Navratri means 'Nine Nights,' the festival is commemorated for nine long days to perform a Puja to one of the nine forms of Goddess. All the nine nights are broken-up into sections of three; first three days are for Goddess Durga, who destroyed Demon Mahishasura and also human impurities. The next three days are committed to the goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of spirituality and the last three days are for Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and art.

Also, Navratri is the time to celebrate the soil fertility and monsoon harvest, represented by a mound of fresh soil grown in which grains are sown. The soil is worshiped and watered for all the nine days of the festival. On the tenth day, Vijayadashami is celebrated. Puja is done to bless vehicles; also it is considered as an auspicious day to purchase one. Multiple fables and tales link the origin of the festival. The story goes like this: Demon Mahishasur honored a boon to be immortal by Agni, God of Fire. As per the boon, Mahishasur wouldn't be killed and wounded by any weapon. As a result, Mahishasur became so powerful that he created a terror in the mind of people and caused destruction. To end the terror of demon Mahishasur, all the deities went to Lord Shiva to find a solution. Lord Shiva along with the power other divinities created goddess Adhya Shakti. All the gods and goddesses, including Lord Shiv, gave her ornaments, weapons and lion as a vehicle to fight against the Mahishasur. Goddess Adhya Shakti fought against Mahishasur for nine long days and night. On the tenth day, she beheaded Mahishasur. The nine nights came to be known as Navratri while the tenth day was called Vijaya Dashami, the tenth day that brought the triumph of good over the evil.

Apart from religious and traditional significance, during these nine days, people show their best moves and do the garba and dandiya. One can hear the constant noise of sticks and dhols all over the Gujarat for the nine long days. On all days, an evening arti is performed in which garbi, a tradition earthen a port with diyas is used that signifies prosperity. After the arti, all the people gather and put their best foot forward for garba and dandiya dance. Garba is a dance form in which the crowd moves together in a synchronized circular movement. Ashapura Mata-no-Madh in Kutch, Khodiyar Mandir near Bhavnagar, and Chamunda Mata Mandir at Chotila on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot National Highway are some of the major temples in Gujarat that hosts the best Navratri festival. Seeing people dancing in tune with outfits of gold and silk is a sight to behold.

The Chaitra Navratri celebration is dedicated to worshipping Maa Durga’s nine avatars, including Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri, and each day of the event has a particular importance. Chaitra Navratri, also known as Vasant Navratri, will be observed from March 22 to March 30.

Many people identify this celebration with the birth of Lord Ram, the seventh incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu and the son of A ..

Navratri is celebrated differently in India’s various regions. For many people it is a time of religious reflection and fasting, while for others it is a time for dancing and feasting. Among fasting customs are observing a strict vegetarian diet and abstaining from alcohol and certain spices. Dances performed include garba, especially in Gujarat. Typically, the festival’s nine nights are dedicated to different aspects of the divine feminine principle, or shakti. While the pattern varies somewhat by region, generally the first third of the festival focuses on aspects of the goddess Durga, the second third on the goddess Lakshmi, and the final third on the goddess Sarasvati. Offerings are often made to the goddesses and their various aspects, and rituals are performed in their honor. One popular ritual is Kanya Puja, which takes place on the eighth or ninth day. In this ritual nine young girls are dressed as the nine goddess aspects celebrated during Navratri and are worshipped with ritual foot washing and given offerings such as food and clothing.