Nine nights of Navaratri: The festival that carries multiple mythological threads

The festive season is in full swing. A little girl in Chennai arranges her grandma’s 70-year-old Dashavataram set on the third tier of the traditional kolu padi, decorated with dolls and serial lights. In Ahmedabad, a couple dressed in traditional garba attire is excited about dancing with friends till late into the night. In Mysuru, a man carries his son on his shoulders near Amba Vilas to ensure he gets a clear view of the grand Jamboo savari. In Kolkata, a group of girls is all decked up and ready to go pandal-hopping while in Delhi, children eagerly await the staging of the dramatic Ramlila, particularly the burning of the Ravana effigies.

This description offers vivid imagery of Navaratri celebrations across the country. The nine-day festival, that culminates on the tenth day as Dussehra, stands out for its remarkable diversity. Yet these varied traditions stem from the same concept: the victory of good over evil and the honouring of Shakti, the divine feminine power.

The event begins the day after Mahalaya Amavasya, when Sharad Navaratri begins, marking the onset of Sharad Ritu (autumn season). It is nine nights of rituals, dancing, singing, fasting and feasting and temple visits.

South India

In Telangana, Navaratri is uniquely celebrated through bathukamma, the state’s vibrant floral festival. The festival is also marked with traditional dolls — bommala koluvu in Andhra Pradesh, bombe habba in Karnataka. Karnataka is known for its grand Dussehra celebrations in Mysuru. The city of Mysuru is named after demon Mahishasura himself. The famous Chamundi Hills is where the goddess is said to have slain Mahishasura.

Tamil Nadu has its own in the form of Kulasai Dussehra. Every year, the coastal town of Kulasekarapattinam transforms into a stage of devotion during Dussehra. Thousands of devotees arrive in vibrant costumes, embodying gods, demons, and epic characters, as the beats of naiyandi melam echo through the night. If Mysuru is Dussehra at its most regal, Kulasai is Dussehra at its most raw and visceral.

Another staple is kolu, a display of dolls arranged in a traditioal manner or based on a theme, ranging from mythology to contemporary subjects. Often a new doll is added each year to the collection. The ninth day is celebrated as Ayudha Pooja, which involves the worship of weapons and tools used in daily life and also Saraswati Pooja, while the tenth day is Vijayadasami.

For Tamil Nadu’s Kolu, here is a visual story from The Hindu. You can even use the widget to build your own kolu: https://www.thehindu.com/infographics/2026-10-12/navratri-2026-bommai-kolu/index.html

In Kerala, on the eighth day, people place books, musical instruments and work tools in pooja rooms, and pause work and study for a day. This is followed in Tamil Nadu too. On the day of Vijayadasami, after special Vidyarambham prayers, children are initiated into the world of letters and knowledge.

North India

States such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan draw pilgrims to ancient Shakti temples for special prayers.

Dussehra in Delhi is celebrated with large-scale community arrangements, culminating in theatrical retellings of the Ramayana epic concluding with the burning of giant effigies of Ravana, a sight to behold. As per the epic, following victory, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are said to have travelled back to Ayodhya. Which is why Deepavali is celebrated 20 days after Dussehra. Delhi also hosts Dandiya nights as the popularity has grown beyond its state of origin.

West India

Gujarat comes alive during Navaratri. Garba and dandiya nights are organised in beautifully decoarted pandals or open grounds. arba of Gujarat was in fact, inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December 2023, making it the 15th cultural item from India to receive the recognition. A Guinness World Record for the largest garba dance was also set in Vadodara, Gujarat, in October 2026, with 46,818 dancers taking part in a single event.

If you thought Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, is known only for its Ganesh Utsav celebrations, the city echoes with the sounds of dhaaks and dhols during these nine days.

East India

States such as West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Nagaland celebrate the festival with daily aartis and large Durga Puja pandals. Thousands of temporary structures in various themes are built all over West Bengal and other states, honouring Goddess Durga’s win over the demon Mahishasura. West Bengal had 45,000 Durga Pooja committees last year that put out various themes on their pandals, ranging from traditional temples to modern ones like even a metro coach in 2024. 12,400 more community Durga Pujas are being organised in the State this year.

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The many faces

The similarity in most regions is that families pray for the health, happiness and a bright future for their girls. In many traditions, the first three days Goddess Durga is invoked and the next three days Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped while the last three days are to worship Goddess Saraswati. In some traditions, each of the nine nights of Navaratri is dedicated to a different manifestation of Goddess Durga, collectively known as the Navadurga.

Traditionally, each state would celebrate in its own way, but with more pople migrating over the years, these traditions too have travelled with them. Bengalis celebrate Durga Puja in whichever state they live in, while Tamil families and some temples too set up Kolu. Gujaratis organise garba in the state they reside. Most Indian cities host multiple Navaratri traditions simultaneously, becoming a melting pot of culture, making the festival pan-Indian.