NAVRATRI IN USA - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

Navratri, or Navaratri, as the name suggests, is a festival celebration that spans over nine nights and ten days. The way an Indian celebrates Navratri varies drastically from region to region in India and abroad. Indian diaspora in the USA, Canada, the UK, etc. have taken their heritage to their new home and harmoniously celebrated it with the whole of their family, friends, and neighborhood. You could also be dazzled by people wearing Navratri chaniya choli and kurtas for dancing in a synchronized pattern that is famously known as Garba and Dandiya. Indians, who observe Navratri, go shopping for their favorite Navratri dress for each night of Navratri.

Navratri celebrations in the USA are as larger than life as they are in India. They are widely celebrated in Indian communities together, especially Bengali, Gujarati, and other North-Indian families and neighborhoods. Navratri fasts are some of the most extreme fasting rituals in Hinduism. It varies from person to person, but it can go on for nine days and nights without eating anything but water. Must Read: Dupatta Styles for Navratri. While some prefer to only eat fruits or just a single meal a day, Some follow dedicated food that needs to be consumed throughout the festivals, while others only eat on the last day directly.

Communities even stay awake the whole night, known as Jagran for the Goddess, and they sleep in the morning. This is where Garba and other festivities are organized among the community members. It is a grand Hindu festival, very similar to the recent festival of Ganesha, which is Ganesh Chaturthi, and here the goddess is worshiped in all her forms. Each night and day of Navratri is dedicated to an incarnation of the goddess. It originated and is celebrated for the victory of Goddess Durga over her long battle with the demon Mahishasur. It is about the victorious nature over the evil spirit. The name of the goddess might change as she is known differently in every area.

HOW LONG IS NAVRATRI?

Navratri is celebrated four times a year, according to the Hindu calendar. Chaitra Navratri, Ashada Navratri, Sharada Navratri, and Magha Navratri—and out of all these, the Chaitra and Sharada ones are hugely celebrated. The one that we are discussing in this blog is Sharada Navratri, the biggest Navratri of the year. The nine nights and days of Navratri are associated with the different goddesses and colors. They are also known as Navadurga, the nine goddesses worshiped in Navratri.

Night 1: Pratipada, Goddess Shailaputri Daughter of the Mountain and the wife of Lord Shiva

Night 2: Dwitiya, Goddess Brahmacharini Also known as Yogini, Goddess Parvati’s unmarried self

Night 3: Tritiya, Goddess Chandraghanta Goddess Parvati adorned a half-moon on her forehead after getting married to Lord Shiva.

Night 4: Chaturthi, Goddess Kushmanda Goddess Kushmanda, having eight arms, is also known as Ashtabhuja Devi. H

Night 5: Panchami, Goddess Skandamata As the name goes by, Goddess Skandamata refers to the mother of Skanda, i.e., God Kartikeya.

Night 6: Sashti, Goddess Katyayani The most violent form of Devi, or goddess, is also known as a warrior goddess.

Night 7: Saptami, Goddess Kaalaratri Goddess Parvati went on to fight the demons Sumbha and Nisumbha. She tore her fair skin away, and her skin turned black.

Night 8: Ashtami, Goddess Mahagauri It is said that after the battle with demons, Goddess Kaalaratri went to take a bath in the river Ganga. She became very fair as she bathed in the river and lost her darker complexion.

Night 9: Navami, Goddess Siddhidatri The goddess Siddhidatri is the one who possesses and bestows all types of siddhis. She is also known as Goddess Mahalakshmi. The color peacock green represents one’s admiration of nature’s beauty. Lord Shiva attained all of these siddhis after worshipping this goddess, Shiddhidatri, and it is believed that she is the other side of Ardhanarishwar.

Navaratri is also celebrated as Durga Puja by the Bengali Hindu communities across the world. It starts on the sixth day (sashti) of Navratri and ends on the tenth day, i.e., Dashmi, Vijayadashmi, or Dusshera. Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha, and Kartikeya are revered alongside Goddess Durga during Durga Puja in Hindu communities across Easter India, West Bengal, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is gorgeously celebrated with pandal establishments that are temporarily built and later removed. It is mostly held in community areas where devotees can gather and enjoy celebratory activities together.

.

NAVRATRI IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

It is an imported Hindu festival that is celebrated primarily by Indians as well as their friends of other nationalities for the love of devotion and festive spirit through dancing. Music, singing, and dancing form the core celebratory activities in Navratri celebrations in the states. Texas, New Jersey, and California form the major regions in the US where Indian communities are situated and have lived for a long time, along with Indian heritage.

Image Resource : centraljersey.com

The largest and most prominent celebrations of Navratri are held in California. Durga Puja is organized by Bengali Hindu communities in the cities of New Jersey, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta. For the past 30 years in California, annual Navratri events have been organized by Natoo Patel, the South Asian community’s prominent leader. Anaheim Convention Center, Cal Poly Pomona, ISSO Swaminarayan Temple, and even UC Irvine Bren Events Center have been some of the host centers of this event. His involvement in this celebration has gathered people beyond the South Asian diaspora. It has been evolving into mainstream culture in Southern California. Raas Garba and Dandiya are hugely popular among the devotees and guests at this Navratri event. Dandiya and Garba Queen Falguni Pathak have announced to performance in the USA on her tour this October of the year 2021. She is very ready to groove the American audience to her enigma and musical nights of Navratri.

WHAT TO WEAR DURING NAVRATRI 2021?

GHAGRA CHOLI

Ghagra Choli dates back to a long history on the Indian subcontinent. It is a popular attire that comes with a strong cultural heritage. It consists of three pieces, including a long and floating skirt that is the ghagra, a blouse (choli), and lastly, a net fabric-based or transparent fabric-based dupatta. Ghagra is pleated and embroidered with beautiful design artwork. It has spun off several variations across every state in India. Chaniya Choli is one of the most-shopped variants of Ghagra Choli worn during Navratri.

CHANIYA CHOLI

Chaniya Choli is a variation of the well-known Indian ethnic wear, Ghagra Choli. It comprises a three-piece Navratri dress for women and girls. Chaniya is a knee-length heavily embroidered skirt; Choli is the blouse; and an accompanying transparent dupatta Zari work, or Gota work, is a peculiarity of Chaniya Choli. Chaniya has glittering mirror work with net fabric over it. It is mostly made of cotton fabric and its varieties for absolute comfort. It can also be made out of silk, chiffon, khadi, and brocade materials.

SAREES

Traditional Bengali sarees that come in dual tones of red and white can be seen everywhere during Durga Puja. This saree is mostly white with borders and a pallu in red. The blouse is mainly and purely red. This type of saree is mostly worn during the festivity of Sindurkhela and Vijayadashmi at Durga Puja pandals. Other Navratri sarees can be made of any fabric that has heavy sequin-based work or zari embroidery.

KURTA AND DHOTI

For playing Garba or Dandiya, a kurta with dhoti is the most popular choice for men to wear. It becomes a fashion and heritage statement for every man or boy who is attending Navratri celebrations and taking part in community activities. It is typically a two-piece Navratri dress for men, but the kurta can be styled with a Nehru jacket over it. Dhotis can be worn in unique styles with different pleating patterns. Some kurtas have floating and open ends that allow the kurta to spherically move while dancing. This combination is popular in Gujarati and Rajasthani communities.

KURTA AND PAJAMA

Instead of a dhoti, you can always opt for a pajama and avoid worrying about how to wear a dhoti. Pajamas are simple, plain cotton-based pants that are skinny and fit. It is generally white, as the kurta becomes the centerpiece of the whole attire. A Nehru jacket can also be worn over a kurta. A loose kurta shirt can also be worn with pajamas. Nowadays, this is popular as a Navratri dress for women who wear a kurta with long palazzo-style pants.

You can shop all Navratri dresses for men and women online directly from India, only at karmaplace.com. Get your favorite Navratri dress in 2021 at your doorstep with zero shipping charges for orders above $99, and even get customized fittings as per your requirements. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Leave a comment below with your opinions or suggestions for the next blog. Now start preparing for the Navratri festival by shopping for the best of the best dresses at karmaplace.com.