Highlights
- Navratri festival in India has many strange Navratri rituals
- The nine days of worship to the mother goddess contain many ancient yet enjoyable traditions
- In India, all family members come together to celebrate Navratri.
The festival of nine days celebrated in India to worship Mother Goddess is popularly known as Navratri. Just like any other Indian festival, this festival also has its quirks and eccentricities. Some of these quirks are quite unusual even for an Indian festival.
Let us get to know a bit more about these classic customs which are celebrated for Navratri. We are perfectly sure that you do not know about these strange Navratri rituals.
Strangest Quirks of Navratri Rituals In India
1. Sowing Barley
Barley is usually considered to be a symbol of prosperity. It makes an appearance in the Navratri puja because of this symbolism. The crazy part of keeping Barley during the puja indicates the shoot’s quality and length. The better these factors are, the more will be the prosperity of the family. This is the popular notion of Navratri.
2. Animal Sacrifice
Now, you might think that animal sacrifice is not that uncommon in Indian festivals. However, it is unusual in the Navratri rituals. In this case, the goddess worshiped a kind and motherly one who does not demand blood from her devotees, even in the old legends. Rajputs are quite a violent clan. They have always believed in animal sacrifice, even if it is for a calm goddess like this. Some Hindu temples in West Bengal and Assam also support the crazy custom of animal sacrifice.
3. A Color Code
A proper code of color is used for each of the nine days of Navratri. Let us get to know about these colors and their meanings.
- On the first day, red is work by the family member, which shows victory and passion.
- On the second day, every member wears blue, which indicates the vastness of the sky.
- Yellow is worn on the third day, which symbolizes the brightness of the sun.
- On the fourth and fifth day, the family has to wear green and grey, respectively. These indicate life and death simultaneously.
- On the next four days, the colors that follow consecutively are orange, white, pink, and sky blue, which shows the integrity, peace, innocence, and truth of the goddess.
Even though it is a quirk, the colors surely make the festival even more enjoyable.
4. Weapon worship
Astra Puja is an important part of Navratri. This is also among the customs of the people of south India. This is celebrated on the 9th day of Navratri. The weapons were initially worshipped by the soldiers going off to the wars. This was done in the olden days, and now, there is a change in the norms. Pen and laptops have become the weapon of the present warriors. That is why instead of worshipping firearms, nine days of Navratri also worship common equipment of life used in day-to-day life.
5. Kolu Puja
Kolu Puja is the dolls’ worship, representing the nine forms of Shakti, the Mother Goddess. The Kolu worship is not limited to India alone. The countries like Sri Lanka and Japan also enjoy themselves in Kolu worship.
Chaitra Navratri 2021
The fact checks in Navratri rituals will always lead to such quirky facts, making this festival a delightful event. India is a land of many traditions. Since there are so many things to celebrate with one’s family members, there is utmost fun and joy in the households! You must participate in the festivals to understand the true essence!