Navratri Celebrations

The entire Navratri Festival ceremony is carried out with the chanting of mantras conveying the theme- “This is my offering to God”. The day following Navratri is hailed as Vijaya Dasami, more popularly known as Dussehra. In many of India's northern states, enormous effigies of Ravana stuffed with firecrackers are torched with flaming arrows to the delight of throngs of revelers. It is also valued by devotees as an auspicious occasion to start enterprise and for the business communities to open their annual books of account.

Men, women and children who have fasted during the day have a light repast of fruit or other non-cereals before traipsing out into the streets and lanes and public squares. There, to the beat and rhythm of drums, the harmonium, and cymbals, they dance and sing the age-old dandiya raas garbas and garbis.

Enjoy this sacred festival by sending some Navratri Ecards to your loved ones: