Why We Celebrate Navratri - The 9 Forms of Maa Durga and What They Teach Our Children (2026)

Navratri means nine nights. But it is really nine conversations - one for each night - about courage, wisdom, grace, fierceness, and the limitless power of the feminine. If your child has ever asked 'who is Maa Durga?' or 'why do we fast for nine days?' or 'why do we dance garba?' - these are some of the most beautiful questions a child can ask.

Navratri 2026 - Dates at a Glance

The Story of Navratri - For Every Age

For Young Children (Ages 3-7)

Long ago, a very powerful and cruel demon called Mahishasura was terrorising the world. He had received a boon that no man could defeat him. The Gods combined their divine energies and created a magnificent warrior Goddess: Maa Durga. She had many arms, each holding a different weapon, and she rode a mighty lion. For nine days and nine nights, Maa Durga fought Mahishasura. On the tenth day, she defeated him. That tenth day is Dussehra - the day good triumphed over evil. We celebrate nine nights of Navratri to honour those nine days of divine courage.

For Older Children (Ages 8-14) - The Nine Forms

For Teenagers - The Deeper Philosophy

Mahishasura represents the ego: the part of us that wants only for itself, that believes itself invincible. The nine days of Navratri are nine days of working on the inner demon - through fasting (discipline), prayer (focus), dance (joy), and service.

Devi Durga simultaneously destroys what harms and protects everything she loves. She is the most terrifying and most loving force in Hindu mythology. Real strength contains both the capacity for fierceness and the capacity for love.

Why Do We Do Garba?

Garba comes from 'garbha deep' - the lamp inside a clay pot, symbolising the divine light within all of us. When we dance in circles around the Goddess, we express that she is the centre of everything - and that we orbit in devotion, in joy, in gratitude. The speed increases across nine nights - from gentle on Day 1 to electric by Day 9.

What Is Dussehra? (20 October 2026)

Dussehra marks Maa Durga's final victory over Mahishasura and simultaneously Lord Rama's victory over Ravana. The burning of Ravana's effigy (Ravan Dahan) is a symbol: we burn the ten heads of Ravana representing ten inner vices - ego, anger, greed, attachment, pride, jealousy, selfishness, injustice, cruelty, and the ego of power.

Teaching this to children transforms Dussehra from a spectacle into a lesson: 'What do you want to burn in your life this year?'

Tip: On each of the nine nights, light a diya and say the name of that day's Devi with your child. That's it. That's a complete Navratri ritual for the very young.

Do you do garba as a family? What's your favourite Navratri night?

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