NAVARATRI WHEN DEVI COMES HOME (PB)

Like most festivals, Navaratri
is also an institutionalized way of nurturing your inner creativity.  Devi is always with us. Devi is always
inside us. Every year, there are occasions when we celebrate her presence a little
more, specially worship her and become a bit more conscious of her presence
inside us, and everywhere around us. Navaratri, the nine nights with Devi, is
an example. Chaitra and Sharada Navaratris are special occasions when
Bharata, with all its diversity, celebrates Devi’s manifestations. Rituals
and rites are localized, customs are based on historical legacies and
culture, but the template of worship is universal throughout India, and even
outside it.  Navaratri: When Devi Comes
Home documents this diversity in tradition, each specific to one particular
part of the country. But, taken together, they resonate with the theme–ya
devi sarva-pradesheshu puja-rupena samsthita.
Just like diverse manifestations of the Adi Shakti—the eternal
Goddess—which Devi is worshipped as, the expression of the celebration
changes as you move around the country.