Photos of Navratri 2011 Celebration

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Navratri, the most popular Hindu festival, is celebrated for 9 nights and devoted to the worship of mother goddess Shakti. Navratri is a festival of happiness and joy. Navratri comes in Ashwin month of the Hindu calendar. People worship mother goddess in 9 different forms during these 9 nights of Navratri. On the 10th day, Navratri ends with the celebrations of Dusshera, also known as Vijayadashami. This year, Navratri starts on 28th September and lasts until 6th October. Celebration of Durga Puja starts on 1st October, 2011.

People of all over India celebrate Navratri with great fanfare. Clay models in various manifestations of goddess have been made by capable artisans. Special ceremonies, festivities, rituals and fasts have been organized. In eastern India, people worship the goddess Durga in a grand manner during the last 6 nights of Navratri. Goddess Durga is worshiped in a ferocious form riding atop a lion and trampling on the devil Mahishashura. On Dusshera, procession of the goddess Durga statue has been taken through the streets with dancing and singing to immerse goddess in a river or the sea.

In Gujarat, people wear well designed costumes and perform a unique energetic dance known as garba. Traditionally, they perform garbas around statues/images of the mother goddess and an earthen lamp. Dusshera is celebrated as victory of good over evil which is marked the triumph of Lord Rama over the devil king Ravana and vast statues of Ravana are burnt on this day. Preparations of Navratri are in the last stage and count down of it begins in Gujarat. Garba fans are ready for deployment in Navratri. Some youth fans have also made a plan for looking best.

A Statue Of The Goddess Made Out Of Bangles