Hi folks, I am Richa Agarwal from 1997-99 batch PGDBA

INDIA is known as the land of festivals. We celebrate many festivals throughout the year. India's diverse population, religions, cultures and traditions, make for a rich tapestry of festivals that are celebrated with great enthusiasm.

As we are celebrating Navratri this week, I would like to share my treasured fond memories of this festival. I had been to almost all places in India and celebrated these nine auspicious days differently in various states of India. Navratri Durga puja and Garba Dandiya. This festival occurs in the month of October or November. In India, people celebrate it four times every year. We refer to these times as Sharad Navratri,Vasanth Navratri, Magha Navratri and Ashada Navratri.

We celebrate the festival for 9 nights and 10 days Navratri Naudurga in Uttar Pradesh, Durga Puja in West Bengal, Navratri and Garba or Dandiya in Gujarat.

Further, the most famous is Sharad Navratri that people all over the country celebrate actively. The people living in the North Eastern and Eastern states refer to it as Durga Puja. According to the holy scriptures Mahishasur was a demon king. Also he was an ardent worshipper of Lord Shiva and got massive powers. Navratri is a festival in which people joyously celebrate Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura.
 

A few also celebrate this as "Shri Ram’s" come back after defeating Ravana. In Varanasi,  lighting the Akhand Jyoti at Maa Durga temple for nine days can be witnessed. In Uttar Pradesh and other states, we celebrate Dussehra on the 10th day. Where effigy of Ravan is burnt which shows Lord Ram’s victory over 'Ravana' and I also have some very sweet memories of "Ram Leela" wherein we enjoyed 'Mela' and as a kid very happy to see "dus sir ka raavan" (10-headed Ravan).

In West Bengal, for nine days’ people worship Maa Durga's nine Avatars or incarnations. We were in Kolkata for 8 years after my marriage and what makes it special was the birth of my daughter in the City of Joy. The scenes over there for these nine days are worth waiting for. Artisans make huge beautiful puja pandals, sculptures all over Kolkata and West Bengal. Their workmanship and creativity is the best. Durga Puja includes idol procession, pandal hopping and cultural programs. Main attraction is pandals, lights, illumination and carnivals.

Married women smear sindoor on each other’s forehead which is known as "Sindoor khela", a much revered event, marking the return of Kaali as Durga to Lord Shiva. During the festival the devotees offer prayers to the goddess and worship her in several different forms after the evening aarti ritual is done on the 8th day. It is a tradition for the religious folk dance which is performed in front of the goddess in order to gratify her. This dance is performed on the musical beats of drums while holding a clay pot filled with burning coconut covering and camphor. I also did "Dhunuchi dance". 

As far as the significance of Durga Puja is concerned while the ceremony brings observance of fast and devotion for 10 days, the last four days of the festival - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijaya-Dashmi are celebrated with much sparkle and magnificence in India, especially in Bengal and overseas.

The Durga Puja celebrations differ based on the place, customs and beliefs. Things differ to the extent that somewhere the festival is on for five days, somewhere it is for seven days and somewhere it is for 10 days. The Puja fervour begins with 'Shashti'- 6th day and ends on Vijaya Dashmi.

In Uttar Pradesh and Western India, after fasting for seven days on "Ashtami" or "Navami" we offer Puja and Prasad to small little girls which is known as "Kanya Jimaai"or "Kanjake". The pretty little girls are worshiped and it is very pious. "Mata ki Chowki" is also organised Bhajan Mandali comes with all the instruments and bhajan, kirtan, pujan happens for all nine auspicious days. "Mata Rani (Maa Durga) ko lal chunri bhi pehnai jaati hai".
 

In contrast Navratri is renowned for Garba and Dandiya dance in Gujarat. "Garba" is the most popular dance celebration during Navratri in Gujarat. Every year, Navratri festival brings in innovation, variation in choreography and new designs of costumes which  enthralls all with its beauty and cultural tradition. 
 

Gujaratis host Garba and Dandiya nights on a large scale. I have attended it many times in Mumbai, my current home, which is worth watching. Dancing in very big grounds with all colourful mirror work dresses and big pieces of jewellery is exhilarating. The competitions of best costume, best jewellery, best dance and best couple adds to the zeal. Here, in Mumbai, "Falguni Pathak Dandiya Nights" are the best."Maine Payal hai chhankai", you know!.
 

For the last 13 years we have been living in Mumbai. We have visited Pooja Pandals organised by Bengali Bollywood celebrities like Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, singer Abhijeet, Rupali Ganguly and we also met them during our visit.

In Maharashtra we used to follow 9 different colors on 9 days in offices and in schools teachers and employees used to follow all nine colors nine days and these are very special days for all of us. 

Therefore, people celebrate and worship all forms of the goddess enthusiastically. They make a lot of grand statues and carry out processions in her honour. In a lot of places, we see that people host fairs. Most importantly Navratri, brings people together from all over the country and symbolizes diversity and culture. So this is how we all Indian celebrate Navratri these nine auspicious day in a special manner with lot of enthusiasm, zeal, dances, fares and much more.

These festivals give us very important messages like the victory of "good over evil". It also implies that we all should overpower evil within us and come out as a better person. May the blessings of Maa Durga be always with you all!