The Navratri festival is a celebration of the divine goddess who is said to have manifested herself as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati to Lord Shiva.
She is worshipped in nine different forms during the festival. 'Nav' means nine and 'ratri' means night.
Also known as Shakti, the divine goddess represents the all-pervading power that destroys evil.
She is ichchha shakti (power of will), kriya shakti (action) and jnana shakti (knowledge).
The festival is celebrated at home and in temples of the mother goddess in her various forms. For these nine nights, sleep and rest take a backseat as thousands come together to celebrate and dance.
rediff.com captures the essence of garba, raas and dandiya in Mumbai.
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