Chaitra Navratri  / Vasanta Navratri (28th march 2017 to 5th April 2017)

Chaitra Navratri is an important Hindu festival that is celebrated for a period of nine days. The festivities begin from the ‘pratipada’ (1st day) till the ‘navami’ (9th day) of the Shukla Paksha (the bright fortnight of the moon) during the Hindu month of ‘Chaitra’, which is also the first month of the Hindu calendar and hence the name, Chaitra Navratri. According to the English calendar, it falls during the months between March-April. Chaitra Navratri is also known as ‘Vasanta Navratri’ or ‘Rama Navratri’ as the ninth day of the Navratri festivity is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Rama. During the Chaitra Navratri the nine days are dedicated to worshipping the nine forms of Goddess Shakti and most of the rituals and customs are same as followed during the ‘Shardiya Navratri’.

Legend behind Chaitra Navratri

According to the legends, the origin of this navratri dates back to the ayodhaya and kosala kingdom of Lord rama but he was not born in this period. it was the time when king durvasindhu was killed by a lion in a hunt he was carrying out in a jungle and now kosala was looking for a new heir and prince sudarshan was the only rightful option but the father of the two brides of King durvasindhu had something else planned as each wanted their grandson to be the king.

The grandfather of sudarsan was killed and his mother monarama flew with him and an enuch into the jungle and took shelter with rishi bhardawaj. The prince in the jungle once saw a man calling the enuch as kleeba and teaching the klee he added the word as kleema and started addressing it with the same name over and over, little he knew that it is an auspicious mantra which devi durga was pleased with most.

Once the king of banaras passing and noticed the prince and decided him to be the right choice for their kingdoms princess, both got married now the king of kosala attacked banaras with his army which was turned to ashes by the goddess for her devotee and rishi bhardwaj along with banaras declared sudarshan as the new king of kosala kingdom, this was all possible because of nine day vrat sudarshan kept at the advice of rishi bhardwaj which later became to be known as vasant navratri.

There are other Navratris also.