What is Navratri?

In the sanatana dharma (hindu system), it is accepted, whatever is in macrocosm is in microcosm or vice-versa. And whatever exists either in duality or in trinity.

If we accept good then evil is inevitable. If we accept the big-bang and the light etc. then destruction and darkness is inevitable. 

This way every year is split into good and bad, shukla, the white and krshna, the black period. In the same way, we have white and dark periods of the month (the waxing and waning) though, there is no specific mentions of this, even a week, day, hour, minute can be split into these two periods. This way we see the world as duality, of good and bad. Pure good cannot exist. If we accept bad to be absence of good, it can be argued the good as the absence of bad (good – God and bad – Satan).  But, then, there cannot be any difference in the worship of Good or bad, if be said, good begets good results and bad begets only bad results, it cannot change its nature. And all desire for good only.

If we split the time period into three. According to the three gunas (quality), namely, sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva is the quality of illumination or knowledge. Rajas is the quality producing the activity. And the tamas is the quality of laziness. Each year can be split into these three. Though, according to the climatic conditions, the order may vary. Each fortnight, week, hour and minutes can be split into this way.

To show this we have the nine days of navratri. Each divided into for three days. Each triad day is for one guna.  First three for the Kali, next for Laksmi and the last three for Saraswati. In terms of gunas, the first for rajas and the second for the rajas combined with tamas and tamas combined with sattva and the third with sattva. Kali is also reffered to as sakthi – goddess of power, lakshmi – goddess of wealth and saraswati – goddess of knowledge.

In the temple of Mookambika in kollur, mangalore, Karnataka. This system is followed and the deity is worshipped in all the three forms in a single day. (think, in Madurai meenakshi templs, tamilnadu too this system is followed).

The second is not accepted totally as tamas, because nobody is interested in gaining the dull / inert / lazy state. And wealth if used in improper way leads to further birth, the quality of rajas endowed tamas. And if used in a proper way leads to moksha, sattva endowed tamas.

So, if these three divinities be remembered everyday, in a proper way, each day / minute becomes navratri.