Members of UCLA’s Hindu community are currently honoring the nine-day celebration of the mother goddess and the story of a king of ancient India.
Navratri ““ a Hindu festival of worship and dance that literally means nine nights ““ began on Oct. 12 and will last until Oct. 20. But even after the nine days are over, there will still be celebration, said Khushali Shah, Hindu Students Council president.
The Indian Student Union will be hosting a raas-garba ““ one of the traditional dances ““ on Oct. 27.
“A bunch of people come; there will be dancing and a live band,” said Sheetal Shukla, president of the Indian Student Union.
Raas is a form of dance typically performed during Navratri, and papier-mache effigies filled with candy are made on the 10th day.
“The 10th day honors the story of the king of ancient India, Rama,” Shah said. “Rama is able to slay his enemy, Ravana, in battle by piercing his belly button, so piñatas are made of Ravana.”
The games are entertaining, but one of the most important parts of Navratri is its ability to bring communities together, she added.
“Overall, Navratri is a community celebration,” Shukla explained. “Raas-garbas are held all over ““ this year there was one at Cal Poly Pomona, and one will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center.”
The dates are determined each year according to the Hindu lunar calendar, Shah said, and the celebration of Navratri is divided into three sets of three days.
During the first three days of Navratri, the goddess Durga, or the mother goddess of power and energy, is celebrated, Shukla said.
The next three days are in honor of Lakshmi, the goddess of peace and prosperity, while the final three belong to Saraswati, who is worshipped to acquire spiritual knowledge.
And the 10th day of Navratri, which will be on Oct. 21, is the festival of Dussehra, which signifies the victory of good over evil, Shah said.
There are both fun and a more serious sides to celebrating Navratri, Shukla explained, adding that besides piñatas, dance and prayer are also major parts.
There are two types of dancing, she said: one with sticks called dandiya, and one without.
Garba, which is done without dandiya, is danced first and is generally considered the more challenging of the two dances.
Raas, which is danced with dandiya, is fast-paced and rhythmic.
“Essentially it’s like square dancing with sticks,” Shukla said. “You use decorated sticks to celebrate and dance with.”
During garba, people clap and dance in a circular motion to celebrate the greatness of the mother goddess and everything she does for mankind, Shah said.
The more serious side to the nine days of Navratri involves worship and prayer.
Aarti, a prayer to the goddess Durga, is done in the middle of the night during the festival, Shukla said.
Poojas ““ or prayers ““ are also done in people’s homes for the nine days.
The poojas are an occasion for families to come together.
Many people also choose to fast in honor of Navratri, such as Bhavika Rakholia, a third-year pre-medicine and psychology student, who will attempt to eat only fruits for the nine days of Navratri.
“Not all people eat only fruits, but growing up I’ve always seen my uncle do it,” Rakholia said. “So I decided to try it for the first year.”
Some who choose to fast restrict themselves to fruit and dairy or one meal per day.
Overall, celebrating Navratri has many purposes, Shah said.
“Not only do we celebrate a divine figure, but we are also able to get together with friends and family and enjoy ourselves,” she said.