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

Navratri 2023: From Kerala to Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, know all about how Navratri is celebrated in South India.

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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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:

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.