Hello Friends,
let me clarify first, author of this article is my friend Rajesh Kamath who is also co-founder of not for profit HR body More Than HR Global. He is a person of gem, with a mission to spread Indian philosophy and wisdom across the world and also one who focus on positive aspect of Indian philosophy, society and culture.
Here is his valuable piece of writing.
The True Significance of Devi - Part 3 [ Why 9 Colors]
People often enjoy wearing nine different colors on the nine days of Navratri, knowing the significance of these colors would make it an even greater Celebration!
Each day of Navratri represents one of the forces of Devi which manifests in a particular hue:
On the first day of Navratri, which is also known as Pratipada, the Goddess is worshipped as Shailputri, meaning the daughter of the mountains. It is in this form that the Goddess was worshipped as Lord Shiva’s consort. The colour for this day - red, depicts action and vigour. The warmth of this colour is an ideal way to gear up for this festival.
The goddess assumes the form of Brahmacharini on the second day of Navratri. In this form, she grants happiness and prosperity with spiritual grace. The blue of the peacock feather is the colour of this day. It is synonymous with with a calm yet powerful energy
Chandraghanta, or the goddess with a half moon on the forehead, represents beauty and bravery. She stands for strength to fight the demons. This happy colour Yellow represents the half moon and can light up the room and everyone’s hearts.
According to Indian mythology, the goddess assumes the form of Kushmanda on this day. It is believed that Devi Kushmanda created the universe through a bout of laughter and made it verdant with vegetation, hence the green colour
Dressed in grey, Goddess Durga manifests in the avatar of Skand Mata on day five. She is seen holding an infant Lord Karthik in her arms. The colour grey indicates the vulnerability of a mother, who can turn into a storm cloud when the need arises, to protect her child from danger.
The goddess represents the form of Katyayani on the sixth day. As the story in the scriptures go, a sage named Kata performed a penance as he wished to have the goddess in the form of his own daughter. The goddess, moved by his devotion, granted him his boon. She was born as Katyayani Devi, dressed in orange exhibiting immense courage.
This day is dedicated to the most fierce form of Goddess Durga. Dressed as Kalratri, she has anger in her eyes and is as black as the night. But the objective is peace on Earth. She is dressed in white, signifying that she will protect her devotees from harm. White embodies peace and prayer.
An epitome of beauty and grace, the Goddess Mahagauri is dressed in pink on the eighth day of the festival. She is said to destroy all the sins of time. The colour pink of the blooming Lotus denotes hope and a fresh start.
Dressed in the colour of the crisp, blue sky, the goddess assumes the form of Siddhidatri on Navami. She, in this form has supernatural healing powers. The goddess Siddhidatri is shown to be in a blissful state, just like the sky on a clear day. The colour represents a wonderment towards the beauty of nature.
There is of course, a deeper story for each of the divine forms of Devi.
This nine colours of Navratri collectively embody the spirit of a woman, who possess the grace and the valour of the goddess herself.
This Navratri, celebrate the triumph of good over evil, and ring in new beginnings, understanding the deeper significance of the festival
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