Festival of Navaratri The Hindu festival of Navaratri is just beginning, and it will last for nine days. It’s a time when Hindus get together to celebrate the power of the Mother Goddess.

God in Hinduism Most people think of God as male. Some people even picture him as an old man with flowing white hair and beard, sitting on a throne in the clouds and looking down on the world that he created. But Hindus believe that God is a spirit with no body. They believe that everything in the natural world comes from God and that everything is a part of God - so God includes both male and female aspects.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Because this idea is hard to get your head around, Hindus also believe that God can take on the bodily form of various Gods and Goddesses to show the different sides of his character. The most important of these Gods are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the Creator, Protector and Destroyer.

Shakti But all the Gods depend on Shakti, the female side of God’s personality, to help them. Shakti embodies the creative, caring and protective qualities that the universe needs to exist, and carry on existing. The most important forms of Shakti are the Goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga

Durga At Navaratri, all the Goddesses are worshipped, but Durga is given special importance because of a story that tells how she saved the world from the dominion of a demon.

Mahishashura vs Durga Read the Story Mahishashura Vs. Durga and watch the clip below( video is half way down the page) m/holydays/navaratri.shtml The word Navaratri means “nine nights” because it remembers the nine days of Durga’s battle with Mahishashura’s demon army. Ancient stories like the one we’ve just heard might seem strange to modern ears, but Hinduism still has relevance to young people today... Show the film My Faith: Jai

Celebrating Navaratri The date of Navaratri changes every year because the traditional Hindu calendar depends on the phases of the moon. The festival begins on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashwin which usually falls during September or October. Navaratri is celebrated in different ways across India and the world, but all of them centre on the worship of Shakti – the Mother Goddess. Hindus remember her different forms, and the qualities that women bring to the world.

Day 1-3 The Goddess Durga is worshipped. The story of how she destroyed the demon army to protect Heaven is symbol of her power to destroy the badness within each of us, and her encouragement to all of us to stand up for what is right. 4,5,6 The Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped because she brings people good luck and wealth. 7,8,9 And for the final three days, the Goddess Saraswati is worshipped because she gives people wisdom.

Navaratri Navaratri represents the triumph of good over evil. It also shows the important role women play in Hinduism. For Discussion or Reflection What lessons can we learn from the celebration of Navaratri in: 1. How we ought to value the role of women in society? 2. How resilient we ought to be in lessons, and out of lessons in pursuing ‘good’? Happy Navaratri