The Navadurgas are the nine forms of the Hindu goddess Durga, who are worshipped during Shardiya Navratri:
- Shailaputri: Means “daughter of the mountain”
- Brahmacharini: Means “mother of devotion and penance”
- Chandraghanta: Means “destroyer of demons”
- Kushmanda: Also known as Ashtabhuja Devi, she has eight hands and is the “goddess of the cosmic egg”
- Skandamata: Means “goddess of motherhood and children” and is the mother of Lord Skanda/Lord Kartikeya
- Katyayani: Means “goddess of power” and is also known as the Warrior Goddess
- Kalaratri: Means “goddess of auspiciousness and courage” and is the fiercest form of Goddess Parvati
- Mahagauri: Governs the planet, Rahu
- Siddhidatri: One of the nine forms of Durga
The word Navadurgā is a Sanskrit compound of the terms navan and durgā.
During the nine-day festival, Hindu devotees pray to Maa Durga to bless them with success, prosperity, and health. They also worship the nine incarnations of Adi Shakti, also known as Navdurga – they are Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kalaratri, Maa Mahagauri, and Maa Siddhidatri. Each day of the festival is dedicated to these avatars.
