Matrika has been considered a goddess in all the Puranas of the world. Matrika goddesses are not only present in India but are also present in the Roman and Greek mythology of Europe. There also their power is the same as in the Navadurgas of India. Navadurga is not only a festival of nine days of purity and worship of the Goddess in this pretext, but is also a symbol of the power of women in Indian society. Before male rule, women in Indian society had the same rights that men have today. There is a lot of talk about equality but the truth is that even today men have supreme power in the society and women have to live in a subordinate position. But from the hustle and bustle of Navratri worship or Navdurga, it seems that there was an era when the position of women in Indian society was much stronger and higher than that of men. Navadurga is the symbol of this female power.
Navratri worship twice a year
The festival of Navratri is celebrated twice a year. Once from Chaitra Shukla Pratipada to Navami and second time from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Navami. Some people also consider it a festival of Navanna. That is, the festival of coming home after harvesting the crop. Once for the harvest of Rabi crop and second for the Kharif crop. Throughout North India, this festival marks the new year and also the increase in the incidence of seasonal diseases. That is why all those suffering from vata, bile and phlegm were advised to fast on these days. In North India the weather cycle of winter, summer and rain comes at its own time. Therefore, diseases also increase during the rainy season. Therefore, according to Ayurvedic tradition, they are recommended to observe Langhan i.e. fasting. But perhaps this tradition of fasting and parayana might have come when the Vaishnav sect had flourished. That is why the goddesses of Shakta tradition merged with Vaishnav tradition.
Vaishnav devotees associate Navratri with Ram
Perhaps that is why these festivals of Navratri were linked to Ram Navami and Vijayadashami instead of establishing the primary authority of the Matrika Goddesses. Ram devotees of Vaishnav sect celebrate Navratri of Chaitra as the birthday of Lord Ram and Navratri of Ashwin celebrates Ram’s return to Ayodhya after the victory of Lanka. But the belief of celebrating Navratri in the form of nine forms of Goddess Durga is very old. This festival starts with the worship of Shailputri on the first day and ends with the worship of Siddhidatri on Navami. These are the nine forms of Goddess Durga, which are considered nine forms of Shaiva Parvati and nine forms of Shakta Devi. After Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Kanyayani, Kalratri and Ashtami are worshiped as Mahagauri. Finally this puja is ended after Mahagauri.
nine goddesses are matrikas
According to Devi Bhagwati Purana, these nine goddesses are Matrika and protectors of our primitive civilization and culture. It is believed that by worshiping them, man’s wishes are fulfilled and the Goddess is pleased with him. Some devotees recite Durga Saptapadi these days. People living throughout Eastern India and the Himalayan region are generally goddess worshippers. But while in North India the Goddess is considered to be innocent, in Eastern and North-Eastern India the Goddess accepts sacrifices. That is why in Bengal and Assam, offering sacrifices to Kali Devi and Kamakhya Devi respectively is considered auspicious. Whereas in the northern states of the Himalayas, be it Chhinnamasta of Himachal or Jwala Devi of Kangra or Chamunda or Annapurna and Vaishno Devi of Jammu, it is prohibited to offer sacrifices.
form of women empowerment
If seen in today’s context, Bhagwati puja is a form of women empowerment. This is a way for women to accept power. Even in Indian society, woman is considered to be the form of a goddess and it is said that Yatra Nari Pujayante Basante Tatra Devata! That is, where women are worshipped, gods reside there. In a society where women get such respect, today women are doomed to die every moment. This is definitely something to think about. How has it happened today that despite worshiping the Goddess with so many rituals, women are not actually respected, but this happens only in the plains society. Women have a lot of rights in tribal and North East areas. Especially in Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur. There women do all kinds of outside work, but what if someone can even do their hair-dressing.
Women have the right to power in the North East only
But on the contrary, in metropolitan cities like Delhi, if women do not reach home by eight o’clock in the night, then the family members become restless. The interesting thing is that where women have so much freedom, there is no tradition of worshiping women. There is no tradition of celebrating Navratri in any North Eastern society. But there women not only have full rights but in Meghalaya they also manage the expenses of the entire household. From paan shops to tea and refreshment shops, he also runs them. Even today, there is a tradition that the youngest daughter of the family inherits the entire house and even after marriage, she lives in her maternal home along with her husband. Even today in Meghalaya, women are respected so much that their consent is necessary in every household work. But there is no tradition of worshiping him there. Women are the backbone of the economy there and that too because there women have equal rights as a man.
Dependence on men makes a woman weak
Same is the situation in Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. Even if women do not have those rights in Assam, what is the matter if incidents like molestation of women happen there and the society keeps watching silently. But in North India, women neither get help from the police nor from the society and they themselves have to face all the atrocities. Today, the problems related to women are more prevalent in North India and West India beyond the Vindhyas. Women of the South, East and North-East are mostly independent and do not have to face the difficulties and troubles due to which they have to depend on the men of the house in every matter. One of the main reasons for this is that women there have the freedom to work, due to which they are not economically dependent and this economic independence creates a sense of self-respect in them.
Dominant thinking of men in plain cities
There are very few houses in the North-Eastern states where women do not work. Since the literacy rate in Kerala is so high, women there go abroad for jobs. Anyway, most of the nurses in hospitals across India come from Kerala only. Ever since BPO and corporate sectors developed in the country two decades ago, most of the jobs have started going to women. Now, since the women of North India are still lagging behind in education, most of the girls from the North East come here to Delhi to work. According to their tradition, they do not have any hesitation or frustration or inferiority complex regarding dressing, hence they remain cool. But the incidents of molestation seen in Delhi and other plain cities are due to the supremacist thinking of the men here.
real purpose of goddess worship
Therefore, if Devi worship during Navratri is taken as a resolution that it is not a Goddess worship, it is a festival celebrated towards empowering women, then perhaps the real purpose of this Goddess worship will be fulfilled. The real meaning of Goddess worship is that women should be given their full rights and there should be no discrimination between men and women in the society. Then the heinous act like feticide, which people keep doing secretly, will stop. Although the government has strictly banned gender testing, people carry out this test secretly and kill the girl fetus before delivery. Apart from this, the society still gives full rights to the son only in inheritance. The daughter is deprived of her rights by making her fear the society. They are discriminated against even in jobs.
Only when freed from the shackles will you become powerful
Generally, male employees consider it humiliating to work under a female boss, hence even corporate offices, while promoting women, consider what effect it will have on their employees. But one thing is certain that if women start working then one day they will be free from the slavery of men and then they will truly be goddesses. When they will be free from the shackles of slavery. Society should try to empower women. The appropriate time for this is to worship Goddess Bhagwati.