← Wordbook

Navratri

नवरात्रि
nuv-RAH-tree

Nine-night Hindu festival honouring the goddess Durga in her nine forms.

Meaning & usage

Navratri (literally "nine nights") is observed twice a year, but the autumn version — Sharad Navratri, just before Dussehra — is the most widely celebrated. Each night a different form of the goddess is worshipped. In Gujarat the festival is synonymous with garba and dandiya-raas dances; in West Bengal the same days are observed as Durga Puja with elaborate pandals.

In a sentence

The garba ground filled up by eight, every Navratri evening.

Common spelling variants

  • Navaratri
  • Navarathri

Navratri is the canonical English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.

Category: Festival Origin: Sanskrit Script: Hindi