NAVARATREE 2018 ,PUJA SAMAGREE AND PRASAD OR CHAITRE DASHAI

 PUJA SAMAGREE

Idol or picture of Goddess Durga

A red dupatta to offer the deity. People also offer saree to the Goddess.

Hindu sacred book: Durga Saptshati

Sandalwood

Coconut

Roli, which is also referred to as red sacred red powder used for tilak

Ganga water in kalash (picture). If you don't have Ganga water, take plain water

Fresh mango leaves. Use them after washing

Supari (Areca nuts)

Paan (Betel leaves)

Cloves

Cardamom

Incense sticks

Fresh flowers to offer the deity

Fresh fruits

Some sweets like 'laddoo'

Kumkum (vermilion)

Gulal

Fresh grass

Moli, which is red sacred thread

Raw rice

Now to perform the ritual, you need to get up early in the morning. Get fresh and after taking bath, wear clean clothes. Early morning is the right time to perform Navratri Pooja. Sprinkle 'Gangajal' in your house to make it pious. Light the 'Akhand Jyoti'. All people who light 'Akhand jyoti' should keep it in mind that after this, they shouldn't leave their home vacant. One person should be present in the house. 'Akhand Jyoti 'should be kept at the left side of the deity and on the right side, keep some incense sticks. Perform all the rituals with great devotion. Before you start your prayers, blow the 'shankh' or you can also ring the bell. 

Kalash Sathapna'

After 'Akhand Jyoti', now you should perform 'Kalash Sathapna' ritual. Keep the Kalash filled with water or Ganga water near the deity and put some mango leaves in the kalash. After putting leaves, place coconut in it. Coconut should be wrapped in the red cloth and tie moli (red sacred thread) around it.

After placing kalash and coconut, offer deity sandalwood powder followed by fresh grass. Now, offer saree or red dupatta to the Goddess and place some fresh flowers. Offer 'paan' leaf with 1 clove on it and those who are married should offer two 'paan' leaves. Light incense sticks and start your prayer. Chant this mantra:

"Om aing hreeng kleeng chamundaya vichche namah"
If you are performing 'havan', chant this mantra and give 'aahuti' 11 times.

Lastly, offer 'prasad' that you have kept in the form of sweets. After distributing prasad, sing "Kshama Prarthana". Refer to the 13 ^th chapter of the sacred book 'Durga Saptshati'. The mantra goes like this...

Aparadha sahasrani kriyanthe aaharnisam maya,
Daso aayamithi maam mathwa kshamaswa parameshwari. || 1 ||

Oh great goddess, I commit thousands of offences routinely, So please think me as your slave, "this is my servant" — having thought this, please forgive all my mistakes.

Aavajanam na janami, na janami visarjanam,
Poojam chaiva na janami, kshamyatham Parameshwari. || 2 ||

I do not how to invoke you, nor do I know how do send you away, I don't know the concluding rites, I also do not know how to worship you nor to pray. O Goddess! Please forgive me!.

Manthraheenam, kriyaheenam, Bhakthiheenam, Sureswari,
Yath poojitham maya devi paripoornam thadasthuthe. || 3 ||

I lack the powers of mantra (chants), kriya (deeds towards the deity), and devotion. O Goddess! (Even then). So, whatever worship I do, please make it complete, accept all my attempts to pray your glory.

Aaparadha satham kruthwa jagadambethi cho ucharath,
Yaam gathim samvapnothe na thaam brahmadaya suraa. || 4 ||

If one calls you, "Mother of the universe" and commits hundred mistakes, still you look after his salvation. Having done hundreds of offences, even then if someone takes Your name 'Jagadamba', you look after his salvation and this cannot be matched by Brahma or demi-gods.

Saparadhosmi saranam prathasthvam jagadambike,
Idhanee manu kampyoham Yadecchasi thada kuru., || 5 ||

Oh mother of the universe, I am full of offences and taking Your refuge. I have committed several mistakes I seek your refuge, O Jagadambika! Decide my fate according to Your wishes.

Agnana smrutherbranthya yanyoonam adhikam krutham.
Thath sarva kshamyadham devi praseedha parameshwari. || 6 ||

Oh Goddess! I have done all this due to ignorance and wayward thoughts. Forgive my deeds which were a result of lack of knowledge or wisdom. Please be happy on me.

Kameshwari jaganmatha sachidananda vigrahe,
Grahanarchameemam preethya praseeda parameshwari. || 7 ||

O Divine Mother, Who fulfils our wishes. Oh Goddess of love, Oh mother of the world, Oh source of eternal happiness, please accept my worship and offerings with happiness. O Goddess! Please be happy on me.

Guhyadhi guhya gopthri grahana asmad krutham japam,

Sidhir bhavathu mey devi thwat prasadath sureshwari. || 8 ||

Oh Goddess! you possess the most secret knowledge. Accept the chanting done by me. O Goddess! make me powerful, may I become perfect by your kind shower, through your grace, Oh Goddess of the devas.

Maa Durga is an ocean of mercy, pray her to forgive all your mistakes. Recite Durga Saptashati Kshama Prarthana to pray Maa Durga to get rid of any mistakes and seek mercy from Goddess Durga Maa. 

Maa Durga Bhajan

Teri godh mein sar hai maiya
Ab mujhko kya darr hai maiya (x2)

Duniya nazre phere toh phere
Duniya nazre phere toh phere
Mujhpe teri nazar hai maiya

Teri godh mein sar hai maiya
Ab mujhko kya darr hai maiya

Maiya teri jai jaikaar
Maiya teri jai jaikaar (x2)

Tera daras yahan bhi hai
Tera daras wahan bhi hai (x2)

Har dukh se ladne ko maiya
Tera ik jaikaara kafi hai kafi hai

Maiya teri jai jaikaar
Maiya teri jai jaikaar
Dil mein laga tera darbaar
Maiya teri jai jaikar

Main santan tu mata
Tu meri jeevan daata (x2)

Jag mein sabse gehra maiya
Tera aur mera hai naata hai naata

Maiya teri jai jaikaar
Maiya teri jai jaikaar (x2)

Teri godh mein sar hai maiya
Ab mujhko kya darr hai maiya

Duniya nazre phere toh phere
Duniya nazre phere toh phere
Mujhpe teri nazar hai maiya

Teri godh mein sar hai maiya
Ab mujhko kya darr hai maiya

Maiya teri jai jaikaar
Maiya teri jai jaikaar (x3)

Teri godh mein sar hai maiya
Ab mujhko kya darr hai maiya
Maiya teri jai jaikaar
Maiya teri jai jaikaar

Prasad Of Navaratree 2018

Prasad holds an important place in the Maha Navratri festival. Nine different incarnations of Goddess Durga are worshiped and nine different prasad or bhog are offered to each form of Maa Durga. This is the time not to eat rich, spicy foods but to adhere to discipline. Ganesha advises you follow the strict vegetarian diet (including foods without onion and garlic) throughout the festival. 

Pray to Maa Durga from your heart and offer her nine different prasads. Let’s check out which nine prasad you should offer to nine different incarnations of Maa Durga.

Day One: Offer Pure Ghee to Devi Shailputri.

Day Two: Offer Sugar to Devi Brahmacharini to enhance Longevity of your family members.

Day Three: Offer Kheer to Devi Chandraghanta to drive away all pains and welcome joy and happiness.

Day Four: Offer Malpua to Devi Kushmanda in order to improve your intellect and decision-making ability.

Day Five: Offer Bananas to Devi Skandamata to be healthy and physically energetic.

Day Six: Offer Honey as prasad to Devi Katyayani in order to be bestowed with natural charm,

Day Seven: Offer Jaggery as prasad to Devi Kaalratri and be free from all the pains, obstacles and bring happiness.

Day Eight: Offer Coconut to Devi Maha Gauri. It will bestow the childless couples with children.

Day Nine: Offer Sesame Seeds to Devi Siddhidatri, so that you will be safe and secured from unnatural events like the accident, calamity or death.

Chaite Dashain falls generally in the final month, Chaitra, of Bikram Sambat calendar. It is known as Chaite Dashain or Small Dashain. The big Dashain falls in autumn.  

It is almost the last festival in Nepali calendar year. After this festival, we have a new year ahead within few days. This festival has two days of celebration. First day is Ram Navami (The birth day of Lord RamChandra) and second day is Dashami. Some part of Nepal and India, Chaite Dashain is called Chaitra Navaratri.

This festival has same days of importance as the 10 days of Bijaya Dashami even though it is publicly celebrated for 2 days.

Chaite Dashain is celebration of the victory of good over evil. 

When is Ram Nawami and Chaite Dashain

Ram Navami is on Chaitra Sukla Navami according to Hindu lunar calendar.

How do we celebrate Chaite Dashain

  

People keep fasting in the day of Ram Nawami and visit temples of Lord Ram. In Chaite Dashain day Goddess Durga is worshiped and animal sacrifices are made in some temples especially in temples of Durga Bhawani. Number of water buffalos, goats, chicken and ducks are sacrificed in Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Durbar square.

This festival is the public holiday in Nepal. People enjoy the day off with their family and friends. People eat good food and invite relatives and loved one for the feast.  

Story Behind the celebrating Chaite Dashain

Ram Nawami is birthday of Lord Ram Chandra and Chaite Dashain is the day when Lord Ram came back to Ayodhaya with his wife Sita, brother Laxman, Hanuman and his military after 14 years of his exile. People of Ayudhya celebrated this day as a festival and this started the trend. 

In Hinduism, Lord Ram is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is known as Maryada Purusottam Ram. He was dutiful and obeying. He was a great king, good husband and a great son. He showed the example of what human should be.

He set an example of a son by accepting his exile for 14 year from his country only to fulfill his father’s promise. He set an example of a caring and loving king, who sent his wife to forest again to satisfy his countrymen.  He was a loving husband who was always loyal to his wife Sita. He did not marry anyone even for the biggest Yagya, Ashwamegh Yagya. He put golden statue of Sita with him to perform the Yagya. (Wife should be present together with the man performing this Yagya.) Ram Chantra is an example of a man. Ramayana is a way of living epic.  

Ravan was the king of Lanka. He was one of the most brilliant persons living in his age. He was an engineer and a scientist. He was the first one to fry aircraft and first one to use bio diesel about 5000 years ago. He had ten heads and could think equally with all his ten heads.  The ten heads signifies, his brilliance, he was ten times brilliant than anyone living those days on the earth. He was believed to be brilliant enough to build a flying device. The aircraft made by Ravan is called Puspak Biman. He was very hard working and brilliant but he was too arrogant. He was not allowing saints and god believing people to perform their worship and started thinking himself as a God. He was very impressed by beauty of Sita and abducted her from the forest and flew her to Lanka in his Puspak Biman. Ram after a long battle killed him and freed Sita. The kingdom was given in the safe hands of Ravan’s brother Bibhisan. 

The victory of lord Ram over Ravan is symbolically regarded as the victory of human being over the ten sense organs, five belonging to knowledge and 5 to the actions of us Human Beings. It is said Ram Chandra worshiped Goddess Durga Bhawani for 9 days before Ravan was killed. Therefore, these 9 days are regarded as worship days and tenth day is the victory day to take Prasad. 

People used to celebrate the big Dashain (Bada Dashain) during this time. But due to the start of summer, people started suffering a lot form health problem due to heavy food they eat during this festival.  Therefore, the same festival is moved to autumn with same celebration.    

TODAY IS 23 RD MARCH ,PANCHAMI OF NAVARATREE 2018

The fifth manifestation of Durga is Skandmata who is worshiped on the fifth day of the Navratri also known as Panchami. Goddess Skandamata is depicted as a four-armed deity, who carries a lotus in two of her arms with a Kamandalu and a bell. She is also seen carrying little Kartikay on her lap. Kartikay is also known as Skanda, hence giving the goddess the name of Skandamata. Her posture is calm and serene. She is seated on a lotus, but a lion is also her vehicle. A bhog is offered to the goddess and it is said to keep the devotees in good health.

Worshiped on the sixth day (Shashti) of Navratris, Goddess Katyayani is a form of Shakti who is depicted as having four arms, and cDurga Asthami or the eight day of Navratris is dedicated to Goddess Mahagauri. As per the scriptures, Mahagauri worshiped as the four-armed deity who rides on a bull or a white elephant. She carries a trishul and a damru. When Parvati decided to go on an austere penance to beget Lord Shiva as her consort, she renounced all comforts and lived in a forestarrying a sword. She rides a lion, and can be pleased with true devotion and piety. She is the daughter of Sage Katyayan. Devotees offer honey as prasad to Goddess Katyayani. Her blessings fill their lives with sweetness and help them get rid of bitter troubles.

Goddess Kaalratri is worshiped on the seventh day of Navratris. According to the Hindu scriptures, Goddess Kaalratri is etched as a four-armed deity who rides a donkey. She carries a sword, a trident and a noose. She is the fierce form of Durga, dark and ferocious in appearance. She possesses three eyes on her forehead that are known to contain the entire universe. She breathes fierce flames of fire, and lustrous rays emanate from her. Fierce on the outside, Kaalratri bestows her true devotees protection from evil-powers and spirits.

She also holds a lotus, mace, discus and a book. This form of Shakti signifies the ushering of knowledge and wisdom over ignorance. Siddhi in Sanskrit translates to accomplishment. Thus, Goddess Siddhidhatri signifies perfection. On the ninth day of Navrartris, devotees observe a fast and offer til or sesame seeds as bhog. This is believed to protect the devotee and his family from unfortunate mishaps.