Bengaluru: From today (October 17) Navaratri begins. As the nation begins to celebrate the 9-day festival, let’s take a look at its significance 

Navratri' means 'nine nights.' 'Nava' means 'nine,’ and 'Ratri' means 'night.'

Night provides rest and rejuvenation. During the night, you turn inwards through sleep, and you wake up feeling refreshed and rested in the morning. In the same way, Navratri or the ‘nine nights’ is that time of the year when you get the chance to experience deep rest. This deep rest brings freedom from all kinds of botherations, deep relaxation, and creativity.

 

Fasting, meditation, prayers, and other spiritual practices performed during this period help bring about this deep rest. Even refraining from over-indulging in sense objects during this time aid the process of attaining deep rest.

Our spirit: The source of deep rest

Our spirit has existed since time immemorial.  It is the boundless and the eternal source of energy of this universe. During Navratri, even the subtle energies in the environment enhance and assist one’s experience of reaching the spirit.

The prayer, chanting, and meditation performed during Navratri connect us with our spirit. Getting in touch with the spirit invokes positive qualities within us and destroys laziness, pride, obsession, cravings, and aversions. When stress in the form of negative emotions is destroyed, we experience the deep rest of the transforming nine nights.

Here's wishing you all a happy Navaratri!