Durga Navratri is the biggest festival for the Hindu communities living in Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits celebrate the nine days of festival with utmost devotion and much gusto. In Kashmir, Navratri is dedicated to Goddesses Kheer Bhavani and Vaishno Devi. Durga Navratri 2010 begins on October 8th and ends on October 17th, 2010.

During Navratri, devotees throng to the temple of Kheer Bhawani and worship the guardian Goddess. They observe fast on everyday during the festival and break their fast after visiting the temple. Only water and fruits are consumed during all these days. On the last day of Navratri, Maha Aarti is performed at Kheer Bhawani temple. Large number of devotees trek to the mountain cave of the Vaishno Devi temple during Navratra.

Navratri Raas Garba, a cultural festival dance of Gujaratis, is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Australian places like New South Wales, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, where most of the Indian communities live. For this year, 2009, Navratri will be celebrated in tremendous atmosphere. In spite of so called racial attacks and some unfortunate incidents occurred in Australia, 2009 Navratri will be more passionate year for Raas Garba lovers. The calendar of the events of Navratri 2009 Raas Garba is given below:

• Gujarati Association of NSW presents Garba 2009:
• 25th, 26th, 27th Sept and 3rd, 4th Oct 2009
• Navratri Cultural Group presents
• Venue:    Menai High School Community Hall
•               Gerald Road, ILLAWONG 2234
• Date:      Saturday, September 19, 2009
• Time:      6:30 pm (sharp) to 11:00 pm
• Navratri 2009 Raas Garba in Melbourne :
• Gujarati Association of Victoria presents Navratri 2009
•  Dates and time: September  19th, 25th, 26th  : 8pm to midnight
• Venue: Oakleigh Recreation Centre [ ORC ], Park Road, Oakleigh
• September 20th, 27th 5pm to 8pm [ Members Only ]
• St Judges Hall, 53 George Street, Scoresby
• Navaratri 2009 Raas Garba in Brisbane:
• Gujarati Association of Queensland presents Navratri 2009
• 19th – 20th , Centenary High state School, Jindalee
• 21st – 24th , Oxley State High School, Oxley
• 25th – 27th, Centenary High State School, Jindalee.
• Navratri Raas Garba 2009 in Perth :
• Dates:
• Friday 18th Sept 2009
• Saturday 19th Sept 2009
• Friday 25th Sept 2009
• Saturday 26th Sept 2009
• Sunday 27th Sept 2009
• Venue: Herb Graham Recreation Centre
• Chesterfield Rd, Mirrabooka
• Courtesy: Desisdownunder

Navratri festival in 2009 is creating great mania in Gujarat state universities and colleges, where Garba raas and Dandiya raas are rocking the students in the state. Educational institutes in Gujarat are giving wider space to hot spots of sheri garba. In cities like Baroda, Ahmedabad and   Surat, the festival is going to be celebrated in a tremendous mood in 2009.

Vasundhara Vyas Mehta in Times of India writes:

• Navratri is here to rock the state’s academic institutes once again. Among the frontrunners for the popular hot spots of sheri garbas are CEPT University, National Institute of Design (NID) and Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA). Some of these have become so popular that they have dedicated committees of students taking care of the event and sponsors flushing in money. The themes students come up with only add to the popularity of these venues every year.
• CEPT University
• One thing that students of Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University would remember it for is the nine-day garba festival that it hosts for students, faculties and their families. Started in the 1980s, this event has added to its fans and popularity with each passing year.
• NID
• National institute of Design, Ahmedabad, has been organizing the festival for all nine nights. The major attraction at NID is the special dance steps that students innovate and the ‘diya dance’ that students perform with oil lamps in their hands and all other lights out.
• IIM-Ahmedabad
• The newest kid on the block when it comes to campus Navratri festivities is Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Till last year, the students were invitees at other institute garbas, but this time they decided to do it on their own.
• Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University, Vadodara
• Garba celebration at this institute began way back in 1952. It may not have the hype surrounding most garba venues, but still remains one of the most frequented places during Navratri. With no sound systems or ornate stage or even a professional singing troupe, the Fine Arts garba continues to remain on the top of the popularity charts. This year too preparations are on and students have started practicing steps.

Vijaya Dashami is observed on Ashwin shukla paksha Dashami and it is celebrated all over North India. Ramlila Utsav, Kota Dussehra Mela and Kullu Dussehra celebrations make the festival huger.

Ramleela Utsav:

In North India people celebrate the festival Vijayadashami as the victory of Lord Ram over the demon Ravan. On this day, Ram killed the devil king Ravan. As a commemoration of Ram’s triumph, people celebrated Ramlila Utsav, a popular cultural drama play. Ramlila Utsav is celebrated all over India, especially In Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Ramlila Utsav has also got the honor of being UNESCO cultural festival.

Kullu Dussehra:

Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh celebrates the most beautiful 10-day festival ‘Kullu Dussehra’. It attracts large number of foreigners and other tourists from all over India. Kullu valley’s lush green landscapes, high mountains and distinct tribal culture make the Dussehra celebrations more attractive. Vijaya Dashami is the final day of Kullu Dussehra.

Kota Dussehra Mela:

Kota, one of the cities famous for its educational institutes, of Rajasthan celebrates the Dussehra fair which is called Kota Dusshera Mela. Rich rural culture of Rajasthan enhances the festive lights of Dussehra celebrations. On Vijaya Dashami day, Kota Dussehra Mela is concluded.

In Bengal and Orissa, Durga Puja is concluded on Vijayadashami. Grand procession is taken out and Durga Visarjan is performed on this day.

Related Posts:

Durga Navratri significance

Durga Navratri Puja

Legend of Durga Navaratri – Origin of Durga Navaratri Puja

Lalita Panchami – Lalitha Panjami

Maha Sashti – Durga Shashti

Maha Saptami – Durga Sapthami

Durgashtami – Mahashtami

Mahanavami – Durga Navami

Vijaya Dashami – Dasara or Dussehra

Durga Navratri is the most colourful and most celebrated festival in Gujarat. Dandia and some other folk dance forms are the special attractions in Durga Navratri celebrations in Gujarat.  To capture the attention of the world and to attract tourists, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TGCL) is all set to arrange the longest dance festival called ‘Navratri’ from September 19 in 2009 to September 27. Gujarat government, especially Tourism board urges tourists to visit Gujarat during Durga Navaratras.

• Times of India writes:
• Here to announce that Gujarat will organize the world’s longest dance festival ‘Navratri’ from September 19 to September 27, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) said that Gujarat offers tourists a variety of experiences from “fascinating landscapes, exotic beaches, the only abode of Asiatic lions, remains of an ancient civilisation, to exquisite cuisines, fairs and festivals.”
• “Gujarat is a land of fairs and festivals. Gujarat is the only place in the world having approximately 12,365 fairs and festivals in a year which means life is celebrated almost everyday in Gujarat,” said Sanatan Pancholi, resident manager TCGL.
• Pancholi said that the Gujarat government was expecting a turnover of almost Rs 100 crore over the nine-day-long Navratri festival celebrated across the state. “The government expects to generate a turnover to the tune of Rs 100 crore during the nine-day festival from various sources,” Pancholi said.
• In 2007-08, Gujarat received 1.70 crore tourists with foreign tourists accounting for 8.50 lakh of that number. “In 2005-06, Gujarat received 70 lakh tourists, so the numbers have really shot up over the last three years,” Pancholi added.
• Gujarat expects around 20,000 non-resident Gujaratis and non-resident Indians for the coming Navratri festival itself. “Most of our tourists are from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, UP and Haryana. We get tourists from Goa also,” the TCGL resident manager said.
• Also present was Kamalesh Patel, chairperson, TCGL. “Excellent arrangements have been made for the Navratri festival wherein during the daytime one can enjoy various destinations of Gujarat which will be a guaranteed experience of a lifetime. During the night, one can be a part of spectacular garbas anywhere in Gujarat. TCGL has worked out eight hubs or centres wherein a tourist can come and stay and visit nearby destinations during the daytime and enjoy Navratri during the night. These hubs have been carefully chosen in a strategic way to ensure proper connectivity through air, road and rail and also the accommodation so that all inbound tourists are given proper facilities for transport accommodations, leisure activities, food and beverages,” he said.

Related Posts:

2009 Navratri Colours – Navaratra colours

Lalita Panchami 2009

Durgashtami 2009

Mahanavami 2009

Dussehra 2009