Navratri Day 2 Brahmacharini
The nine different Navratri nights are the colorful celebration of nine different forms of Maa Durga. The 2nd day of Navratri is even more glamorous and auspicious for the worshippers of Ma Durga. People observe fast on the second day of Navratri and wear Indian traditional dresses. They come together and enjoy the Gujarati folk dance known as Garba. This day is dedicated to the Hindi deity Maa Brahmacharini.
History
In the previous birth of Maa Durga, she sacrificed her life in the fire of Maha Yagna that was organized by her Father King Daksha. She did that because Daksha insulted her beloved husband Lord Shiva and she was unable to hear it. In a fit of unending anger, Maa Durga who was birthed as Devi Sati burnt her body in the fire of Maha Yagna. In her next birth, Maa Durga was born as the daughter of the Himalayas and came to be known as Parvati.
At her young age, Parvati went through a strict penance of thousand years under the guidance of Narada Muni. She did this extreme Tapasya to merge with her divine beloved Lord Shiva. In her Tapasya, she continued fasting for several years by surviving only on fruits and leaves. Due to her strict penance, she was known as “Brahmacharini”. After walking barefoot for miles without any food or water, Parvati came to be known as “Aparna”
Maa Brahamacharini’s idol depicts an unmarried. She is holding a rosary in her left hand and a sacred kamandal in the right one. The devotees of Maa Brahamacharini offer fresh Jasmine flowers as it is believed to appease Goddess. Sixteen different types of puja are organized by the worshippers to impress Maa Brahmacharini.
Devotees organize the puja and yagna to get the blessings of the Goddess. It is believed that the goddess endows happiness, peace, prosperity, and grace upon all devotees who worship her. She is the way to emancipation, – Moksha, and is filled with bliss and happiness.
Meaning of Brahmacharini
The secret meaning of Brahmacharini is the one who is present and moves in infinity. She is the energy that is not stagnant but moving in infinity. There is a difference between movement and presence which is very important to understand. Brahmacharya means that you’re not indulging with the small things or not getting stuck in the small things, rather you’re indulging in the whole.
The facade of Maa Brahmacharini symbolizes simplicity, love, loyalty, wisdom, and knowledge. The idol of Brahmacharini represents holding a rosary in one hand and a Kamandal in the other. The “Brahm” in Brahmacharini refers to Tapa and the name, therefore, means someone who performs Tapa.
There is a great significance in performing the Puja of Maa Brahmacharini on the second day of Navratri. It is believed that the Goddess bestows her devotees with wisdom and knowledge and her Puja gives good fortune. She removes the obstacles in her devotees’ lives.
Worshiping Maa Brahmacharini
To worship Brahmacharini, worshippers offer flowers, Akshat, Roli, sandalwood, etc to the idol of the Goddess. They also bathe Maa with milk, curd, melted butter, honey, and sugar. Then desserts made of pistachios are offered to the Goddess. At last, offer paan, betel nut, and cloves.
It is usually believed that people who worship the goddess Brahmacharani are usually calm and happy in life and they do not have any fear. The second day of Navratri is very special for the devotees of Maa Durga as they worship her in every way and bestow her with love, respect, and prosperity. They start their day by taking a bath which means cleansing the body before worshiping the Goddess. Then they start their fasting journey after praying to the Goddess. The worshipers of Maa Durga observe fast for the whole day and consumer only fruits and water. When the day comes to an end, they start their preparations of prayer and get all the things required for the prayer placed in the Mandir. They offer Maa Durga their prayer and end the prayer by singing aarti to the mother.
As the night continues, the devotees, at last, get ready to enjoy the auspicious traditional dance called “Garba”. This dance form is also a part of bestowing Maa Durga and taking their blessings for a better life in the future.