Navratri

Navratri festival
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Hindu festival
Celebrations	9 days
Observances	garba, golu, idol installation
Begins	Ashvin Shukla Prathama
Ends	Ashvin Shukla Navami
Date	Usually September–October. The date changes as per lunar calendar.
2016 date	1 October, Sunday — 10 October, Monday
2017 date	21 September, Thursday — 29 September, Friday
2018 date	20 September, Friday - 28 September, Thursday
Frequency	annual
Related to	Shakthism

Navaratri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रि) is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra" (also spelled Dasera). Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India and Nepal. Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated twenty days after Dasera. Though there are in total five types of Navaratri that come in a year, Sharada Navaratri is the most popular one. Hence, the term Navaratri is often used to refer specifically to Sharada Navaratri. (Sharada is a name for the goddess Saraswati).

Navratri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashwini. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.

Navaratri is celebrated five times a year. They are Vasanta Navaratri, Ashadha Navaratri, the Sharada Navaratri, the Pausha/Magha Navaratri and the Magha Navaratri. Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Puratashi and the Vasanta Navaratri of the Vasanta kala are the most important. The other two are observed by shaktas only.

This is celebrated during Vasanta Rhitu (beginning of spring) (March – April). This is also known as Chaitra navarathri as it falls during the lunar month of Chaitra.

In days long gone by, King Dooshibago was killed by a lion when he went out hunting. Preparations were made to crown the prince Sudarsana. But, King Yudhajita of Ujjain, the father of Queen Lilavati, and King Virasena of Kalinga, the father of Queen Manorama, were each desirous of securing the Kosala throne for their respective grandsons. They fought with each other. King Virasena was killed in the battle. Manorama fled to the forest with Prince Sudarsana and a eunuch. They took refuge in the hermitage of Rishi Bharadwaja.

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Wikipedia