Happy and blessed Navratri to all my readers and Friends!!!!
Navaratri represents a celebration of the Goddess Amba, (the Power).
The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, Nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra". Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India and Nepal. Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated twenty days after Dassehra. Though there are in total five types of Navaratri that come in a year, Sharad Navaratri is the most popular one. Hence, the term Navaratri is being used for Sharada Navaratri here.
The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are considered to be important junctions of climatic and solar influences. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother Durga. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar. Each woman wears traditional three colored dress during Navaratri. Navaratri or Navadurga Parva happens to be the most auspicious and unique period of devotional sadhanas and worship of Shakti of the Divine conceptualized as the Mother Goddess-Durga.
Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navaratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshiping the Mother Goddess in her different forms. The Chaitra Navaratri culminates in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navaratri culminates in Durga Pooja and Dussehra The Dussehra of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North.
In Western India, particularly in the state of Gujarat and Mumbai, Navaratri is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya Raas dance. Since the past few years, the Government of Gujarat has been organising the "Navaratri Festival Celebrations" on a regular basis for the nine days of Navaratri Festival in Gujarat. People from all over Gujarat and even abroad come to participate in the nine-day celebration. It is also popular throughout India and among Indian communities around the world including the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and USA.
During Navaratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. Devotees avoid meat, alcoholic drinks, grains, wheat and onion during this fast. Grains are usually avoided since it is believed that during the period of Navaratri and seasonal change, grains attract and absorb lots of negative energies from the surrounding and therefore there is a need to avoid eating anything which are produced from grains for the purification of Navaratri to be successful. Navaratri is also a period of introspection and purification, and is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.
The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, Nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra". Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India and Nepal. Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated twenty days after Dassehra. Though there are in total five types of Navaratri that come in a year, Sharad Navaratri is the most popular one. Hence, the term Navaratri is being used for Sharada Navaratri here.
The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are considered to be important junctions of climatic and solar influences. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother Durga. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar. Each woman wears traditional three colored dress during Navaratri. Navaratri or Navadurga Parva happens to be the most auspicious and unique period of devotional sadhanas and worship of Shakti of the Divine conceptualized as the Mother Goddess-Durga.
Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navaratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshiping the Mother Goddess in her different forms. The Chaitra Navaratri culminates in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navaratri culminates in Durga Pooja and Dussehra The Dussehra of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North.
In Western India, particularly in the state of Gujarat and Mumbai, Navaratri is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya Raas dance. Since the past few years, the Government of Gujarat has been organising the "Navaratri Festival Celebrations" on a regular basis for the nine days of Navaratri Festival in Gujarat. People from all over Gujarat and even abroad come to participate in the nine-day celebration. It is also popular throughout India and among Indian communities around the world including the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and USA.
During Navaratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. Devotees avoid meat, alcoholic drinks, grains, wheat and onion during this fast. Grains are usually avoided since it is believed that during the period of Navaratri and seasonal change, grains attract and absorb lots of negative energies from the surrounding and therefore there is a need to avoid eating anything which are produced from grains for the purification of Navaratri to be successful. Navaratri is also a period of introspection and purification, and is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.
Garba is a Gujarati folk dance celebrated in Navratri, a celebration lasting nine nights. Garba songs typically revolve around the subjects of Lord Krishna or the nine goddesses. Sanedo is an example of a very popular song. Garba styles vary from place to place in Gujarati. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term Garbha ("womb") and Deep ("a small earthenware lamp"). Many traditional garbas are performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of the Goddess Shakti. The circular and spiral figures of Garba have similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi culture. Traditionally, it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navaratri. Either the lamp (the Garba Deep) or an image of the Goddess, Durga (also called Amba) is placed in the middle of concentric rings as an object of veneration. The traditional costume of the Garba dancer is red, pink, yellow, orange, and brightly colored Chanya choli or ghagra choli; odhini with bandhani (tie-die), abhla (big mirrors) or with thick Gujarati borders. They also wear heavy jewelry, such as 2-3 necklaces, sparkling bangles, waist belts and long oxidized earrings.
In Ahmedabad, Navratri is not just about naach and gaana; it's about some mouthwatering delicacies too. And this festive season, as always, the city is flooded with deliciously typical Gujarati food. Dandiya parties are a frenzy with a combination of food and dance. The numerous dandiya venues in the Ahmedabad city are where you can get a good helping of yummy Chaat, which is a hot favorite at dandiya time.So on the note of food Point, lets have a tour of some yummy food recipe which you can consume during this Navratri festival.
Today is the First day of Navratri and with joy of happiness I have decided to post 9 delicious Navratri special recipes on Blog, and Today One of them is here. Sago Kheer/Sabudana khee/ Sago Pudding is one of the favorite of mine, and Sometimes I love to have it not only on Fast time, But on normal days too ;) I love this kheer more than the Rice kheer.
Check out the quick and easy recipe of Sabudana kheer and Enjoyyy the days of Navratri!!!!
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Sago soaked for 3-4 hours
5 Cups Milk
1/4 Cup Sugar
10-12 Almonds
Saffron a pinch
1/4 tsp Green cardamom powder
Method
1. Heat the milk in a deep non stick pan. Add the saffron and mix.
2. Cook on low heat till the milk thickens a little.
3. Add the Sabudana to the milk and cook, stirring, till the Sabudana is fully cooked and the kheer thickened.
4. Add almonds, sugar and green cardamom powder and mix well. Serve it hot or chill and serve.
Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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