Nine days & Nine ways of Navratri

The more I learn, the more I am amazed and realize how little do I know! 
I wrote about Navratri and its significance a few months ago - Navratri. Also, I tried to explain the Golu puja as per Tamil tradition in my previous blog - Celebrating Navratri through toys – Golu. In these blogs, I did cover and explain the importance of each of the nine days of Navratri. 

Decked up in beautiful shimmery attires people were dancing to the tunes of Bhajans and Bollwood numbers on the Dandiya floor. Being heavy on foot, I silently watched them from a corner. Though Garba and Dandiya dances are folk dances of Gujarat, I saw friends from almost every part of India and even foreigners enjoying in the dance. And then I started thinking of how the same festival is being celebrated by many in different ways. I shall try my best to summarize the nine different traditions being followed in different parts of the country for this fantastic festival. 

1. Uttar Pradesh - The land of Rama has a lot to offer during the Navratri. Almost every one locality hosts a Ram Leela on the nights of Navratri. Local actors play the various roles from Ramayana depicting the stories and reliving the Ram Rajya. The drama finally culminates in the killing of Ravana on the Dusseha day followed by burning effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarana and Meghnad. The burning of effigies is followed by fireworks display and much fanfare. The day after the Dussehra, also has a special attraction – a procession locally known as “Bharat Milaap” – signifying Ram’s return from exile to Ayodhya. During this journey, Rama is joined with many other gods and important people on the way. The journey completes on the Deepawali day. Also, Navratri is celebrated in the honor of the Goddess. People observe fasting and give up on something very close to them for nine days. Along with the fasting, “Jaagran” are held to sing devotional songs of the Goddess through the night. The fasting is broken with worshipping mother Goddess in form of young girls. All the activities are community activities to bring the society together. Most of North Indian states perform the Jaagrans and Ram Leela in different names.
2. Himachal Pradesh - Kullu Dussehra is a world famous celebration which has become a custom ever since the 17^th century. The entire Kullu valley in Himachal recognized Lord Raghunath as its ruing deity, once patronized by the Raja Jagat Singh. At the start of the Navratri the idol of Sri Raghunath ji is saddled in a chariot and is pulled through from the temple to the central ground where it stays for the duration of Navratri. During this time, the entire ground is filled with fairs. On the last day, the chariot is pulled back towards the temple and on the way, the procession stops by on the banks of river Beas where a pile of hay is burnt to symbolize the burning of Lanka. The state government has declared the festival as an International festival to attract tourism.
3. West Bengal - West Bengal's Durga Puja is well known to the world. During Navratri, Maa Durga descends from her heavenly abode to her maternal home on the earth in the form of Durga Puja. Her coming alive is celebrated with much pomp and glitter all over West Bengal. Beautiful and extravagant pandals are constructed for the Durga Puja. The pandals are decorated with breathtaking statues of the Goddess Durga, her sons – Ganesha and Karthikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati.
4. Gujarat - Gujarat introduced the world to its wonderful folk dance forms – Garba and Dandiya Raas. Men and women dance in vibrant clothes around a clay pot or an image of the Goddess. The clay pot with the lamp signifies the womb or the Garbha – the source of the life. This is what gives the name to the Dance – Garba. The Dandiya Raas played later with the sticks is a reminder of the maharaas danced by Lord Krishna with the ladies in Vrindavan.
5. Mahrashtra - For the Maharashtrians, Navratri is an auspicious time to initiate new beginnings, buying a new home or a car. Women invite their female friends to their homes and gift them with a coconut, beetle leaves and beetle nuts. They put haldi and kumkum on the foreheads of the married women as a gesture of 'Saumangalyam' (remaining the wife of her husband until her last breath). The Navratri celebrations in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai, bear resemblance to Gujarat owing to its geographical proximity to the state. Each and every locality has its own garba and dandiya nights celebrations and the whole family drenches itself in the festive spirit.
6. Andhra Pradesh - Batukamma Panduga or the Festival of Flowers is a festival of feminine felicitation. This festival represents the cultural spirit of the Telangana region of the state. The women prepare a Batukamma – an arrangement of unique seasonal flowers in a stack. The stack thus consists of seven concentric layers and looks like a potter's clay cone. In the evening the women get together and arrange their batukamma in the centreof a circle. They then sing folk songs, hymns and dance together.Batukamma means coming alive of the mother Goddess. This festival thus celebrates the motherhood. On the ninth day of the festival, the women take their batukamma and set it afloat in the local water body.
7. Karnataka - The Dasara of Mysore needs no introduction. Celebrated in the same historic fashion as started by Raja Wodeyar in 1610 at Srirangpatnam. Raja Wodeyar had rekindled festivities once done by the Vijayanagara kings. The Mysore Dasara festival is marked by its main event – lightening of the Mysore palace. It is said that the palace is illuminated with the help of about 1 lakh(100,000) bulbs every evening for ten nights and approximately Rs 10 crore(Rs 10,000,000) is spent towards maintenance of illumination procedure every year. On the Vijayadashmi day, a large procession is held on the streets of Mysore. The main attraction of the procession is the idol of Goddess Chamundeswari atop an elephant on a 750 kg gold mandapa.
8. Tamil Nadu – The households in Tamil Nadu celebrate Navratri by decorating Golu in their homes. At the same time, it is a custom to invite other married women to one's home and offer them a gift. The gift consists of bangles, earrings, vermillion, turmeric and other items reminiscing of their marital status. Along with these items, a coconut, beetle leaves and nuts are also included in the gift. It is a common belief that the offering is a prayer for their husbands and their long life.
9. Kerala - Kerala is known to have the highest literacy rate in the whole of India. Possibly their devotion to the Goddess Saraswati is something to be credited for. Unlike the rest of the country, Keralites celebrate Navratri only on the last three days were they worship Goddess Saraswati. They celebrate their books, knowledge and consider these days as the most auspicious to initiate learning.

There may be more than the above ways to celebrate. But the common theme seen is happiness, community get together, respect for all and working together. Not sure if the festivals are loosing their charm or our dictionaries to find meanings have changed.