Navratri celebrations in South India: Rituals, traditions and all you want to know

Navratri 2023: Navratri is one of the largest festivals celebrated all across the country. The nine-day festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati. In the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam, Shardiya Navratri is celebrated as Durga Puja. This is that time of the year when the streets and homes are decked up in lights, people gift new clothes to their near and dear ones and celebrate this festival together with their family and friends. Navratri is celebrated in the southern parts of the country with a lot of pomp and grandeur, much like the rest of the country. However, Goddess Saraswati is significantly worshipped during Navratri in South India.

As we gear up to celebrate the festival, here are a few things to know about how Navratri is celebrated down south:

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ALSO READ: Shardiya Navratri 2023: Know the history, significance and celebrations

Karnataka:

Navratri in Karnataka coincides with Mysore Dasara – the festival dedicated to goddess Chamundeswari of Chamundi Hill. During this time, Mysore palace is decorated in lights and is a spectacle to behold. In other parts of the state, on this day, decorated dolls are kept, and people visit the houses of their near and dear ones and exchange coconuts, clothes and sweets.

Tamil Nadu:

In Tamil Nadu, the nine-day festival is divided with the first three days dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the fourth, fifth and the sixth day dedicated to Goddess Durga and the last three days dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. Traditional dolls that are passed on through generations depicting certain themes such as environment or mythology are placed on makeshift staircases in front of the houses. People visit the homes of their loved ones to see their dolls.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh:

One of the most beautiful rituals practiced in these states during Navratri is Bathukamma Padunga – women make flower stacks for the nine days and then on the last day, the stacks are let afloat in a water body. It’s a specular watch.

Kerala:

The last three days of Navratri are significant in Kerala. On the evening of Mahaashtami, Poojavaippu is performed. On the next day, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped, and books and instruments are submitted to the idol of the goddess. On the last day, Puja Eduppu is performed where the books and tools are removed. Vidhyarambam is performed on this day, where children between the age of two to six years are made to write alphabets on sand or rice. This marks the start of their learning journey.

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