DISCLAIMER: Though this article provides a manufactured Spiritual significance, sharing the origin of this practice which was a marketing gimmick of Maharashtra Times which became a harmless yet pleasant Tradition and a unifying factor cutting across all religions today.
Each region has its own set of rituals and practices associated with this festival. A compilation of some of them here specifically with respect to the attire here.
List of the nine colours of Navratri to be worn by Goddess Durga as well as Devotees, with their significance:
Navaratri Colors – 2022
First Day – Paadyami Shailaputri Maa is the first amongst Navadurgas worshipped during Navarathri. On the first day this Goddess is dressed in a ‘Grey‘ saree. The colour to wear on the first day for devotees is ‘White‘.
Second Day – Dwitiya Bharmacharini is the second form of mother goddess which is worshipped on the second day. It is believed that this goddess enlightens elegant forms with great power, divine and spiritual grace. The goddess is dressed in ‘Orange’ attire. The colour for devotees on this auspicious day is ‘Red‘.
Third Day – Tritiya Chandraghanta is the third appearance of the goddess who symbolises peace, serenity, beauty and bravery in one’s life. She is decorated with a ‘Green‘ saree and on this day Gauri Vrata is done. ‘Royal Blue‘ is the colour of the day for devotees.
Fourth Day – Chaturthi Kushmanda is the fourth form of goddess that is worshipped on the fourth day of Navratri. She is mainly considered as the creator of the universe. Mother goddess is drape with ‘Red‘ coloured saree. The colour for the devotees is ‘Yellow‘.
Fifth Day – Panchami Skandamata is a face of Maa Durga always known for demolishing the demons. She is dressed in a ‘Blue’ saree and on this day and the Upang Lalitha Gauri Vrata is observed. Devotees are supposed to wear ‘Green’.
Sixth Day – Shashti Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri. She is dressed in ‘Yellow‘ attire & devotees are supposed to wear ‘Grey‘ on this day.
Seventh day – Sapthami Kaalratri is the seventh figure of Goddess Durga.The goddess on this day is supposed to be adorned with a ‘White‘ coloured saree. Maha Saptami is the day when Maha Saraswathi Devi is wordhipped and the colour of the day must be ‘Orange’ for devotees.
Eighth day – Ashtami Maha Durga is worshipped on the eighth day(Durgashtami).The goddess is dressed in ‘Peacock Green‘ . On this day, ‘Peacock Green‘ is regarded as the colour for all.
Ninth day – Maha Navami Siddhidatri is the form of Maa Durga for the ninth day of Navratri and is known to have great supernatural powers. This miraculous goddess is dressed in ‘Purple‘ attire and Maha Navami puja is done. ‘Pink’ is the colour of the day for ardent devotees.
Tenth day – Vijaya Dashami
Vijayadashami is the day of Victory of Good over Evil. The Goddess is dressed in Glowing Gold & the color for devotees is also Gold!
To summarize: Colors of attire advised on 9 days of Navratri
Day 1: White Day 2: Red Day 3: Royal Blue Day 4: Yellow Day 5: Green Day 6: Grey Day 7: Orange Day 8: Peacock Green Day 9: Pink
In 2003, the innovative marketing team at Maharashtra Times conceived a brilliant strategy to engage more female readers. During the occasion of Navaratri, they unveiled a captivating narrative that put forward the significance of the nine distinct colours to be worn each day of the Hindu festival. Each colour was thoughtfully linked to an avatar of the Goddess Durga, thereby bestowing a sense of authenticity upon this “tradition”— orange for Goddess Shailputri, white for Goddess Brahmacharini, red for Goddess Chandraghanta, green for Goddess Katyayani, and so on.
Throughout the nine days of the festival, Maharashtra Times featured captivating images of women elegantly adorned in the colour of the day, presenting a compelling aspirational value and igniting a sense of enthusiasm among their audience and beyond. The newspaper also invited women to share photographs of themselves in their colour-coordinated attire, which were subsequently showcased in the following day’s edition, making the trend all the more viral.
Under the guidance of the then-editor, Bharatkumar Raut, this story enjoyed monumental success according to The Quint, triggering an intentional wave of enthusiasm across the state of Maharashtra—eventually spreading across the nation to cities like Delhi. It swiftly morphed into an accepted tradition and became an indispensable part of the festival for many of its participants; to this day, Maharashtra Times still holds a Navaratri photo contest on their website, where people submit group photos in colour-coordinated clothing corresponding to the given festival day. Dressing up in said colours has even evolved into a contemporary workplace activity championed by HR teams, expanding to the likes of cubicle decorations.
What’s remarkable is that this practice didn’t vanish like a seasonal fad, rather it became an important cultural cornerstone. Created before the age of social media and viral hashtags, the trend stands as proof of the sheer influence of media and the importance of evolving traditions.
Happy Navaratri! Enjoy a synchronized & colorful days dedicated to Mother Goddess.
India is a country where everything in the creation is revered – both living and non-living. Every festival or celebrations includes this aspect in some form or the other.
After the holy nine nights, the Navaratris, Vijayadashami is a day to Celebrate Victory of Good over Evil. Navratri festivities culminate with Vijayadasami. Vijayadasami is the day when the victory of the good over the evil after nine days of worship is cherished. Dasara (derived from Dasha Hara) is a Sanskrit word which means overoming ten negative tendencies or qualities within you: 🎆 Kama vasana (Lust) 🎆 Krodha (Anger) 🎆 Moha (Attachment) 🎆 Lobha (Greed) 🎆 Mada (Over Pride) 🎆 Matsara (Jealousy) 🎆 Swartha (Selfishness) 🎆 Anyaaya (Injustice) 🎆 Amanavta (Cruelty) 🎆 Ahankara (Ego)
It’s also known as ‘Vijaydashami’ which means Vijaya (Victory) over these ten bad qualities. On this day in the Treta Yug, Shri Ram (7th incarnation of Vishnu), killed the Demon Ravan. Durga with weapons in her ten hands, riding on Lion, who assisted her in the fight, took on Mahishasur. The battle raged for nine days and nights. Finally on the tenth day of Ashwin shukla paksha, the evil demon Mahishasur was defeated & killed by Durga.
In Dwapara Yuga, after Pandavas lost to Kauravas in the game of Dice, they had to proceed to 12 years of “Vanvas” followed by one year of Agnyatvas (meaning living in disguise). Pandavas spent 12 years in forest and hid their weapons in bark of a “Shami” tree before entering the Kingdom of Virat to complete the last one year of Agnyatvas. After completion of the year on Vijayadashmi they took the weapons from the Shami tree, declared their true identity & defeated Kauravas, who had attacked King Virat to loot the kingdom’s wealth.
In Treta Yuga, Bhagwan Shri Rama offered His worship before setting out to Lanka to vanquish and slay Ravana. Shammi Vruksha is considered favourite of Shri Rama.
The Shami tree cleanses sins. Its thorns are reddish in colour. It is Lord Rama’s favourite tree and in such a tree Pandavas hid their arms. O Shami, Lord Rama has worshipped you. I now embark upon my journey to victory. May you make it pleasant and free from obstacles
While every region has its own unique flavour and significance for the day, this is a piece discussing a ritualistic practice – Worship of Shammi Vruksha (Tree) and giving Shammi Patra (Banni ele in Kannada) to others.
Source: Wikipedia
Some scientific facts (sourced from Web):
The binomial Botanical name of Shammi Tree is Prosopis cineraria, which is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is native to arid portions of Western Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, including Afghanistan, Iran, India, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is the state tree of Rajasthan and Telangana in India. A large and well-known example of the species is the Tree of Life in Bahrain – approximately 400 years old and growing in a desert devoid of any obvious sources of water.It is also the national tree of the United Arab Emirates.
Religious Significance:
Shami, is highly revered among Hindus and worshipped as part of Dasara festival. This tree takes importance during the tenth day of Dasara Festival when it is worshipped in various parts of India. Historically among Rajputs, the Ranas, who were the high priest and the king, used to perform the worship and then they used to liberate a jay which was considered the sacred bird of Lord Rama. In the Deccan, as part of the tenth day ritual of Dasara, the Marathas used to shoot arrows on to the leaf of the tree and gather the falling leaf into their turbans as a custom.
In Karnataka (and many other places too), Banni mara is believed to be the tree where the Pandavas hid their weapons during exile and revered and worshipped on Vijay-Dashami day. Banni mara or the Shammi Vruksha holds a special place in the Mysore Dasara where its worshipped on the Vijay-dashami day. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas are known to have spent their thirteenth year of exile in disguise in the kingdom of Virata. Before going to Virata, they are known to have hung their celestial weapons in this tree for safe keeping for a year. When they returned after a year, they found their weapons safe in the branches of the Shami tree. Before taking the weapons, they worshipped the tree and thanked it for keeping their weapons safe.
The Legend ( in Karnataka)
There lived a very poor destitute child Shamivruta who despite being an orphan was an epitome of good qualities. In the same place existed a Gurukul (India Traditional School) called Sisu managed by Guru Mahaana. Hardworking and diligent Shamivruta came to the Gurukul and began his education with extreme sincerity and commitment. He also had Prince Vrukshita, son of the Maharaja of that Kingdom as his classmate.
Art of Living – Gurukul
As Guru Mahaana used say, Good Education demands a lot of humility and would also mean going hungry at times to acquire knowledge – Shamivruta followed this unscrupulously but Vrukshita used to believe that “enthusiasm and knowledge can be acquired only when the stomach has no hunger. Else a student is as good as a breathing dead body”
Years flew past and their education in Gurukul Sisu came to an end and it was time for everyone to move out to face the real world and put their knowledge to worldly use. Before they embarked on to their native places, Guru Mahaana says that he will come to each one of them in due course for receiving his Gurudakshina (Reverential Offering/Gift made to a Guru in return for knowledge imparted).
One day Guru Mahaana arrives at the palace of Vrukshita who had become the king by the time. He receives the Guru with ceremonies befitting a royal reception. He wanted to gift his Guru something that no one should have given before or no one can gift later. He also wanted the Guru to realize the worth of this royal student who is now the king. He then loaded the Palace elephant with chests of Gold Coins, Gems and Jewels sent it along with the Guru. He then secretly followed the Guru just to witness the misery of Shamivruta – who would surely be repenting due to his inability to give anything to his Guru
As Guru Mahaana reaches Shamivruta’s humble hutment, he receives his Guru with utmost devotion and offers him Milk and fruits. He enquired about the wellbeing of the Guru. Despite knowing he has nothing to offer, Shamivruta tells his Guru to ask anything and he ensure that is made available. To everyone’s surprise Guru Mahaana demands Shamivruta to give him a complete Shami Tree with fully grown fresh green leaves from the Garden of his backyard. Shamivruta who believed that there is nothing Greater than a Guru and nothing beyond death, offers it to the Guru right away and takes him to the backyard.
As soon as Guru Mahaana touches the tree, all the leaves on the tree turns into Gold coins. And it started dropping down from tree one by one growing into a huge heap. Surprisingly, tree was still not bereft of leaves.
Guru Mahaana then tells, “Even a leaf given with love is equivalent to Gold compared to any gift given out of pride” He then summons Vruskhita and tells him that Gold may be available anywhere, but it can never buy Love, and Good relationship. He then asks Vrukshita to seek forgiveness from his friend Shamivruta. Since both of them become one and thick friends due to the greatness of this tree – it was came to be known as Shami Vruksha after both of them.
Thus began the practice of giving Shami patri or Banni ele, (leaves) on Vijayadashami to symbolize a gift equivalent to gold but filled with love. We say “Banni Bangaaravaagona” while handing over leaves – which has two meanings. Literally it means – Come, let us become Gold – but symbolically it means, let us be like the Banni/Shami Gold relation
|Banni Bangaaravaagona|
Shanitrastu, Pushitrastu, Thushtirastu.
May you be blessed with Peace, Prosperity and Contentment.
Day 1 of Navaratri –Shailaputri One of the nine forms of Devi Durga is worshipped every day in Navaratri. The first form of Maa Durga is Shailaputri, who was born to the King of Mountains. “Shaila” means mountain and “putri” means daughter. Hence, she is called Shailaputri – the daughter of mountain. Maa Shailaputri, an absolute form of Mother Nature, is worshipped on the first day of Navratri. She is also referred to as Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva and mother of Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya. The image of Maa Shailaputri is a divine lady, holding a trishul in her right hand and lotus flower in her left hand. She rides on Nandi, a bull.
Maa Shailaputri is the Goddess of the muladhara chakra or root/basal chakra, and upon awakening this Shakti one begins their journey to spiritual awakening and to their purpose in life. Without energising the muladhara chakra one doesn’t have the power and strength to do anything worthwhile. It is said that one should worship Maa Shailaputri to make full use of the precious human life. Therefore, this Avtar of Goddess Durga is worshipped on the first day of Navratri.
Day 2 of Navaratri – Brahmacharini On the second day of Navaratri, Maa Brahmacharini – a manifestation of Maa Durga – is worshipped. The form of Goddess Brahmacharini is extremely radiant and majestic. Maa signifies love and loyalty, wisdom and knowledge. She holds a rosary in her hight hand and a Kamandal in her left hand. She wears Rudraksha. The word “Brahm” refers to Tapa (penance) – Her name means “one who performs Tapa (penance)”.
She was born to Himalaya. Devarishi Narada influenced her thoughts and as a result, she practised tough penances as she was determined to obtain Lord Shiva as her divine consort. She spent hundred of years eating very little or nothing at all, but her penance was so pure and had so much strength, power that it caused great disturbance in all the three worlds. Her desire to obtain Lord Shiva as her divine consort was eventually fulfilled.
Goddess Brahmcharini blesses you with great emotional strength and you may be able to keep your mental balance and confidence even in the darkest hour. She inspires you to hold on to your ethics and march on the path of duty. By the grace of Maa Brahmacharini, you strive to move forward in life without getting disheartened by the numerous challenges coming your way. Her blessings help you get rid of selfishness, ego, greed and laziness. Maa Brahmacharini governs the Swadhisthana Chakra and upon awakening of the same the mind of the seeker moving upward, establishes in this Chakra. This chakra helps in maintaining the devotion and dedication in a steady manner.
Chant this mantra to seek Maa’s divine blessings…
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु माँ ब्रह्मचारिणी रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नम:।। दधाना कर पद्माभ्याम अक्षमाला कमण्डलू। देवी प्रसीदतु मई ब्रह्मचारिण्यनुत्तमा।।
Maa Chandraghanta is the third manifestation of Devi Durga and is worshipped on the 3rd day of Navratri. Since she has a Chandra or half moon, in the shape of a Ghanta (bell) on her forehead, she is addressed as Chandraghanta. A symbol of peace, serenity and prosperity, Maa Chandraghanta has three eyes and ten hands holding ten types of swords, weapons and arrows. She establishes justice and gives Her devotees the courage and strength to overcome challenges.
Her appearance is a source of power which is always busy killing and suppressing the bad and wicked. However, for her devotees, Maa is serene, gentle and peaceful. By worshipping Maa Chandraghanta, you will open the doors to great respect, fame and glory. Maa also helps you attain spiritual enlightenment. Her idol, which symbolises both beauty and bravery, gives you the strength the keep the negative energy away and repels all the troubles from your life.
You need to follow simple rituals to worship Goddess Chandraghanta. You should first worship all the Gods, Goddesses and Planets in the Kalash and then offer prayer to Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya and Goddess Saraswati, Lakshmi, Vijaya, Jaya – the family members of Goddess Durga. The pooja should be concluded by worshipping Goddess Chandraghanta followed by a heartfelt prayer to Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. Maa Chandrghanta governs the Manipuraka Chakra that embodies the change from simplicity to complexity
Maa Kushmanda, the fourth form of Goddess Durga, is worshipped on the 4th day of Navratri. Her name means ‘the cosmic egg’ and she is considered the creator of the universe. As per the Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu was able to start creating the universe when Maa Kushmanda smiled like a flower which blossomed with a bud. She created the world from nothing, at the time when there was eternal darkness all around. This Swarupa of Maa Durga is the source of all. Since she created the universe, she is called Adiswarupini and Adishakti.
She has eights hands in which she holds Kamandalu, bow, arrow, a jar of nectar (Amrita), discus, mace and a lotus, and in one hand she holds a rosary which blesses her devotees with the Ashtasiddhis and Navnidhis. She is also known as Ashtabhuja. She has a radiant face and golden body complexion. Maa resides in the core of the Sun and thus controls the Surya Loka.
Maa Kushmanda represents Anahata Chakra in spiritual practice. The divine blessings of Maa Kushmanda helps you improve your health and wealth. She removes all the hurdles and troubles from your life and enables you to get rid of all sorts sorrows in life. Maa brings light into darkness and establishes harmony in your life.
Chant the following mantra to worship Maa Kushmanda…
सुरासम्पूर्णकलशं रुधिराप्लुतमेव च । दधाना हस्तपद्माभ्यां कूष्माण्डा शुभदास्तु मे ॥
Surāsampūrṇakalaśaṁ rudhirāplutamēva cha | Dadhānā hastapadmābhyāṁ kūṣmāṇḍā śubhadāstu mē ||
Day 5 of Navaratri – Skandamata The 5th day of Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Skandamata, the 5th manifestation of Goddess Durga and the mother of Lord Kartikeya, who was chosen by the devatas as their commander in chief in the war against the demons. The image of Devi Skandamata portrays Her holding Lord Skanda in his infant form and a lotus in her right hand. She has four arms, three eyes and a bright complexion. She is also called as Padamasani since She is often depicted seated on a lotus flower. She is also worshiped in the form of Parvati, Maheshwari or Mata Gauri. The left arm of the goddess is in a pose to grant boon to her devotees.
The legend says that Tarakasura, a great demon, once pleased Lord Brahma with his great devotion and extremely tough penance. He asked Lord Brahma to shower His blessings and make him immortal. Lord Brahma denied him this blessing, saying none can escape death. Tarkasura acted smart and asked for the death by the son of Lord Shiva, since he thought Lord Shiva would never get married. Tarakasura started tormenting the people on the earth. Fearing his strength would cause destructions, the devatas requested Lord Shiva to get married. He agreed and married Goddess Parvati. Their child, Lord Kartikeya/Skanda Kumara, demolished Tarkasura. Devi Skandmata is a symbol of the mother-son relationship.
By worshipping Her, you get immense love and affection from her and get all his desires fulfilled. You may attain supreme joy even in this very mortal world. Her worship automatically includes the worship of Lord Kartikeya (in his child form). Maa Skandamaata resides in the Vishuddhi Chakra, symbolizing the aspects of creativity and communications.
Chant this mantra to worship Goddess Skandamata…
सिंघासनगता नित्यम पद्माश्रितकरद्वया | शुभदास्तु सदा देवी स्कन्द माता यशश्विनी ||
The 6th day of Navaratri festival is dedicated to Maa Katyayani, the 6th form of Goddess Durga. Once there was a great sage named Katya and it was his wish that Maa Durga be born his daughter. He practiced austere penance for several years to please the Gods. In the meanwhile, the trinity of Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – got enraged by atrocoties committed by Mahishasura (Buffalo Demon) who had a boon that he cannot be slayed by any man/male, confident that his strength can never be surpassed by a Female. Trinity of Gods thus bestowed all their energies and created this form of Goddess Durga, who thus had the powers of the Trinity to slay Mahishasura. Since she was born to Katya, she was called Katyayani.
Maa Katyayani has 3 eyes and 4 hands. She holds a sword in Her one left-hand and a lotus in another. The other 2 hands respectively show protecting and allowing actions. If you make vow of fasting and worshipping her, she would bless you with the husband you have wished and prayed for. If a lady’s marriage is getting delayed due to one or the other reason, she may worship Maa Katyayani to remove obstacles that may be causing delays in her marriage.
Maa also blesses you with better health and wealth. By worshipping Maa Katyayani, you may develop great strength to fight all disease, sorrows and fears. In order to destruct the sins accumulated over your several lives, you should religiously worship Maa Katyayani. Maa Katyayani is ascribed to the sixth Agnya chakra or the ‘Third Eye Chakra.’
Chant this mantra to worship Goddess Katyayani…
कात्यायनि महामाये महायोगिन्यधीश्वरि । नन्द गोपसुतं देविपतिं मे कुरु ते नमः ॥
The 7th day of Navaratri is dedicated to Maa Kaalratri, the 7th form of Maa Durga. Here, Kaala means time and ratri means death and Kaalratri means the One who is the Death of Kaal. Maa Kaalratri destroys ignorance and brings light into the darkness. This form also depicts the dark side – the super power that creates havoc and removes all things bad and dirty. But to Her devotees, She brings calmness and courage.
Maa Kaalratri has dark complexion. Donkey is Her mount, She has bountiful hair and four hands. One of the two left hands holds a cleaver and the other holds a torch, and the right two hands are in “giving” and “protecting” mudras. She has three eyes that emanate rays like lightning and Her necklace is shining like thunder. When She inhales and exhales air, flames appear through Her nostrils. Ganesha advises you to wear Blue, Red and White colour on this day.
Maa teaches us that sorrow, pain, decay, destruction and death are unavoidable and cannot be ignored. These are the truths of life and denying them is futile. We must accept their presence and significance to realise the fullness of our being and our potential. Maa Kaalratri governs the Crown Chakra or Sahasraara and provides the Siddhi to the seeker
The 8th day of Navaratri is dedicated to Maa Mahagauri, the 8th form of Maa Durga. The legend has it that Maa Mahagauri liberated the world from evil forces. She has three eyes and four hands. Her lower right hand holds a trishul and the upper right hand is in the mudra of allaying fear. Whereas her lower left hand is in a pose of granting boons to Her devotees and she is holding a damaru in Her upper left hand.
She has extremely fair complexion and therefore Maa is compared with the conch, the moon and the white flower of Kunda. Radiant and compassionate, Maa Maugauri is usually depicted in a white or green saari and riding a bull. She is also known as Shwetambardhara. Maa Mahagauri purifies the souls of Her devotees and removes all their sins. She has a calming effect on the lives of Her devotees and she also helps them improve their knowledge.
Worship Maa Mahagauri to be free from the clutches of the material world and to remove sorrows from your life, for She will lead you to the path of virtue and inner power.
The last among the nine forms of Maa Durga, Maa Siddhidatri, is worshipped on the 9th day of Navaratri. Maa Siddhidatri grants Her devotees all sorts of achievements and is capable of giving all sorts of occult powers. She is the possessor of 26 different wishes (Siddhis) which She grants Her worshipers. The legend has it that the Lord Shiva got all those Siddhis by worshipping Maa Shakti. With Her grace the half body of Lord Shiva became that of Maa Shakti, and therefore he was called as Ardhanareeshvara.
This Avtar of Maa Durga removes ignorance and provides knowledge to Her devotees. She is also worshipped by Deva, Gandharva, Asura, Yaksha and Siddha. Maa sits on Kamal (Lotus) and rides on the lion. She has four hands and holds a Gada in the lower right hand, a Chakra in the upper right hand, a lotus flower in the lower left hand and a Shankha in the upper left hand.
Her glory and power are infinite and worshipping Maa Siddhidatri on the final day (the ninth day) of Navaratri bestows all Siddhis to Her devotees and also marks the successful completion of the Navaratri festival.
Chant this mantra to worship Maa Siddhidatri…
सिद्धगधर्व यक्षाद्यैरसुरैरमरैरपि। सेव्यमाना सदा भूयात सिद्धिदा सिद्धिदायिनी।।
