Navratra in Jammu : The Ultimate Celebration of AdiShakti’s Power and Grace

Navratra a Hindu festival where AdiShakti is celebrated and worshipped comes four times a year according to the lunar calendar. Vasanta Navaratri or Chaitra Navratri that comes during spring season, that is, March-April, Ashadha Navaratri, also called Gayatri or Shakambhari Navratri is celebrated during June-July, the Sharada Navaratri is celebrated during Sharad (beginning of winter, September-October) and the Poushya/Magha Navaratri in the month of Pousha (December-January). Of these, the Sharada Navaratri and the Chaitra Navaratri are very important and celebrated with great fervour in Jammu Region.

Rituals:

Navratri or the 9 nights of celebrating the feminine divine is called Naraate in the local Dogri language.  In Jammu, people sow barley grains in an earthen pot on the first day of Navratri. This ritual is called ‘Khetri’ and the barley that is grown is called ‘Saankh’. This is symbolic of the feminine powers of creation and fertility. Traditionally Dogras fast for eight days. Only certain foods are allowed during these eight days of fasting. On the ninth day devotees break their fast. Kanya Pujan is done on this day and in many homes Hawan is also performed. The Saankh is then taken to the nearest water body and immersed there.

Kanjak Pujan:

In Jammu Kanjak/Kanya pujan is done in most homes on the ninth day. Kanya or Kanjak in Dogri is a reference to pre-pubescent girls. These girls are considered to be the purest embodiment of Durga, the divine feminine herself. People invite these girls and atleast nine as a representation of the nine forms of Devi Durga to their houses or in Temple premises on the last day of Navratri. These little Durgas and the feminine divinity they represent are revered. The kanjak pujan ritual involves a ceremonial washing of the feet. A bhog/prasad of puri, channa and halwa is offered to the kanjak/kanya. People along with this bhog prasad also gift bangles, red dupattas and a token amount of money as shagun.

Temple Visits and Fairs:

People of Jammu also visit different temples for these nine days especially Bawe Wali Mata, Vaishno Devi and other Shakti shrines across Jammu. Especially Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra sees heavy rush of pilgrims who come to pay their obeisance during the auspicious days of Navratras from all across the region and the country. Fairs and colourful cultural activities are organized during the Navratras. Markets bear a festive look and buzz with shoppers.

Navratri Festival in Katra: 

In order to showcase and highlight the regional culture, heritage and traditions of the area during this period, the Jammu & Kashmir State Tourism Department has instituted the Navratri Festival as an annual event to be held in Katra, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi yatra for all the nine auspicious days of the Navratri. This has become the main highlight of Navratra in Jammu and Kashmir and attracts devotes from far and wide. This festival showcases the religious traditions as well as the popular culture of the region.

A ‘Shobha Yatra’ is taken out in Katra town, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi, to mark the first day of Navratra. The nine Swaroop of Goddess Durga are also a part of the Shobha Yatra tableau. Stunning flower decorations and rich displays showcasing Hindu faith traditions mark the way from the grand entrance gate at the base of the mountain all along the 13kms route to the main Bhavan where the cave shrine is. Every year the theme for the decorations is different.  The highlight in 2019 was a golden gate at the cave shrine’s entrance. The gate featured nine forms of Goddess Durga. The work on the gate began over two months before the Navratra started and it was built using about 12 kg gold, 1,200 kg copper and 1,100 kg silver. A group of devotees had donated money for this grand gate.

Various activities are planned as part of the festivities, including presentation of ‘Mata Rani ki Kahani’ and ‘Ram Leela’, ‘Prabhat Pheris’, devotional song competition, cultural programmes and wrestling competition. An international wrestling competition is organised every year in the town by the Jammu and Kashmir Indian Style Wrestling Association during Navratra.

Shat Chandi Maha Yagya is also organized by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board during the Navratras. The MahaYagya is organized at the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. The MahaYagya commences on the auspicious occasion of beginning of the Navratras amidst chanting of Vedic Mantras and performance of other religious ceremonies for peace and prosperity, concludedwith Purna Ahuti on Mahanavami.

During Navratra the Bhawan and the area surrounding it is elegantly decorated with flowers brought from various parts of the country and abroad. The Board also made elaborate arrangements for the sanitation, security, drinking water, special ‘fast related’ food and uninterrupted power supply all along the track and in the Bhawan area.

One of the most popular events during the Katra Navratra Festival is the All-India National Devotional Song Competition. This competition attracts a lot of singers from across faiths and is televised widely. Interestingly the competition has been won by Muslim singers too.

Kanh Sakhiyan:

Just as there is Bomai Kolu in South, Durga Pandals in East, Dandiya/Garba in Western India there is Kaan Sakhiyan in Jammu Region. Kaan Sakhiyan is a unique regional celebration during Navratra. It is now mostly restricted to villages and small towns.

Kaan Sakhiyan pre-dominantly involves young girls organizing Puja rituals and feast for Goddess Durga. There is a buzz of excitement amongst children of the neighbourhood with Navratra approaching. Girls form groups and there is a healthy competition amongst the different groups to be the better and bigger celebration. A consensus is reached amongst the girls regarding the house that will host the Goddess. This process is called “Mata Rakhni Hai”, which literally translates to hosting the Goddess. Once the house that will host the Goddess is decided, girls get busy with the rituals involved. A clay idol of Durga Mata, is made and decorated. Earlier ‘dabbad’ or coins with holes and ‘kaudi’ or shells were used for decoration. Amongst the girls one becomes Pachailan or Priestess in charge of the worship of Mata. This Pachailan is also be responsible for leading the other girls in her group for all the rituals for eight days of Navratra. In villages Pachailan would knock at the doors of her group of girls home in the morning. After a bath on the riverside these girls carry water river in a lota (vessel) and perform the ritual of worship and adornment of the Durga idol they had made. They also use the same water the Saankh/ Barley grown during these days. The lighting of diya and dhoop, is accompanied by singing of devotional songs called Bhente and followed by aarti.

 An evening aarti is also conducted by the girls. The young girls sing the Goddess Durga to sleep. Usually in the evenings as was practiced earlier, girls would carry their plates of food and eat it together after the evening puja rituals and prayers. In colloquial language the girls would inform their families that they were going to have their meals together by saying ‘chuti karne jade. Chuti karne jade referred to washing of the mouth after a meal. On all eight days of Navratra the girls get food from their homes and eat together every evening.

On Navami Kanya Pujan also known as Kanjak Pujan is performed and on the same day the girls would play Kanha Sakhiyan. One amongst the girls becomes Kaan/Kanha (Krishna) and others become sakhiyan/friends of Kanha. A day before the girls would prepare for this enactment, making paper crowns and collecting appropriate items of clothings. The parents of the girls and all the villagers or the neighbourhood in case of a town would come to see the Kaan Sakhiyan tableau. The Pachailan distributes Naivedya/Prasad to all those who come to pay obeisance to Durga Ma and the offerings of petty cash made by them would be later equally distributed amongst the girls. On the last day the girls bring flour and sugar from their homes and Babru (puris made with fermented dough) and Puris are made.  The celebrations come to an end with the immersion of the Mata ki Moorti and the Saankh in the river.

This unique celebration of Kaan Sakhiyan during Sharad Navratri strengthens community cohesion, spreads divine thoughts collectively and also becomes a good way to pass on traditions to the next generation. Though the perfect way to foster community spirit this Duggar tradition is fast disappearing from cities.

Navratra Fasting Food:

It is a common practice for the Hindus of Jammu Region to fast all seven or eight days. Those fasting have a list of strictly vegetarian foods they can and cannot consume which they adhere to. Wheat is not to be eaten, but buckwheat is allowed. Even for those not fasting avoiding meat, alcoholic drinks, onion and garlic is common. During the fasting period, many people eat only one meal a day at sunset. The Navratri meal has special courses and is strictly vegetarian. Even onion and garlic are usually not allowed. Flours like Kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour), Singhade ka atta (water chestnut flour) and Sabudana (sago). Dreu or buckwheat is used to make rotis, puri, chila and even as a batter for paneer or potato pakoda/fritters. Instead of regular salt, rock salt or sendha namak is used. Dairy, fruits and potatoes are allowed. During fasting people make a variety of potato dishes like ‘zeera alu’ (boiled potatoes tempered with cumin seeds), ‘dahi wale alu’ (boiled potatoes cooked in curd). Sabudana kheer is also a popular dish made during the navratras. Many food joints in Jammu city add Vrat special thali in their menus during navratras.

Influence of other Regional Navratri Celebrations on Jammu: 

With Jammu becoming more cosmopolitan and in a modern digital age where it is easy to access and even travel to different regions, the adoption of other regional cultural practices is bound to happen. ‘Dandiya’, a famous Gujrati dance performed during Navratras has enamoured Jammu too and started making in-roads in city of temples from the last of couple of years. Also, the Bengali community in Jammu has formed Jammu Durga Puja Committee and celebrates the Durga Puja with enthusiasm and gaiety.