Like most festivals, Navaratri is also an institutionalized way of nurturing your inner creativity. Devi is always with us. Devi is always inside us. Every year, there are occasions when we celebrate her presence a little more, specially worship her and become a bit more conscious of her presence inside us, and everywhere around us. Navaratri, the nine nights with Devi, is an example. Chaitra and Sharada Navaratris are special occasions when Bharata, with all its diversity, celebrates Devi’s manifestations. Rituals and rites are localized, customs are based on historical legacies and culture, but the template of worship is universal throughout India, and even outside it. Navaratri: When Devi Comes Home documents this diversity in tradition, each specific to one particular part of the country. But, taken together, they resonate with the theme–ya devi sarva-pradesheshu puja-rupena samsthita. Just like diverse manifestations of the Adi Shakti—the eternal Goddess—which Devi is worshipped as, the expression of the celebration changes as you move around the country.
