Historic 12-Night Devi Yagna to Commemorate Navraatri

Navraatri, the highly-auspicious nine-day worship to Divine Mother is globally one of the most celebrated occasions on the Hindu calendar.  Here inTrinidad and Tobago, Navraatri has grown in popularity as many have experienced the majesty and miracles that this observance holds.

SWAHA’s Sri Raam Dhaam of St. Lucien Road, Diego Martin took this year’s Ashwin Navraatri one step further as, under the astute directorship of Pundit Maniedeo Persad, the first 12-night Navraatri Yagna was initiated. This yagna, the first of its kind, spared no effort in terms of the elaborate preparations undertaken: A murti of Shri Durga Maa, was indigenously crafted and used for worship; the temple hall was resplendently bedecked, befitting the occasion, encouraging devotees, many of whom made the traditional daily offerings, with obvious love and effort creating an atmosphere of powerful and positive energy.

To a packed congregation every evening, Punditji expounded on Kathas from the Devi Bhagwat and shared many details of Navraatri traditions in various parts of India, where the festival is commonly referred to as Durga Pooja. Readings took the traditional form of the underlying philosophies of the devotion to Divine Mother in the forms of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Each evening, during the actual performance of pooja at the main Durga murti, devotees chanted the Bhagwatti Stotram, the Devi Suktam and Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam Stotram. Immediately following the discourse, Devi Argala Stotram was recited; followed by mantra jaap with havan.

At the end of the yagna on October 9^th the Durga murti was taken in a grand procession to the picturesque Blue Basin for Bisarjan in the pristine waters of theNorthernRange. Once again,Western Trinidad became alive and blessed with the conclusion of what is to become a yearly norm – the glorious worship of Divine Mother – Navraatri!