Pushpa Priya

Goddess Druga, the epitome of strength, knowledge, wisdom, beauty and power, is worshipped during the Dashain festival among Hindus. We consider it as the biggest festival of Nepal celebrated with great enthusiasm.
According to mythology, Goddess Durga visits her maternal home, which is on earth, with her four children. Goddess Durga imparts a spiritual halo to this planet by her magnificent presence, where her nine forms are revealed and are worshipped with full devotion on nine different days throughout the Navaratri period.
The nine forms of Goddess Durga are named as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidhatri.
Bada Dashain
We celebrate the tenth-day as the Bada Dashain that manifests the victory of good over evil. On this very day, blessings are showered by elders by putting red tika on the foreheads of the family members and juniors. We revel in the Bada Dashain with fun and gaiety.
Goddess Durga protects the world just like a fort protects an empire. According to the Puranas, Adi Shakti also called Para Shakti, killed a demon called Durgamasur. Thus, the goddess got the name, Durga. This year the Dashain or Dashara, has begun from October 17 and it will last till the 25th of this month. Hindus who celebrate this festival offer their prayers at different temples of Goddess Durga. However, worshipping of the deity, Durga, should be done in a connection to the highest source of consciousness to attain the divine light.
We should celebrate it to purify one's mind and soul with a rational thought process, and welcoming Goddess Durga in this pure mind that fills one's inner world with ecstasy. Firm commitments should be made within that make positive transformation towards a tranquil and blissful life. Real worshipping of Gods and Goddesses is working on oneself to excel one to the world of a spiritual realm filled with love and purity.
Life is too short and death is inevitable; therefore, connecting oneself to spirituality is a connection to oneself, which may help to experience self-realisation. Interconnectedness to spiritualism set up a sound foundation, and that makes one remain unaffected by any external forces in the form of people, situations, and environment.

Spiritual Connectivity
Spiritual connectivity blesses one to love one and another. This practice ensures self-contentment.
To clean the shadow of darkness, today’s world requires positive vibration. We are not a body but energy, and our level of energy is determined by our thought process.
Spirituality plays a vital role in shaping the mind in a positive direction that results in achieving positive vibes. Th Navaratri Festival should guide us for gaining positive changes that should not last only for the Dashain festival, but throughout our life.
We should adopt some methods to worshipping Goddess Durga to connect with divine light. Meditation, chanting mantras, reading Durga Chalisa, reciting religious, devotional songs or hymns, strong resolution for real Karma are some ways that should be offered in adoration for Goddess Durga and for attaining self-love and contentment.
We should also offer services to the needy ones during such an occasion. Services to humanity are services to the Almighty. First, we should work positively ourselves and to our family; and ultimately to our community. The coronavirus pandemic has curtailed our daily activities for most of the year 2020. One should celebrate the festival with family members cautiously. We should avoid large gatherings to protect us from the dreaded virus. We can celebrate this festival and others with our relatives and friends in the coming years once we get rid of this virus.
One can worship Goddess Durga through spiritual meditation; it helps to have more connectivity with the divine soul. Researches have also shown that meditation promotes a healthy body, mind, and soul. Such a form of worshipping assists us in experiencing soul consciousness and gradually prevents us from becoming a victim of ego through consciousness. Our proper sense of self-awareness comes from our connection to a wider form of consciousness. Yogic philosophy asserts there is a reflection of an infinite, all-knowing form of consciousness within our minds and this is eternal, and signifies the core of our true spiritual self.
Similarly, the Durga mantra also reinforces the mind with positive energy that one can feel instantly after chanting mantras. According to mystics and yogis, the mantra is an eternal friend who accompanies the meditator even after death, lightening the path towards the spiritual realm.
Durga Mantras, Hymns
The science of mantras is a universal truth revealed to all who can receive it, irrespective of time and place. The best way to begin the practice of mantra is by working with breath since it connects deeply to the inner being with the divine soul.
Likewise, hymns are also one of the best worshipping ways to Goddess Durga. The hymn-singing strongly reinforces the faith in divinity and relieves us from all kinds of distress and suffering. Besides, it provides an outlet for both the rational and emotional capacities of our spiritual nature.

(The writer teaches English at a Kathmandu college)