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Navaratri 2022: Rituals and festivities performed during Shardiya Navaratri

Another important component of the festival is the Durga Aarti which is the prayer performed twice a day to honour the goddess Durga.

Published

4 years ago

September 21, 2022

The auspicious occasion of Navratri is a biannual festival celebrated by Devotees from all over the world. The first Navratri, known as Chaitra Navaratri, is usually performed from March to April. whereas, the second which is the primary Navaratri, Shardiya Navaratri, falls from September to October.

Navaratri is celebrated in honor of the nine avatars of the goddess Durga that she manifested during her 9-day-long battle with Demon Mahishasura, which ended with Goddess Durga defeating and killing Mahishasura on the tenth day, also known and celebrated as the day of Vijayadashami. During the nine-day-long span of the festival, the devotees and followers indulge themselves in rituals and festivities in devotion to Goddess Durga’s nine forms.

Rituals followed during Navaratri are as follows:

Ghat Sthapna Puja:

On the morning of the first day of Shardiya Navaratri, the ritual of Ghat Sthapna Puja is performed. In the ceremony, the devotee has to place a Durga idol or photograph at a place where it can’t be moved during the span of the festival. The ceremony also imposes the devotees to put a pitcher filled with mango leaves and coconut near a location and plant sorghum seeds around it. The devotees, who are expected to carry out the various tasks usually assemble and put everything in the morning and ask goddess Durga to bless them with wealth and knowledge.

Durga Aarti

Another important component of the festival is the Durga Aarti which is the prayer performed to honour the goddess Durga twice a day. Devotees usually perform the prayer early morning and late in the evening because that allows them to carry out different preparations during their free time. The devotees usually recite the prayer every day throughout the festival of Navaratri.

Durga Saptshati Path

Durga Saptashati Path is a sacred text or poem that imparts the teachings and beliefs of the goddess Durga in her own words. The devotees read the text or the poems to honour and absorb the knowledge the goddess has departed in the text.

Kanya Pujan

In this ritual, the devotees prepare the Goddess Durga’s favorite food which is Halva, Puri, and Chane to offer to the girls from the neighborhood, who are invited and welcomed to feast during the time. The devotees also touch the feet as a sign of respect and to seek blessings from them. The girls are also given gifts after their feasts.

Navratri fast

Devotees usually practice fasting according to their convenience and health measures, Usually many devotees begin their fasting from the first day of Sharidiye Navratri and go on to fast for all nine days of the festival. Whereas, some only fast on the commencement and concluding days.

Dandiya Dance or Garba Raas

One of the most loved and iconic days of the festival is the day of Garba and Dandiya Raas, where devotees indulge themselves in the act of dancing with the help of two Bamboo sticks. The dance symbolizes the battle between goddess Durga and Demon Mahishasura. The dance is also known as the sword dance.

Navratri Jawar Visarjan

On the ninth day of the celebration, devotees while worshiping the goddess and take the grown Jawar, which was planted around the pitcher on the commencement day, is taken for immersion into the rivers, or sometimes, the followers even place them under Peepal trees.

Duga Visarjan

Much like its name, Durga Visarjan, or immersion of goddess Durga into the rivers, ponds, and lakes is also carried out by devotees. Many places that organize pandals with huge Durga idols get to immerse big idols of goddess Durga.

These are some of the rituals that one can witness during the festivities of Shardiya Navaratri. Shardiya Navaratri, this year, will commence on 26th September and end on 5th October.

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

2 hours ago

September 6, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

India News

India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

16 hours ago

September 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
India is currently 216 km behind the US.
China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

India News

PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

17 hours ago

September 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister.

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term.

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water. Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century.

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion.

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.