Navratri Puja

Sairam friends,

Navratri also pronounced as Navrathri is celebrated as Nine night festival celebrating The Divine Mother – Parvathi, Mahalakshmi and Saraswathi especially Goddess in the form of Durga.

Navratri 2013 has began and I am really surprised how quickly time passes on. I like this year the most as  I tried my best to make sure I keep updating StarSai with fresh divine experiences or some stories of humanity. Honestly, Its not really easy for someone living a simple life to have many experiences and provide interesting articles for devotees. All I have is ability to express little happenings in my life and also some stories Sai Children write me.

Navratri is a very auspicious festival for devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba since Sai had his Mahasamadhi on Vijayadasami day of 1918. In our home, we have been following “Gollu” – Tradition of keeping Statues of Gods and Goddess on Steps for9 days and doing Puja. When me and my sister were kids we used to be really get exited about it. Now a days, its more spiritual than excitement.

10 – 15 Years back, The faces of statues used to be very divine and it will be really nice to see. Now a days, Statues made of mud doesn’t have a charming divine face and I hope people who make these Mud Statues enhance their creativity.We have the wooden planks to arrange as steps which my father had fixed by himself.

My friend called up to ask if I am coming to Nagasai mandhir to offer garland to all the 5 Saibaba statues on terrace and also the 11 Kalasam over the Gopuram. I reached the Temple before Aarti and quickly climbed up to offer garlands to Sai and Kalasam. The 5 Kalasam in the front Gopuram is really on Top and hard to balance myself but now a days I am used to it. I also applied Viboodhi – Sacred Ashes to Kalasam by reciting Datta Stavam. ( One of those few Mantra I know by heart)

Then I came down and started home as my parents wanted me to arrange the Gods Statues on Steps. When ever I open the statues from the box and unwrap the cloth inside which we used to keep the statues, I used to see which God comes first.

This year,

It was Sri Ram

then a Cow

and then a Statue of  Shirdi Saibaba…

I honestly don’t know why this tradition of Gollu is followed. In our home, its my sister who made us keep Gollu when she was a child. She was demanding my parents that we also must keep Gollu in our home and it started like that. When She called up yesterday, My Mom said she wish they call Come India sometime during Gollu.

The statues comes to life when we offer flowers and beautiful garland. Last year, I did parayan of Durga Saptashati and really felt divine.

Nava Durga worship during Navratri Puja

Navadurga which literally means nine Goddess Durgas. They are the manifestation of Durga in nine different forms. These nine forms of manifestation are

Shailapurti

Brahmacharini

Chandraghanta

Kushmanda

Skandamata

Katyayani

Kalaratri

Mahagauri

and

Siddhidatri

These Nine forms of Durga protects a devotee in various ways when they remember her during Navratri.

When I was in Mumbai, Me and my friend Ashish used to enjoy looking at girls and aunties doing Garba dance near the flat. Some are really good at it and dance gracefully.

There are many Sai devotees and devotees of Goddess Durga who like to light Lemon Lamps. Last year I wrote the below article

Worship Durga Ganapathi during Navratri – Lemon Lamps for Goddess Durga

You might also enjoy other articles related to Goddess Durga

A dream of “Shri Vidya ” – Goddess Durga and Shirdi Sai baba leela

Karni Mata, Incarnation of Goddess Durga Chanting

StarSai Lemon lamps Pooja

Durga Devi Sthuti – Narayani Sthuti

Wish you all a very divine, Happy Navratri friends

May Sai Durga bless you with Good health, peace and prosperity.

I will be very happy if everyone who read this share their experiences with Goddess and how they do Navratri Puja

Love,

Venkat

Always in the holy feet of Shirdi Sai Baba