COLOURS FOR NAVRATRI

9 SPECIAL COLOURS
FOR 9 DAYS OF NAVRATRI

www.boldsky.com - Navratri is a festival that last nine days during which we worship Goddess Durga in nine different forms. Each of the Navdurga avatars has their own significance and style of worshipping. Also, the colours for Navratri are designated to each of these nine Devis of Navratri. Navdurga avatars are all parts of Goddess Durga. However, these Devis are worshipped separately because each of them has a particular significance and 'vidhi' or procedure for their puja is different. The Goddess is dressed in a particular colour but it is not necessary that her devotees must be dressed in the same colour. 
For example, Goddess Chandraghanta wears orange but her devotees must wear white on the third day of Navratri. If you want to please the Goddess Durga, then wear the right colours on the respective days. First Day: Yellow Colour - The first day of Navratri is called the 'pratipada'. On this day, Devi Shailapurti Mata who is the first Devi of the Navdurga is worshipped.

Second Day: Green Colour - The second day of the Navratri is called the Dwitiya. Green is the colour of nature and Devi Bramhacharini commands that her devotees be decked up in green. Third Day: Grey Colour - Devi Chandraghanta is the Goddess of peace and serenity. She is dressed in white and her devotees should wear grey on the tritiya of Navratri. Fourth Day: Orange Colour - Goddess Kushmunda is worshipped. She is dressed in red and her devotees must wear read. Fifth Day: White Colour - Skandamata is worshipped on this day. She slays all demons and you must wear white to please this goddess. Sixth Day: Red Colour - Katyayani is worshipped, you must wear red coloured clothes in her honour. 
Seventh Day: Blue Colour - Mata Kaalratri is worshipped on this day. Her devotee must wear blue coloured clothes so that she protects them from evil. Eighth Day: Pink Colour - Mata Saraswati is worshipped. One must wear pink on this special day of the Navratri. Ninth Day: Purple Colour - On the last day of the Navratri, Diddhidatri Mata is commemorated. Her devotees must be dressed in purple to attain 'siddhi' on this holy day.

In 2014, Navratri started on September 25 and lasts until October 3. Nava means nine and ratri means nights. Navratri is the Hindu festival of nine nights dedicated to the glorification of Shakti, the feminine form of the Divine. During this time, the supreme cosmic power is worshipped in the female aspect in the form of the three main goddesses of Hinduism - Parvati (Durga), Lakshmi and Saraswati. During these nine nights, the mother goddess is worshipped in nine different forms. Navratri colours increase the happiness that is related to the festival and there are nine colours for nine days of Navratri. Ms Anwesha, editor in Boldsky and author of this article, explains the colours are very special and each of them must be worn on the stipulated day. This year the Navratri colours for the nine days are as follows: September 25: Yellow. September 26: Green. September 27: Grey. September 28: Orange. September 29: White. September 30: Red. October 1: Royal Blue. October 2: Pink. October 3: Purple.  Navratri culminates on the 10th day with the festivities of Vijayadasham, also known as Dusshera. Our spiritual masters have taught us that in Navratri, Durga, due to her destructive aspect, is worshiped in the first place as She destroys the anarthas or unwanted barriers that hold us back from our true spiritual potential. She reduces the evil tendencies in the mind, and relieve us of our destructive desires of lust, passion, greed, anger, etc. Without removing these obstacles, the spiritual unfoldment cannot take place. Then we should worship Lakshmi as She gives us the true wealth: Virtue or good qualities, such as love, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, cooperation, nonviolence, devotion, purity, and the like. After that, we worship Sarasvati, because She gives us the intelligence, knowledge and wisdom by which spiritual realization is possible. She represents the highest knowledge of the Self. The celebrations of Navaratri are held at night because it represents our overcoming the ignorance of the mode of darkness, the night of tamoguna. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Navaratri is a nine-day festival, followed by the tenth day of victory, vijayadasmi. This festival is celebrated in honor of three most important Hindu goddesses. Only the combined force of all three divine deities, manifested as the female form Mahishasura Mardini, was able to destroy the powerful demon Mahishasura. During the first three days, goddess Shakti, in her aspect as Parvati, is worshipped as the personification of power and vanquisher of evil. During the next three days, she is worshipped in the form of Lakshmi, signifying wealth and beauty. In the last three days, she is worshipped as Saraswati, signifying knowledge. Hence, the three most important qualities - power, wealth, and wisdom - are represented as the female form of goddess Shakti. [...] In this festival of Navratri, devotees dance and pray to the goddess to triumph over the demon of ego (Mahishasura). In the defeat of their own ego, they finally emerge victorious!

Dr. Hiro Badlani :
“Hinduism - Path of the Ancient Wisdom”
Chapter 54: “Hindu Festivals”
http://hinduismpath.com/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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