The Important Hindu Festival of Chaitra Navratri

Happy Chaitra Navratri 2021: 10 things you should refrain from doing during the nine-day long festival

There are important rules as per popular beliefs that devotees follow during the nine-day long festival. Right from not chopping your nails to not having non-veg, take a look at a few things which one should not do during the festival.

The important Hindu festival of Chaitra Navratri has started today on April 13, Tuesday and will end on April 21 with Ram Navami. The nine-day-long festival dedicated to Maa Durga is full of rituals and beliefs.

There are four Navratris that fall in a year, while only two of them, Sharad Navratri and Chaitra Navratri are celebrated widely. Taking about the popular beliefs about fasting during the festival, it is said that one has to follow certain rules during these nine days. As a result, it is believed that your digestive system will remain intact by following the norma like having satvik food, not eating non-veg and more. Apart from that, there are a few set of rules which devotees follow while worshipping Maa Durga during the festival. Take a look

1. For those fasting on Chaitra Navratri, they should not consume non-veg food. Even for those eating vegetarian food during these nine days, garlic and onion should be avoided.
2. Alcohol and smoking should also be avoided during the Navratri.
3. Cutting nails and hair during Navratri is not encouraged. It is believed that doing so enrages Goddess Durga and one has to face her wrath.
4. One should also avoid pulses, grains and cereals during these nine days. This means that you cannot have dal, chawal or roti. However, these can be replaced with ingredients meant for fast like kuttu, sabudana, makhana, singhara aata, samak ke chawal etc.
5. One can consume all kinds of fruits as well as milk and sugar.
6. For those fasting on these nine days, they should avoid cutting or slicing lemons as doing so is considered inauspicious. One can buy lemon juice from outside, but not cut it at home.
7. Fasting during Navratri is a common ritual but one should not starve himself as it will have an impact on the health. It is advisable to take small meals across the day.
8. If an Akhand Jyoti is lit in the house during Navratri, make sure that it is lit all the time. The house should not be left empty and someone should b present to make sure that the jyoti is always lit.
9. People observing fast during Navratri should avoid using leather-made products like belt, shoes and wallet.
10. As per Vishnu Puran, one should avoid sleeping in the afternoon when observing Navratri fast. It is a common belief that all the good karma attained from fasting goes null and void by sleeping in the afternoon.

मां शैलपुत्री के पूजा मंत्र

माता शैलपुत्री की पूजा षोड्शोपचार विधि से की जाती है। इनकी पूजा में सभी नदियों, तीर्थों और दिशाओं का आह्वान किया जाता है। नवरात्रि के पहले दिन से लेकर अंतिम नवे दिन तक हर रोज घर में कपूर जलाना चाहिए और उससे ही पूजा करनी चाहिए। मां शैलपुत्री का मंत्र इस प्रकार है…

वन्दे वांछितलाभाय चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखरम्।
वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्रीं यशस्विनीम्।।
पूणेन्दु निभां गौरी मूलाधार स्थितां प्रथम दुर्गा त्रिनेत्राम्॥
पटाम्बर परिधानां रत्नाकिरीटा नामालंकार भूषिता॥

प्रफुल्ल वंदना पल्लवाधरां कातंकपोलां तुंग कुचाम् ।
कमनीयां लावण्यां स्नेमुखी क्षीणमध्यां नितम्बनीम् ॥

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शैलपुत्री रूपेण संस्थिता।
नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै नमो नम:।

ओम् शं शैलपुत्री देव्यै: नम:।