Navaratri - the Hindu festival honouring the warrior Goddess Durga

Millions across India will flock to temples and sacred sites this Tuesday for the 10-day annual Navaratri festival, honouring the sacred feminine and warrior energy embodied by the Goddess Durga, and to celebrate the triumph of good over evil

One of the most vibrant Hindu celebrations of the Indian subcontinent, Navaratri is a festival of whirling dance and incessant drumming to mark the victory of good over evil. It is held in honour of the Goddess Durga, who is revered as a divine being of cosmic intelligence with the power to conquer the negative forces of the universe.

While it is celebrated over 10 days, Navaratri is Sanskrit for nine (nav) nights (ratri). Nine of the 10 days are spent dancing in circles with handheld sticks, symbolising Durga's triumphant fight against the demon buffalo Mahishasura.

The tenth day of the festival is known as 'Dussehra', which culminates with a special 'Durga Puja' or devotional prayer to celebrate the power of the divine female warrior or 'sacred mother'.

When is Navaratri?

Navaratri is celebrated according to the Hindu calendar so the dates change each year. This year's festivities take place from 9-18 October.

What does it celebrate?

Navaratri celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and Durga's fight with the demon king Mahishasura is a personification of this for many Hindus.

It also honours the power of the sacred feminine and each day is associated with an incarnation of the goddess Durga.

In some parts of India, people also celebrate good over evil by honouring the victory of the deity Rama over Ravana, the king of Lanka who kidnapped Sita in a scene described in the ancient Sanskrit texts of the Ramayana.

How is it celebrated?

Huge crowds flock to temples and religious sites right across India in their finest attire to take part in nine days of devotional dance - also known as the 'garba'. Men, women and children dance in rhythmic unison with sticks to symbolically play out the fight between Durga and the demon king Mahishasura.

From Maharashstra to Gujarat - energetic dance to the clacking of sticks and the tempo of tabla, dholak and bongos ensues for hours on end until the small hours, every night, for nine nights.

In other parts of India such as the Tamil Nadu, people exchange sweets, jewellery and gifts and decorate nine-stepped staircases with dolls representing various Hindu gods and goddesses.

Who is the Goddess Durga?

Durga means 'invincible'. The goddess signifies cosmic intelligence and is a personification of powerful inner strength and consciousness. She is often depicted sitting on a lion wielding different weapons in five of her eight hands. In each of her remaining three hands she holds a conch (for happiness), a spinning chakra (for righteousness) and a lotus (for detachment).

She is known as the warrior goddess and represents the power of the feminine. This fighting power of the Goddess Durga is often referenced by feminist movements of India to empower women. Millions also worship the goddess for protection against negative forces and to invoke the power to overcome fear.

Historically, Durga has also been revered as a goddess of the mountains by people from across the Himalayas and is known to embody other sacred female forms too, including Parvati (known as the 'shakti' or 'power' of Shiva), Ambika, Mahalakshmi and Chandika.

Are there certain foods eaten during Navarati?

A special nine day fast (or 'vrat') involves avoiding eggs, meat, salt and alcohol. Yet with so many delectable options on the Navaratri menu, this rarely proves a challenge.

Some of the food you can enjoy includes: sabudhana kichdri (sago pudding with saffron, cardamom and almonds), aloo puri (deep fried bread made of black chickpea flour, potato bhaji/pakora, chickpeas and curd), arbi sabzi (colocasia root curry) and chaat (boiled, peeled potatoes spiced with red chilli powder, dried mint leaves, roasted cumin seeds, cilantro and lemon).