Navratri (‘nav’ means nine and ‘ratri’ means night) is a
festival of worship, dance and music extending up to nine
nights. It is celebrated from the first day to the ninth day of
the Hindu month Ashwin Shukla Paksha (October and November). The
triumph of over Mahishasur (demon) is memorized on Navratri.
Fasting and prayers for a healthy and prosperous life are made
on this occasion. 'Devi-sthaapna' is performed in homes and does
'puja-path' for nine days. Goddess Durga is highly revered in
her different forms during these nine days. It is divided into
three days each for Durga, Goddess of valor; Lakshmi, Goddess of
wealth; and Saraswati, Goddess of knowledge and art. Out of the
nine days, Durga, Bhadrakali, Amba or Jagdamba, Annapurna,
Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika or handi and Lalita, different
incarnations of the goddess is worshiped on each day. On Laitha
Panchami (fifth day) Saraswati is invoked by traditional rituals
of gathering books and lighting lamps. Eighth and ninth day is
used to conjure Divine