By: Garima Lohumi
SHIMLA: The shadow of Coronavirus, the worst global pandemic in recent times, looms large over the“Chaitra Navratri Festival” commencing from March 25, which also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year Vikrami Samvat 2077.
With the country under lockdown to check the further spread of the dreaded virus and most temples closed for devotees, the season of festivities is going to be a disappointing affair. Celebrated twice a year in the month of Chaitra and Ashwin the “Navratri” is the most important religious festival of Hindus. Cultural and religious significance apart, the nine-day period is considered an auspicious time for starting new ventures.
People wait for the Navratri for acquiring property, new vehicles, clothes and other such items. It is the boom time for business as everyone, from the poorest to the rich, buys one thing or the other depending on financial resources. Consumer durables like television sets, washing machines, refrigerators, cars, cameras, mobile phones record the maximum sales during the period.
This year it is altogether a different story, people are dying across the world due to outbreak of Corona virus and there is panic all around in the country. Normally teeming with hordes of devotees during Navratri season, the temples wear a deserted look. Not only temples, shopping malls, cinema halls,gyms, hotels and restaurants have been closed but even employees have been asked to work from home. Restrictions have been imposed on movement of vehicles and people to prevent crowding at public places. The people have been advised to stay home and observe social distancing.
Reeling under prolonged economic slowdown the countrymen were eagerly looking forward to the Navratri season for a turn around. However, outbreak of Coronavirus has dashed all hopes of economic revival and it has now become a struggle for survival. The mood is sombre and instead of community celebrations and festivities, the focus will be on religious activities in home in isolation.
The nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped over the nine days during both Chaitra and Ashwin occasions. Some Shakti Peeths, Shakti temples, are famous as seats of Tantra as pursuers are able to unravel its mysteries and acquire knowledge much faster. For the common devotees Navratri is the time for introspection and self-purification through fasting, meditation and visiting temples to pay obeisance to the Goddess.
The Ashwin Navratri Festival is more significant as it follows the fortnight long inauspicious “pitri paksh” (Shraddha) during which the Hindus remember and pay their respects to their ancestors by performing various rituals. Being a period of mourning, the fortnight is considered inauspicious and the Hindus mostly avoid buying new clothes, undertaking any new ventures, acquiring property or solemnising weddings or other propitious events. The “Navratri” festival brings about a dramatic change from the sombre atmosphere of the “pitri paksh” to a season of boisterous celebrations which continue for almost a month up to Diwali.
This is the most enjoyable time of the year during which people go on a shopping spree and make a point to visit various temples and seek blessings of Goddess Durga and other deities.
In the modern times the festival also provides an occasion to pay tribute to the women power as symbolised by the Goddess Durga. The worship of pre-pubescent girls, symbolic representation of the nine forms of the deity, on “Ashtami”, the eighth day, is the most important part of the festival.
