Uttar Pradesh/Varanasi: Preparations for Sharadiya Navratri are complete in the religious city of Kashi (Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh. With the end of Pitru Paksha, the grand festival of worshipping the Goddess begins on Monday. Painting, cleaning, and security barricades have been completed in the Goddess temples. The markets witnessed a large crowd of devotees on Sunday to purchase puja materials, clearly evoking the spirit of Navratri. This year, Sharadiya Navratri will be celebrated for a full ten days. According to astrologer Pandit Ravindra Tiwari, based on the calculations of the almanac, no date is being lost, so the duration of the festival will be ten days. The main reason for the difference in the days of Navratri this year is based on the Hindu calendar. The almanac calculates the dates based on sunrise and sunset. Sometimes, two dates fall on the same day, or a date does not last for a full day. Significantly, this time Navratri begins on Monday, marking the Goddess's arrival on an elephant. According to the Devi Purana, "Shashi Surya Gajrudha Shanibhoumai Turangame"—meaning, if Navratri begins on Sunday or Monday, the Goddess arrives riding on an elephant. This combination is considered highly auspicious for the country and society. It is believed that the arrival on an elephant brings adequate rainfall, prosperous agriculture, and stability to society.
Maa Shailputri's court will be set up in Kashi on the first day
On the first day of Navratri, the worship of the first form of the Goddess, Maa Shailputri, is customary. Crowds of devotees will gather at the Maa Shailputri Temple, located on the banks of the Varuna River in Alaipur, Varanasi. It is believed that merely seeing her removes all the troubles of life. Maa Shailputri rides on a bull, holding a trident in her right hand and a lotus flower in her left. She is considered a symbol of spiritual energy and the beginning of spiritual practice. A special feature of the temple is that it is the only Devi temple in the country where the Mother Goddess is seated atop a Shivalinga. The temple's color is deep red, considered the Goddess's favorite color.
Why does Mother Shailputri reside in Kashi?
According to popular belief, Mother Parvati, displeased with Lord Shiva, once left Kailash and came to Kashi, where she began to meditate on the banks of the Varuna River. Lord Shiva came to persuade her, but the Mother loved Kashi so much that she refused to return to Kailash. Mahadev then returned alone, and the Mother resided here permanently.
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