DAYS ARE ALSO A MAJOR CROP SEASON CULTURAL EVENT,
SUCH AS COMPETITIVE DESIGN AND STAGING OF PANDALS, A FAMILY
VISIT TO THESE PANDALS, AND THE PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF CLASSICAL
AND FOLK DANCES OF HINDU CULTURE.
 HINDU DEVOTEES OFTEN CELEBRATE NAVARATRI BY FASTING. ON THE
FINAL DAY, CALLED VIJAYADASHAMI, THE STATUES ARE EITHER
IMMERSED IN A WATER BODY SUCH AS A RIVER OR OCEAN, OR THE
STATUE SYMBOLIZING THE EVIL IS BURNT WITH FIREWORKS, MARKING
THE DESTRUCTION OF EVIL.
 THE FESTIVAL ALSO STARTS THE PREPARATION FOR DIWALI, THE
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, WHICH IS CELEBRATED TWENTY DAYS
AFTER VIJAYADASHAMI.