A trip to India
Navratri festival
Namaste, Apa kaise hai? Unless you speak Hindi, hello how are you?
For those of you who are unaware, today is Navratri festival, one of the largest Hindu festivals celebrated every year that is dedicated to worshiping the Hindu deity Durga.
Durga puja (the act of worship) festival, marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil, buffalo demon Mahishasura. Worshipping the nine forms of Durga is the main ritual during the Navratri puja.
Navratri lasts nine days representing the nine manifestations of the powerful and benevolent Goddess Durga. The word Navratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit , nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights.
The garba dance of Gujrat is an exciting and interesting event where people from all over the country and various parts of the world visit to experience the exotic celebrations.
We got the opportunity to speak to one of our interpreters to find out in her own words what the festival is about...
Why is the festival celebrated?
People around the world are very aware of the terms Navratri and Garba. So much is its popularity, that as soon as one comes across a Gujarati, the very next thought that comes to his/her mind is Garba.
Navratri is a triumph of good over evil. It takes place over nine nights representing the nine goddesses that vanquished the demons for the protection and benefit of ordinary humans.
So what really is Navratri, a non Gujarati may ask; it is a festival of joy, dance, colours, and lots of love.
Could you explain the origins of the festival?
There are no specific dates of when it began but it is recorded in the Hindu scriptures which do not line up exactly with the Gregorian calendar used in the west.
It derives from spiritual harmony and good feeling with the family, a celebration of woman hood and the importance of the matriarch within the family.
Finally, what is your favourite part of the festival?
Navratri is so popular that not only the Gujaratis or even people from other parts of India celebrate it, but people from around the globe love doing Garba too.
A lot of non Gujaratis keep wondering why we love Garba so much. Ask any Gujarati and he or she will give a hundred points as to why they love Garba!
My favourite part is dressing up in colourful clothes and dancing.
Vandu Language Services is based in Lewes, Sussex and has been helping organisations overcome the language barrier since 1999. We provide interpreting, translation, bilingual advocacy and cross cultural training for when you need to communicate clearly across cultures.
