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The Rituals :

Unlike any other festival, Dussehra is celebrated for nine days – ‘Sarannavaratri’, during which Goddess Shakti is worshipped in the name of Nava Durgas. On all the nine days the, Goddess is worshipped with flowers of different colours and fragrances with utmost devotion. However, the prasadam offered on the nine days vary as follows –

1. Padyami-Sailaputra Durga-Kattu Pongali
2. Vidiya-Brahmacharini Durga-Tiger Rice
3. Tadiya-Chandraghanta Durga-Coconut Rice
4. Chavithi-Kooshmaanda Durga-Allapu Chitti garelu
5. Panchami-Skandamaata Durga-Daddhojanam (Curd Bath)
6. Shashti-Katyayani Durga-Kesari Bath
7. Saptami-Kalaratri Durga-Vegetable Rice
8. Ashtami-Mahagowri Durga-Chakra Pongali
9. Navami-Siddhidatri Durga-Paayasam
10. Dasami-Raja Rajeswari Devi-Tiger Rice & Laddu

The Goddess, as she is described "Alankara priye Devi", is a lover of beautification & decoration and thus is she dressed in the nine different Alankaras as Maha Lakshmi, Annapoorna Devi, Gayatri Devi, Sri Lalita Tripurasundari Devi, Saraswati Devi, Durga Devi, Mahishasuramardini, Raja Rajeswari Devi

Dasami and Jaganmata / Adi Shakti, on all the nine days.

Dussehra being celebrated in commemoration of the battle and subsequent victory of the Goddess over Mahishasura, she is worshipped with the special puja of Pushpasayya Alankara, by offering a bed of flowers, to sooth her from the exhaustion of the nine-day battle.

This apart, Saraswati puja is performed on the Saptami day when the ‘Moola’ star is prevailing, wherein the Goddess of wisdom is offered special prayers.

‘Ayudha Puja’ is one important ritual of Vijaya Dasami, wherein all the working members of the house worship their tools at work, commemorating the Pandava’s retrieving their arms from the Jammi tree on the day. The tree is also worshipped as part of the rituals. ‘Vahana Puja’ is also quite common. The day as such is rendered auspicious to take up any new task as such.

Belief behind worshipping the Goddess for the Sarannavaratri is that, worshipping Goddess Durga for the first three days shall bless one with a self control, i.e., a control over the Arishadvargas – kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya. Similarly worshipping Goddess Lakshmi for the next three days shall bless one with good character or personality. And worshipping Goddess Saraswati for the last three days shall bless one with the knowledge of self-awareness and spiritual eternity.                                                                               Continue...