Navratri is More Than just Celebration and Worshipping Maa
Navratri is a nine-day-night Puja (worship) of Durga Mata (mother Durga) held twice a year, in March-April and in September-October. The Puja seeks self-purification, self-transformation, and self-realization.
Durga Mata possesses divine powers; creative as Brahma, sustainer as Vishnu, and destroyer as Shiva. She is powerful, fearless, victorious, and loving with powers to improve her devotees in three stages:
(a) Purification by destroying evil forces in them;
(b) Transformation into peaceful, compassionate, calm, and loving persons;, and,
(c) Award of Knowledge by awakening within them self-realization and bestowing wisdom.
The first days of Puja are to seek self-purification, the second three days, to seek self-transformation, and last three days, to seek self-realization and wisdom.
The ultimate aim of Navratri is to conquer our inner enemies as anger, jealousies, greed, ego, undue attachment to material things. Then, lead our minds to establish Everlasting Happiness and Peace-Anandam by attaining knowledge and wisdom. This state of mind is Sat-Chit-Ananda, free of evil thoughts and action, vigilant, active, and conscientious.