Hari Om, Parents,
We had a very engaging and insightful discussion with the youths this week about Navaratri celebrations. Last week, we introduced the topic of symbolism by discussing Lord Ganesha. This week, we began with the chanting of the Daily Prayers and Geeta Dhyanam (just the first verse – more to come in the following weeks) and continued exploring symbolism by talking about Navratri and the Devis.
We first asked the youth to share what they remember about Navratri celebrations from previous years and how it is celebrated in their homes. It was wonderful to hear about the different ways this festival is observed across various regions of India, such as Garba, Golu, Durga Puja, and others. We then delved into how Navratri celebrates the Divine Feminine in the form of the Goddess Durga, who is worshipped in nine different forms over the nine nights of the festival. Each form embodies different traits, such as love, strength, and determination
We also listened to Swamini Supriyanandaji explain the essence of Navaratri, which means "nine nights." Divided into three sets of three nights each, Navratri is a beautiful metaphor for our spiritual journey. The first three days are dedicated to Goddess Durga, followed by three days for Goddess Lakshmi, and the final three days are devoted to Goddess Saraswati.
Durga, the goddess of power and destruction, helps us start the festival by cleansing ourselves of negativity and baggage. After this cleansing, we focus on Goddess Lakshmi, not for material wealth, but to fill ourselves with inner wealth—virtues, character, knowledge, and love. Only then are we ready to receive the highest knowledge of the scriptures, which is why we honor Goddess Saraswati in the final phase. She represents profound understanding and wisdom. Finally, we celebrate the tenth day, Vijayadashami or Dussehra, when Lord Rama defeats Ravana. Ravana's ten heads symbolize the ego's desire to indulge in worldly pleasures, and by destroying this ego, we attain Moksha, or spiritual liberation.
This Navratri, we encourage everyone to reflect on how the festival represents an inner journey of purification, acquiring virtues, gaining knowledge, and achieving freedom. We also urge you to engage with your children during the upcoming Navratri celebrations and help them understand and appreciate the festival's significance.
Following our discussion on Navratri, we delved deeper into the symbolism of the goddesses—Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati—examining their forms and the significance behind each. In summary, today's session focused on expanding our understanding of the symbolism and deeper meaning of the deities we worship.
We concluded the class with a Sanskrit chanting session, which was telecast during the class session.
The youth also took a quiz to determine which house they belong to: Arjuna Arrows, Bajrangi Bolts, Krishna Cowboys, or Durga Daredevils. Based on their responses, they will be assigned a house, and this information will be communicated to them shortly (if not already). If you have any questions about this, feel free to reach out to us.
Our next class will be on September 27th - 7:00pm
Hariom and Pranams
Viji and Shankar
