Maa Shailputri
First Navratri of Shardiya/ Ashwin Navratri 2021 dedicated to Maa Shailputri
-Rohit Kumar Parmar
Navratri (nau ratri or nine nights) is a festival dedicated to Goddess Durga. During these nine nights and ten days, Goddess Durga is worshipped in 9 different forms, known as Navdurga. The tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadashami when idols of Goddess Durga are immersed into a water body.
Navratri is celebrated in the Shukla paksha of the Hindu calendar month Ashvin, corresponding to the Gregorian months of September and October.
Goddess Shailputri was born after Goddess Sati had immolated herself and is the most important of the nine forms of Durga, which is why she is worshipped on the first day. She is also known as Parvati — the daughter of Himalaya — Goddesss Shailputri (‘shail’ meaning mountain and ‘putri’ meaning daughter).
Typically, Goddess Shailputri is depicted riding a bull, one hand holds her trident, and the other holds a lotus flower. Goddess Shailputri is also referred to as ‘Hemavati’. Just like Goddess Sati, Shailputri, is also married to Lord Shiva.
Navratri celebrated in India is a very popular festival in the western states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and the southern state of Karnataka. On the first day of Navratri, Goddess Durga is invoked into a Kalash with full Vedic rituals along with chanting of Mantras. The invocation and dwelling of Goddess Durga into the Kalash is known as Ghatasthapana or Kalashsthapana and is done at an auspicious time of the day.
In West Bengal, Navratri is celebrated as Durga Puja, especially the last four days of Navratri known as Shashti Puja, Durga Saptami, Durga Ashtami and Durga Navami. Kalparambha and Bilva Nimantran during Durga Puja is done on the sixth day of Navratri, and is symbolically the same as Ghatasthapana or Kalashsthapana.
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