While Navratri’s popularity is often attached to Gujarat and Maharashtra, and Durga Puja is considered to be central to West Bengal, other states in India also mark this festival with unique traditions. Locals share how Navratri and Dussehra are celebrated in their states
Glimpses from the Kullu Dussehra celebrations in Himachal (Photo Courtesy: Vishrava)
Navratri, Durga Puja, Kullu Dussehra, Nada Habba – names may be different but the spirit of this festival remains the same across states in India. This nine-day-long festival, which culminates with Vijaya Dashmi (Dussehra) on the tenth day is celebrated in diverse ways in the country, with each state having unique traditions and beliefs.
Much like the nine forms of Goddess Durga, the celebrations take different shapes as we move from the North to the South, and from the West to the East. While Navratri in Gujarat and Maharashtra is characterised by Garba, states like West Bengal and Assam are known for unique rituals associated with worshipping Durga Ma. In north India, these ten days are marked with enactments of Ram Leela and in South India, unique pujas and cultural activities are held.
As this widely celebrated festival approaches, people from different states in India give a glimpse into local traditions and cultural aspects that shape their celebrations.
Gujarat
Navratri holds special significance in Gujarat. It is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in the state and people from different communities enthusiastically participate in the festivities. There are pandals all over the city and puja and aarti are held every day.
Mahek Alwani, a Surat resident, reveals, “In all major pandals in the city, puja and aarti are latest by 9:30 PM, which is followed by Garba.”
Garba and Dandiya, Gujarat’s folk dances, are the most distinguishing and special cultural activities that mark the celebrations in the state. While Garba has transcended boundaries and reached other states as well, the way it is performed here is different from other places, given it is the birthplace of the dance form.
“Here in Surat, Garba doesn’t end before 4 or 5 in the morning. It starts at about 11-11:30 and goes on for hours. There is a professional competition between Garba groups, who perform at various pandals and events. Everyone strictly follows the colours of the nine days. Also, as compared to other places, in Gujarat, bigger steps and routines are given more importance, for example, 22-step Garba, 32-step Garba, 64-step Garba, which all come under dodhiya,” reveals Alwani.
“The festivities even extend beyond the nine days. Everyone here plays Garba during Dussehra and Sharad Purnima as well, which comes a few days after Navratri. Surat remains almost shut during these nine days, or most working professionals get a half day,” she adds.
All the khelaiyas (people who participate in Garba) are traditionally dressed in heavy mirror-work chaniya cholis, make-up, oxidised jewellery, etc. Ahmedabad remains a hotspot for these traditional outfits and accessories, and many people specifically visit the city for Navratri shopping.
Alwani informs, “There’s a place called Law Garden in Ahmedabad, where chaniya cholis are sold all year round. And people do buy those even beyond Navratri months.”
Apart from Garba and other public celebrations, people in Gujarat also keep a 9-day fast. “They either eat only one time a day or if they are eating twice, they eat farali items,” she says.
The celebrations in different parts of Gujarat remain fairly similar, although each area might have unique traditions.
Maharashtra
Gujarat’s neighbour Maharashtra also witnesses similar Navratri celebrations with public pandals and Garba nights. Cities like Mumbai have grand Garba celebrations with Gujarati music stalwarts like Falguni Pathak and Bhoomi Trivedi performing at these events.
“In Mumbai, there are many Garba mandals as well as Durga Puja pandals that offer a glimpse of different traditions followed during this festival,” says city resident Isha.
Ghatasthapna or Kalash Sthapna is one of the most significant rituals observed in the state at the beginning of Navratri. It is said to invoke Goddess Shakti as the festivities begin. Temples dedicated to the Goddess like the Saptashrungi Devi Temple, and Mumbadevi and Mahalaxmi Temples in Mumbai, witness lakhs of devotees during this period.
West Bengal
As we move from the East to the West, the festivities take the shape of Durga Puja in West Bengal. The celebrations begin on the sixth day and are marked by various unique traditions.
Mehal, who grew up in Kolkata, shares, “Durga Puja has always been celebrated grandly at my place. My nani has a family house in rural Bengal and I remember some interesting things from my time there. There’s an old tradition in all nearby villages that includes the traditional dhak sounds. At a common time around the festivities, all villages go silent. Village A hits the dhak and the beat of the dhak echoes to the next village. When they hear it, they play their first beat and this continues.
Sharing her experience of Durga Puja growing up in Kolkata, she says, “Kolkata is usually quiet after 11:30-12:00. But during Durga Puja, everybody is out there, all night long. Even the public transportation functions till late.”
Another distinctive feature of Durga Puja in West Bengal, Mehal believes, is the consumption of non-vegetarian food. “Puja is usually considered an auspicious day and people tend to eat vegetarian food, which is not the case for Durga Puja. Bengalis have dishes like Kosha Mangshu (mutton) and Mishti Pulao during the festival,” she states.
In Bengal, Kola Bou, or banana tree, is considered to be Lord Ganesha’s wife and is transformed into a goddess during Durga Puja. A banana tree is placed alongside Maa Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesha and Kartik.
Another interesting aspect related to the arrival of Goddess Durga in West Bengal is the blooming of Kash Phool.
“There are a lot of Bangla songs that speak of Kash phool, a white flower that you find during Durga Puja. It grows specifically during that time. You'll also see references to it in Satyajit Ray movies. As Durga Puja approaches, the weather becomes quite pleasant with cotton-like clouds that are often compared to these flowers,” reveals Mehal.
Like in other states, many public pandals are set up during this time and there are cultural programmes for which people start rehearsing months in advance.
Assam
The north-eastern state of Assam also celebrates Durga Puja on a grand scale as West Bengal.
Nisha Smita, who was born and brought up in Assam, shares, “Here, Durga Puja starts from the sixth day of Navratri called Maha Shashthi. The idols are placed at the puja mandap with a small prayer ceremony called ‘Bel Baran’, a ritual that involves worshipping the Bel (wood apple) tree. The seventh, eighth and ninth days are called Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami respectively.”
She adds, “Every day in the morning, we offer pushpanjali to goddess Durga and then prasad is distributed and bhog is served. Sandhya aarti happens in the evening.”
The evening aarti turns into a cultural extravaganza as people participate in the 'Dhunuchi dance'.
“People dance to the rhythmic beats of dhaak and bells, holding earthen pots. This impromptu dance is a prominent custom and one of the most awaited activities during the evening Durga aarti every day,” informs Smita.
The tenth day – Vijaya Dashami – is when the Durga idols are immersed.
“Jaise Maharashtra mein Ganpati visarjan hota hai, vaise hee Assam mein devi visarjan hota hai (The devi visarjan in Assam is the same as Ganpati visarjan in Maharashtra),” she remarks.
Durga Puja is celebrated differently in different ‘Shakti Peethas' of Assam. According to some reports, some temples in the state have centuries-old rituals of animal sacrifices during Durga Puja. However, it has been abolished in several of these places.
Himachal Pradesh
When the 10-day-long festival ends in all other states in India, the celebrations begin in the northern states of Himachal Pradesh. Kullu Dussehra, which begins on Vijaya Dashmi, is a week-long festival held in Kullu, and one of the most popular cultural events in the state.
Kanchan Rana, a Kullu resident, reveals, “The actual Dussehra is the first day of Kullu Dussehra. The festival lasts for a week and the sixth and seventh days are the most important.”
“We first worship our kuldevi/kuldevta at our village. The raths with these devis and devtas then move to Kullu for the festival. More than 300 gods and goddesses of the Kullu region congregate at Dussehra grounds for the festival,” she adds.
One of the most striking features of the festival is the rath yatra, with the rath of Raghunath ji being the main one.
Divyakshi Gupta, a travel blogger and tour curator who has experienced the festival several times, shares, “It is believed that the idol of Raghunath ji was brought from Ayodhya itself. The celebrations of Dussehra in Kullu started in the 17th century during the reign of Raja Jagat Singh who sent a man called Damodar Das to get the Raghunath ji idol from Ayodhya. Since then. Lord Raghunathji became the main deity of Kullu Valley.”
She adds, “One of the highlights of Kullu Dussehra is the ‘dev milan’ or meeting of the gods. All the local devis and devtas come and meet Raghunathji.”
Rana reveals that the third and fourth days of the festival are usually dedicated to dev milan. “We worship Gau mata on the sixth day and the seventh day is dedicated to Hidimba mata,” she further states.
Kullu Dussehra is a cultural extravaganza that attracts delegates and attendees from different states and countries.
Uttar Pradesh
Navratri celebrations in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab are characterised by fasting, pujas and cultural programmes.
One of the most distinctive features of the festivities here is the ‘Kanya Puja’ or ‘Kanjak Puja’. It is a tradition that honours young girls as manifestations of Goddess Durga.
“Nine kanyas and one boy, called langura, are invited, honoured and offered prasad that primarily consists of puri, black channa and halwa,” reveals Noida resident Sonika Agarwal.
“Some people even wash their feet, apply tilak or offer money and other gifts,” she adds.
Navratri and Dussehra in North India are also characterised by public enactment of Ramayana, commonly called ‘Ram Leela’. These performances take centre stage on all nine days, and the story culminates with Raavan dehen on Dussehra.
Karnataka
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