Navratri Experience

NAVRATRI is a festival that is celebrated with prayers and joviality in the beginning of Ashwin (autumn) and the beginning of Chaitra (spring) by the Hindu community around the world and is celebrated during the month of September/October annually. During Navratri the Mother Divine is not just recognised as the brilliance of intellect (buddhi), but also the confusion (bhranti); she is not just abundace (Lakshmi), she is also hunger (shudha) and thirst (trishna). During the nine days, one realises the aspect of the Mother Divine in the entire creation that leads one to a deep state of Samadhi (the state of consciousness induced by meditation). Kali is the most horrific manifestation of nature. The symbolism of nature is beauty, though it has a horrific form.

Navratri is a celebration of good over evil; the actual fight is not between good and evil. The words of Ashtavakara, it is the poor wave, which tries to keep its identity separate from the ocean but to no avail. The nine days are also known as days or an opportunity to rejoice in the three primordial qualities of the universe. Life is overseen by three gunas (tamo guna – first three days, rajo guna – second three days and sattva guna – last three days). Ones consciousness glides through the tamo and rajo gunas, while experiencing sattva guna it blossoms. During the experience of sattva, it leads life. Knowledge learnt during the nine days is honoured by the tenth day celebration called Vijaydashmi.
My first Navratri experience at the International Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore Art of Living Gauteng members.
Living in the city of Jayanagar, Bangalore, I had to take two buses to Ashram in Kanakapura every night at about 6pm as I had normal college running, about an hour it would take to get to Ashram. Only from October 21, I was blessed to experience all Homas. But sadly day one I missed and three quarter of the ashram went into silence including Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) for four days. I arrive day two, and I was wowed by how packed the Ashram was with people from Asia, South and North America, Europe, Africa, you name it. I wonder, how many would understand me speaking in English, continue wondering till day five when I cannot resist but eves drop on different languages spoken in the dinning hall during lunch and supper.
I with my new friend from Mongolia Enkhzaya Tsogtsaikhan.I continue smiling, introducing myself as a South African, studying at Sri Sri Centre for Media Studies. The Homas started on Saturday (October 20) till Tuesday (ending of ninth day of Navratri), sitting in the presence of Guruji everyday was complete bliss as the Internationals sat in the front in Yagnashala. October 23, sitting in Rishi Homa, I started talking to people who were sitting next to me and wow, they were Mongolian’s. Guruji met all Internationals in Vishalakshi Mantap. But on October 22 and 23, thousands of people present were showered with blessings of Abhishekam (It is Holy Water blessed by so many days of chanting). Being in bliss and complete gratefulness was the most amazing experience. Many of us do not always get an opportunity to be with the Master for so long or even understand the real meaning of Navratri and even more beautiful was watching how attentive, cultural Internationals are and being in the present moment chanting and singing.