First Day of Navaratri in Bangladesh

When did the First Day of Navaratri in Bangladesh start?

About First Day of Navaratri in Bangladesh Holiday

The First Day of Navaratri in Bangladesh, or Durga Pujo as it is popularly known, is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. The festivities, which are celebrated for nine days, have been celebrated for centuries in Bangladesh to honour the Hindu goddess Durga.

Every year, this grand festival brings together communities from all parts of the country to celebrate the victory of good over evil. The colorful decorations and processions of musical bands that mark the event captivate people from all walks of life and give an unmistakable air of festivity. From dawn to night, people come together and put aside their differences in exchange for a shared moment of joy.

On the occasion of the beloved First Day of Navaratri, Bangladesh invites the world to enter its exuberant festivities and experience the beauty of its rich culture and traditions. One can witness the participating devotees in their vibrant costumes and headgear dancing and praying to the divine goddess as they make their offerings to her. The passionate singing of devotional songs, the smell of incense, and the sound of the beating drums create an atmosphere of festivity. Everywhere you look there’s a feeling of energy and enthusiasm with people reveling in the joyous occasion.

History and Origin
The origins of the holiday of Navaratri, also known as the “Festival of Nine Night”, date back to ancient India, and is celebrated by Hindus as a religious festival in many countries around the world, including Bangladesh. Navaratri is derived from two Sanskrit words: “Nava” meaning nine, and “Ratri” meaning night. During Navaratri, devotees worship the goddess Shakti—the creative force in the universe—in multiple forms. Traditionally celebrated for nine consecutive nights, the festival culminates in a tenth day of celebration known as Durga Puja.

The festival is celebrated according to the Hindu lunar calendar and takes place sometime between September to October every year. In Bangladesh, the holiday is most widely known as “Nobanno” or “Nobomi” locally and has been celebrated in the country for centuries. During the 10-day period of Navaratri in Bangladesh, Hindus make special offers to the goddess and observe fasts, while others observe a strict vegetarian diet for the entire duration.

Significance and Meaning
The festival of Navaratri is a celebration of femininity and Goddess Shakti. It is believed that during the auspicious festival period, people are blessed by the divine energy, which has the power to uplift them spiritually and ward off all their evils. The holiday is of great cultural and religious significance to the people and the celebration can be seen all across the country as devotees come together to participate in the festivities and stay up late into the night to take part in prayers, dance, and worship.

Traditions and Celebrations
Celebrations during Navaratri in Bangladesh include the making of colorful sandalwood and clay idols of the goddess Durga and her family, also known as ‘Navratri Keli’. These idols are installed in houses and in temples by priests, and are worshipped from the first to the ninth day of Navaratri. On the tenth day, these idols are taken out in a public procession and immersed in a river or water body, which is referred to as Durga Puja or Visarjan.

Other important traditions during the festival include the traditional dance known as the Garba, where women wear colourful and intricately decorated costumes and form circles to perform a devotional dance in honour of Goddess Durga. Additionally, Debotar Grasto is a popular event where the traditions of Worship and Verse are combined through an array of dances and song performances.

Geographical Spread
Navaratri is widely observed and celebrated across Bangladesh, with festivities taking place all throughout the country. Areas of the country with the highest celebrations are Dhaka, Chittagong, and Barisal, where thousands of people gather each year to take part in various religious ceremonies and to celebrate the divine power.

Navaratri is celebrated differently in different parts of Bangladesh. Different cultural communities such as the Varendra, Santal, Santoshi, and others have their own unique celebrations. In the villages, Hindus hold night-long rituals while in the cities, night-long happy hours are held.

In Dhaka, there are popular fairs and pujas that are organised at different pandal locations. These pujas are a part of the city’s rich cultural celebrations and are visited by thousands of people to make offerings to the Goddess Durga and to get blessings for the upcoming year.

Modern Day Observations
In recent times, the trend of celebrating this holiday has picked up momentum in Bangladesh. There are now annual beauty pageants and cultural performances to honour the goddess. Additionally, the holiday has become a time of coming together, socialising, and eating delicious foods together.

The festival has also become more accessible in recent times, thanks to technological advancements. Nowadays, many people watch live streams of the rituals and celebrations on TV and enjoy the best of both the worlds—the celebration of spirituality and the conveniences of modern technology.

Interesting Facts and Trivia
Here are some interesting facts and trivia about the holiday of Navaratri in Bangladesh:

• Navaratri is a major festival in South Asia and it is widely celebrated in Bangladesh. The start of the festival also marks the announcement of the beginning of the harvest season in many parts of the country.

• Every year, people form massive processions through Dhaka, where they carry and worship the luminous clay idols of Goddess Durga and her family.

• In some parts of Bangladesh, the celebration of Navaratri also marks the same day as the start of Bijaya Dashami, which is the tenth day of the Hindu lunisolar month of Ashwin where women dress up in cultural or traditional attire and perform dances.

• One of the key traditions of the celebrations is the pealing of the bells with idol salutations and by singing of devotional songs and mantras.

• During the Navaratri festival, people in many parts of the country offer special prayers to the goddess as part of the rituals, which is called aarti—a way of expressing gratitude to the goddess for all the good in their life.

• People in Bangladesh also engage in the traditional practice of worshipping nine different forms of Shakti on different days for different reasons, and this is popularly known as the ‘Navadurga Puja’.

• Navaratri is also observed as the readying of the Ramlila – a renowned re-enactment of the Hindu epic, Ramayana, one of the most important Hindu scriptures.

Holiday Wishes
1. May your lives be blessed with joy, prosperity, and good health on Navaratri and beyond.
2. On this auspicious day, may you receive the divine energy of Goddess Durga to drive away all negativity and evil.
3. May this Navaratri bring joy, love, and luck to you and your family.
4. May the celebration of Navaratri bring peace, harmony, and blessings to you.
5. Wishing you a very happy and blessed Navaratri.

Holiday Messages
1. Let this colorful Navaratri bring positivity in your life and bring new hope.
2. May Goddess Durga fill your lives with love and her divine blessing.
3. Celebrate this Navaratri with bliss and positivity and feel a new energy within you!
4. Navaratri is not just about offering prayers to goddess but also spreading positivity and love among people.
5. Celebrating Navaratri reminds us to be thankful for all the blessings in our life.

Holiday Quotes
1. “Life is not about the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.” – Unknown
2. “Navaratri has come, let’s bring out the devotion and cheer for Goddess Durga.” – Unknown
3. “The spirit of Navaratri is the spirit of Goddess Durga—which is, to bring in a positive revolution and eliminate the negative forces that are around us.” – Amish Tripathi
4. “Navaratri is a celebration of the joy of living, and an excellent example of how living can be made meaningful and purposeful.” – Sivananda
5. “Let the peal of the bells usher in peace, prosperity, and happiness in your life this Navaratri.” – Unknown

Other Popular Holiday Info
In most places in Bangladesh, Navaratri marks the beginning of autumn and signals the commencement of a new harvest season. As the harvest season advances, markets come alive with different kinds of sweets and snacks that are traditionally offered as offerings to the goddess.

Traditionally, people also break onions and green chillies as part of the ritual to ward off evil forces and to purify the atmosphere. So, during this time, it is common to see onion and chillies being strung together and hung from windows and doors.

Moreover, this festival is a major tourist attraction and visitors from all over the world come to witness the grand celebrations. The festivities during Navaratri make it one of the most popular holidays in Bangladesh.

Navaratri, in all its grandeur and variety, is a wonderful way to connect and share different cultures, and explore and honour the divine beauty of religion. Wishing you and your family a very happy and blessed Navaratri!