Chaitra Navaratri 2016: New York City, New York

Chaitra Navaratri (also called Vasant Navaratri, the Spring Nine Nights) begins on the first day of Chaitra's bright fortnight (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada), which coincides with Gudi Padwa (Ugadi) and marks the Hindu New Year in most traditions. For nine days and nine nights, the goddess Durga is worshipped in her nine forms: the Navadurga.

The festival begins with Ghatasthapana (also called Kalash Sthapana): installing a sacred pot (kalash) filled with water, topped with mango leaves and a coconut, as the symbolic seat of the goddess. The Ghatasthapana muhurta is highly specific: it must be performed during the first one-third of the day on Pratipada, and not during the Chitra nakshatra period. This is why the exact timing from panchang matters greatly.

Each of the nine days is dedicated to one of Devi's nine forms: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. The ninth day, Rama Navami, is also the birthday of Lord Rama: making it doubly auspicious. Devotees conclude the fast on Navami with Kanya Puja: feeding nine young girls as embodiments of the nine Devis.

This convergence of the nine-night Devi festival with Rama's birth is theologically profound: legend holds that Sage Valmiki prescribed the Devi puja to Rama before his final battle with Ravana, an akala (untimely) Navaratri in autumn, but Chaitra Navaratri is the original spring observance Rama himself would have grown up celebrating. The overlap draws worshippers from both Shaiva-Shakta and Vaishnava traditions together under one roof for nine sacred nights.