This year Shardiya Navratri (Shardiya Navratri 2024) is going to start from October 03, 2024. This festival is mainly dedicated to the worship of 9 forms of Maa Durga. According to beliefs, any devotee who observes the fast of Navratri (Navratri 2024) and worships Mata Rani with full rituals, gets relief from all kinds of sorrows and pain. Along with this, Maa Durga also fulfills all the wishes of her devotees.

this is a mythological belief

According to mythological beliefs, celebrating Navratri twice a year is related to Lord Shri Ram. According to which, when Lord Shri Ram fought with Ravana and won, he did not want to wait till Navratri to seek the blessings of the mother after being victorious.

Then he organized a special puja for Mata Rani. After which the festival of Navratri started being celebrated twice. While Sharadiya Navratri is a symbol of victory of Dharma over Adharma. On the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri, the birth anniversary of Lord Ram is celebrated as Ramnavami. 

Nature also welcomes Mata Rani

Actually, there are not one but many reasons behind celebrating the festival of Navratri twice a year. One of them is the natural reason, according to which, during both the Navratris i.e. Chaitra and Ashwin month, there is a time of change of seasons.

During Navratri, the weather is neither too hot nor too cold, that is, the weather is quite pleasant during this time. Therefore, it is believed that nature is preparing itself for the arrival of Mata Rani. If seen, the fast of Navratri helps us to prepare for these changes in nature.

It is contained in the Sanatan scriptures that two Gupt Navratris are celebrated in a year. Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in the month of Chaitra. Whereas, Sharadiya Navratri is celebrated in the month of Ashwin. Both Navratris (Chaitra and Sharadiya) have special significance, but sacrifice is not offered during the worship in Chaitra Navratri. Whereas, sacrifice is also offered in Sharadiya Navratri to get the desired result.

However, this practice is prevalent only in some selected places. Lord Shri Ram was born on the ninth day during Chaitra Navratri. Ramnavami is celebrated on this auspicious occasion. Whereas, on the next day of Sharadiya Navratri, Lord Ram killed Ravana, on whose occasion the festival of Dussehra is celebrated.