Navratri

Navratri is a Hindu holiday during which we honor and thank Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all her forms. Shakti is the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us. 

The word nava means nine and ratri means nights; the festival lasts for nine nights, symbolic of the nine months in the womb.
Navratri is celebrated at least twice each year in India, in the spring and fall, because these are times when nature and people undergo great changes. Autumn (Sharad) Navratri begins on the day after the rise of the new moon in late September or early October.

Agenda:
1- Make a rangoli design
2- Plant grain seeds
3- Set up an altar for Mother Nature
4- Morning meditation on strength 
5- Make channa sundal (spicy chickpeas)
6- Evening visualization and prayer
7- Durga mantra


1- Make a rangoli design:

Last year's rangoli

Rangolis are rice flour designs, made on the floor or a metal plate. At Navratri a new design might be made each day, with dots, squares, flowers, birds, and so on- each one designed to welcome the spirit of the Goddess.

Today I made a rangoli on the silver plate that holds my diya lamps, choosing a design that I found at drikpanchang.com.

Rangoli from 2015

Supplies:

• design idea
• rice flour
• food color
• seive
• metal plate
• stick or cotton swab

1- White rice flour is fine, but many rangoli are colorful. I suppose you can buy colored rice flour in India, but I make my own with food color; I just add spoonfuls of food color to a cup of rice flour and mashed it in with a fork, then spread it out to dry.


2- Next I use a sieve to sprinkle the dry flour evenly onto the plate.









3- I used a stick to make dots to plan out the spacing, then trace the design.

2- Plant grain seeds:

My three grains, soaking overnight.

Most Hindu households sprout a bowl of seeds for Navratri, called the Nava-Dhanya (nine cereals), each a symbol of a different planet. 

Last night I put three kinds of grain seeds in a bowl of water to soak overnight: Wheat for the sun, rice for the moon, and corn for the earth (corn is not a Hindu grain but it's important to me!)

Soaked seeds on a layer of soil-
I will cover them with another thin layer of soil.

Today I planted my seeds on a layer of soil, and watered them well. 

The sowing, sprouting and growth of the grains is intended to bring peace, abundance, and joy to the household-- as they sprout during the nine days of the festival, they will remind me of the vibrancy of life and the creative energy of the Shakti.

3- Set up an altar for Mother Nature:
The nine nights of Navratri are broken up into sets of three, and during each a different aspect of Shakti is meditated upon- the Goddesses Durga, then Lakshmi, and then Saraswati.  For the first three nights the Mother is invoked as Durga, goddess of strength and courage. 

Durga is the Goddess on the left, above the bowl of seeds

Today I made an altar to honor the Mother in all her forms. My altar is in no way authentically Hindu- I make it for my own use, to remind me of the work I am doing. If you want to see an authentic puja, watch this video.I set out pictures of the three goddesses and added: 

• my rangoli design- to welcome the Shakti 
• diya lamps- for the Light of God 
• God's eyes- to watch over us 
• bells- to keep me awake 
• and a bowl of soil with seeds- for the creative energy of the Shakti

4- Morning meditation on strength:
During Navratri, Hindus work on their vyavhaar (behaviour) and acharan (character). Each of the three goddesses marks a stage of the spiritual journey we all go through: Durga’s strength and energy creates an opening, Lakshmi’s success and fortune nurtures growth, and Saraswati’s wisdom and knowledge leads to enlightenment, happiness, and peace.

On each morning of Navratri I light a small white candle, center, and feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life. For the first three mornings I meditate on my strengths- the ways that Durga shines in me- and the qualities or habits I wish to let Durga destroy.

5- Make channa sundal (spicy chickpeas): 
Many Hindus eat only vegetarian foods during Navratri; often a different sundal (dry legume dish) each night. 

Tonight I will make Channa Sundal, with chickpeas- spicy and good!

Ingredients: 

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• salt
• 1/3 c. grated coconut
• pinch of cayenne

Yield: Serves 2-

1- Open the can of chickpeas and rinse and drain. Set aside.

2- Add oil to a wok or frying pan and heat. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil, and stir for a few seconds, just until the seeds begin to pop.

3- Add the chickpeas and the red pepper, and mix well. Add a pinch of Asafoetida (helps with gas!), salt to taste, the grated coconut, and a pinch of cayenne. Mix and stir for few seconds then turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for few seconds. Serve with yogurt and naan.

6- Evening visualization and prayer:

I end each day of Navratri with a prayer. For these first three nights I honor the destructive aspect of the Mother. 

Durga is a warrior- not an easy image for a pacifist, but important to acknowledge. Durga rides a fierce tiger, and has 10 arms, which hold weapons and a lotus flower. She destroys  the evils that threaten the stability of the cosmos, and she helps the universe to continue with its cycle of creation, preservation and destruction.

I picture this Mother Spirit entering my heart riding her tiger. I see Her wipe out my anger, greed, laziness, procrastination, indifference, pride, defensiveness, and jealousy.

"Thank you, Great Spirit, for providing energy for the earth to move around the sun, and for maintaining the correct balance of the universe. You are the earth. You nourish support, protect, and mother all creatures, all beings. I ask you to help me recognize those aspects of myself that are not helpful. Give me the strength and courage to maintain my physical and mental balance, and to destroy my vices and defects so that what is good and pure has room to unfold.”

7- Durga Mantra:
I continue to focus on my image of Durga and chant-

• Om - the primordial sound, 
• Dum - the energy which protects from all negative influences, 
• Dur-ga-yei - goddess of strength, 
• Na-ma-ha - I pray.

(You might want to chant along with someone who knows how. Many YouTube versions exist, and my favorite is here.)