Dasara Sharan Navaratras are the biggest and most celebrated festive season in Vijayawada Kanaka Durga temple. During Navaratras, on each day a form of Goddess Durga is worshipped. This post is contributed by Bhargava Kulkarni, a visitor of Hindupad. It explains about the Alankarams and each Goddess of Navaratras.
DAY – 1 SWARNA KAVACHALANKRUTA DURGA
The famous Kanakadurga Temple, in Vijayawada AP, which is very famous for Navarathri especially for the DEVI ALANKARAMS they do for the moola Vigraha the KANAKA DURGA. The very first day They decorate the devi as the SWARNA KAVACHA DURGA ( the one with SWARNA golden KAVACHAM ) they say that Durga Maa on the very first has a mantra tantra as her kavacham and protects this world as a shield (kavacham ) this is the inner meaning of the Alankaram. A small historical data of the Temple .
DAY – 2 MAHALAKSHMI ALANKARAM
Second Day, Kanaka durga is decorated as MahaLakshmi, Mahalakshmi is famous for her DHAIRA quality, she did play a vital role in MAHISHASURA mardhanam. She is greatly praised and her significance is given in details in SRI SUKTAM and LAKSHMI TANTRA. Satya lakshmi, Bhoga Lakshmi, Rajya Lakshmi, Yoga Lakshmi, Vidya Lakshmi, Soubhagya Lakshmi, Amrutha Lakshmi, Kamya Lakshmi are the main Avataras of DEVI besides the famous ASTA LAKSHMI avatarams.
DAY – 3 ANNAPOORNA
On the third day of Navarathri Kanaka Durga is decorated as ANNAPOORNA, Annapoorna devi is the one who provides the ANNAM ( the food ) and maintains the lifecycle of not just the creatures on this earth but of the whole universe. And this devi resides for ever in the SMASANA BHOOMI called the KASHI and she is the divine consert of VISHVESHWARA who is the father of this universe.
The inner meaning of this Alankaram is that DEVI protects the universe in the form of Annapoorna and she grants the PRADHAMA BHIKSHA to the AADI BIKSHU SIVA and she strives hard to protect the universe by providing food so she shows that the best DAANAM is ANNA DAANAM and who ever donates food is a form of that DEVI and let us follow the foot steps of DEVI and do NITHYA ANNA DAANA .
DAY – 4 GAYATHRI DEVI
On the fourth day of Navarathri DEVI is decorated as GAYATHRI DEVI, the Pranava Swaroopini, who is the source of NADA, She is the soource of Sakala mantras, and she is the source of all vedas. She is the adhidevatha of Gayatri mantra and the sandhya vandana. She has five faces with five colours. Gayatri is of two types LAghu and brhuhad gayatri.
DAY – 5 BALA TRIPURA SUNDARI
On the fifthday Kanaka Durga is decorated as Balatripura Sundari, Balatripura is the first goddess in the tripura traya and she is the main goddess of all in the sriyantra. With out having got the mantra of bala one is not eligible to perform the sri yantra pooja.
In the first amnaya of srichakra bala resides , so with out worshiping bala one can not perform pooja to sridevi. Kanaka durga is decorated as Bala as SRI ADI SHANKARA, has established srichakra here and so to beget the anugraha of bala she is decorated as bala and one has to def see her beauty in this alankaram. Worshiping her is the vital part in the shakti pooja. even listening her name is considered to be benificial to the sadhaka.
DAY – 6 LALITHA TRIPURA SUNDARI
On the Sixth day of navarathri Kanakadurga is decorated as LalithatripuraSundari, she is the chaitanya, Echa and Gnyana Shakthi Swaroopini. She is the one who is in the second Avarana of the tripurams so she is known as the Lalitha Tripura Sundari and she is known so as she is exsisting prior to Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. She is the adhistana devatha of Panchadasi Stothram and she is the one who bestows mahadaishwaryam to a sadhaka of SRI VIDYA. Lalita has got that name as she recides on the ( lalathi + vilasathi ) VAMAANKA of SRI SADA SIVA.
DAY – 7 SARASWATHI ALANKARAM
On the Seventh Day, It is usually Moola Nakshatram which is Mahasaraswathi Nakshatram and Devi is decorated as MahaSaraswathi, it is with the help of Saraswathi the Yudha tantra was designed and planned and DEVI won the war against Mahishasura Chintamani saraswathi, Gnyana Saraswathi, Neela Saraswathi, Ghata Saraswathi, Kini Saraswathi, Antariksha Saraswathi, Maha Saraswathi are teh seven forms in which Saraswathi is spread in teh universe Saraswathi devi killed Sumbha and Nishumba with her Gnyana and so Devi is decorated as saraswathi.
DAY – 8 MAHA DURGESHWARI
On the eight day, which is Durgastami, the HIGHLIGHT of the festival, which is the most important day for any sadhaka DEVI is decorated as MAHA DURGA, the MANTRA , TANTRA, shakti of DEVI. She killed many demons which we cant count on fingers, Dikhyena Ganthum shaktyate eti Durgaha: she killed Dugrgasura the son of RURU ,and so called as DURGA. If durga is worshiped one can easily par the ocean of this bhava !!!!
DAY – 9 MAHISHASURA MARDINI
On the ninth Day , Durgamba is decorated as MAHISHASURA MARDINI, the most UGRA avataram of DEVI…. In chandi sapthasati too it is stated that MAHALAKSHMI with 18 (astadasa bhujas) with all devi & devatha shaktis destroyed chamara, and many demons and then Mahishasura ….as she killed MAHISA on NAVAMI , it is known as MAHARNAVAMI……..
Goddess 
