Navratri – The Nine Offerings

While Maha Navami puja is underway at ‘shakti pithas’ on Sunday, thousands are thronging mandaps, where rituals of Maha Astami are being conducted, in the city. The significance of these nine hues is connected to both the Goddess’s spiritual manifestations. Navratri 2023 started on October 15 and will end on October 24, 2023.

Many religious activities are performed during the worship of Navdurga on Navratri. One of these includes the offering of a specific Prasad to each form of Navdurga. As each Avatar represents a distinct characteristic of Goddess Durga, different Bhog is offered to different forms of Navdurga to get blessings. The following are the nine days of offerings to Maa Durga.

Day one Desi Ghee: The first day of Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Shailputri. After the self-immolation as Goddess Sati, Goddess Parvati took birth as the daughter of Lord Himalaya. In Sanskrit, Shail means the mountain and due to which, the Goddess was known as Shailputri, the daughter of the mountain. Offering Desi Ghee one receives the blessings of Maa Shailputri who embodies the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

Day two Sugar: the second day of Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Brahmacharini. In this form, Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Goddess Brahmacharini in her unmarried form. She is an embodiment of perseverance and penance. Sugar is offered as Prasad to the Goddess to imbibe her virtues.

Day three Kheer: the third day of Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Chandraghanta. Goddess Chandraghanta is the married form of Goddess Parvati. After getting married to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati started adorning her forehead with half Chandra and due to which she came to be known as Goddess Chandraghanta. Kheer is offered to Goddess Chandraghanta who bestows character of courage and protects the devotees from evil.

Day four Malpua: Goddess Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of Navratri. Kushmanda is the Goddess who has the power and capability to live inside the Sun. The glow and radiance of her body are as luminous as that of the Sun. Offering the Prasad of Malpua to Goddess Kushmanda disperses darkness from the lives of her devotees and grants them wealth and health.

Day five Banana: Goddess Skandamata is worshipped on the fifth day of Navratri. When the Goddess became the mother of Lord Skanda (also known as Lord Kartikeya), Mata Parvati was known by the name of Goddess Skandamata. Banana as Prasad offered to Devi Skandamata during Navratri who graces her devotees with prosperity and power.

Day six Honey: Goddess Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri. To destroy the demon Mahishasura, Goddess Parvati took the form of Goddess Katyayani. It is the most violent form of Goddess Parvati. Offering of Honey to Devi Katyayani during Navratri teaches us how to direct anger in a positive direction and productively harness ferocity.

Day seven Jaggery: Goddess Kalaratri is worshipped on the seventh day of Navratri. When the Goddess Parvati removed her outer golden skin to kill demons named Shumbha and Nishumbha, She was known as Goddess Kalaratri and is the fiercest and the most ferocious form of Goddess Parvati. Offering the Prasad of Jaggery (Gur) to Devi Kalaratri during Navratri imbibes the powerful energy of being emanated from one’s body.

Day eight Coconut: Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped on the eighth day of Navratri. According to Hindu mythologies, the Goddess Shailputri at the age of sixteen was extremely beautiful and was blessed with fair complexion. Due to her extreme fair complexion, she was known as Goddess Mahagauri. Prasad’s offerings of Coconut to Devi Mahagauri help us to get rid of sins and to win her benediction in the form of worldly gains.

Day nine Sesame Seeds: Goddess Siddhidatri is worshipped on the ninth day of Navratri. At the beginning of the Universe, Lord Rudra worshipped Adi-Parashakti for creation. It is believed that Goddess Adi-Parashakti had no form. The supreme Goddess of Power, Adi-Parashakti, appeared in the form of Siddhidatri from the left half of Lord Shiva. Offering the Prasad of Sesame Seeds to Devi Siddhidatri during Navratri helps us to achieve all the Siddhis.

For the Road:

Durga Puja, a festival that reverberates with devotion and cultural fervour, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Odisha. The festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura and is observed over a period of five days, culminating in the immersion of the goddess’s idol. A significant aspect of Durga Puja is the celebration, distribution of Prasad, and the sumptuous feast that accompanies this grand festival.

Durga Puja is known for its breathtaking pandals, which are artistic temporary structures that house the idols of the goddess and her family. The central element of Durga Puja is the worship of the elaborately crafted idols of Goddess Durga and her children – Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesha, and Kartikeya. The rhythmic beats of traditional drums create a mesmerizing atmosphere as well.

Prasad, considered sacred and blessed by the deity, is an integral part of Durga Puja. Devotees receive prasad as a symbol of the goddess’s grace and blessings. It is typically offered in fruits, sweets, and other vegetarian delicacies. The best is the amazing Khichuri offered to Maa Durga. Khichuri is also served with mixed vegetables along with Kheer and chutney. The prasad is distributed to everyone present at the puja pandals, fostering a sense of community and sharing.

Durga Puja and food go hand in hand, offering a delectable culinary experience. This year the sheen is missing. The outlets that claimed to serve authentic Odiya food failed to reach up to the expectations. Most of the Dandiya and Garba-oriented menu they offer were not from Odisha.