This Durga Ashtami 2024! Get courage, wisdom, and strength to bear every life challenge overcoming your fears. Durga Ashmti is the eighth day of the Navratri festival and Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped on this day, who is the embodiment of wisdom, purity, and beauty. She is also called the destroyer of evil.
Who Is Devi Mahagauri?
Devi Mahagauri is extremely fair and has a radiant appearance. After doing intense Tapas for Lord Shiva in the forest leaving all the luxuries, Maa Parvati got bonny, dark, and dull. Lord Shiva, being pleased with Devi’s tap, transformed Devi Parvati into looking divine, fair, and extremely radiant purity, wiping out all kinds of impurities. During that event, she was referred to as Devi Mahagauri. So, on this day, devotees wear white color to represent the white-skinned Goddess.
This year, Durga puja time starts on the 10th of October, 12:35 pm, and ends on 11oct, 12:05 pm. People do kanjak puja on this day in between this time zone which is considered sacred for worshipping Maa Durga in the form of Kanjaks.
Let’s now delve into the significance of this day in our lives, explaining everything from fasting, performing rituals to commemorating the day, attaining divine energy.
Maha Ashtami’s Spiritual Importance
Durga Ashtami Day is spiritually significant as it marks the day of victory of good over evil. Maa Durga defeated and killed the demon Mahishasura that day and protected her devotees. People fast and worship this day believing that it will bring protection, strength, and wisdom into their lives. The Goddess is portrayed as a warrior with ten arms and each arm carrying a weapon symbolizing, killing the wrongdoers for protecting the good over evil.
Maa Durga Ashtami Puja Rituals
People gather in their homes or temples for Maa Durga Ashtami Puja and then offer prayers to the divine to seek her blessings. Meanwhile, Durga Saptashati's path is also recited for peace, protection, and honoring the Goddess. Differing offerings (अहुतियाँ) are made in sacred fire along with chanting mantras, praying for Maa Durga’s sacred blessings.
Navpatrika Puja: Navapatrika is also part of this worship, which includes worshipping nine plants symbolizing 9 forms of Goddess Durga. These plants are decorated with clothes, and flowers and are also offered prayers for seeking Maa Durga’s blessings like fertility, power, and protection.
Kanya Puja: One of the most important rituals that is performed on this day is Kanya Puja. The devotees worship nine young girls who represent the nine forms of Goddess Durga. They treat the girls with respect and honor, considering them as the manifestations of the goddess. The devotees wash their feet, offer them food, and prasad, and touch their feet to seek blessings. The young girls are worshiping thinking that the Maa Durga’s divine energy is embodied in them.
Fasting: Fasting on this day is not only about abstaining from food, but it is an act of purification both physically and spiritually. With fasting, the devotees attain body, mind, and soul calmness, exercise control over their desires, and get a stable feeling attaining self-purification in the pursuit of spiritual growth. Fasting helps the devotees to detach from material pleasures and focus more on prayer, meditation, and remembering the Goddess.
Weapons Worship (Astra Puja): Another tradition that is followed this day is offering prayers to the weapons of the Goddess as well. It is done because the weapons hold great importance in defeating the demon Mahishasura. With the help of these weapons (अस्त्र), Devi Durga killed the demon Mahishasura and protected her devotees from evil.
In Conclusion
The sacred day, Dura Ashtami, helps devotees connect with Maa Durga to cleanse their souls or remove any kind of negative energy present inside them or surrounding them. Worshipping Maa Durga will not only help you attain material blessings but will also provide you with the inner enlightenment to always follow the right path in life.
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