Navaratri is a nine-day long festival that is celebrated by Hindus across India. While it is observed unanimously in different states during the same time, the significance behind each celebration differs.
While Navratri is celebrated 5 times a year, by far the most important Navratris are in October, near Dussera/ Vijay Dashmi, and the one before Ram Navami (the birth of Rama), which falls approximately in April.
This writeup is about the Navratri before Dussera.
According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is celebrated in the month of Ashvin, which typically falls in September and October as per the Gregorian calendar. People all across the country gear up for the nine-day festival with new clothes, elaborate decoration, dances, and fasts.
While the core reason behind the festival remains the same – that is, the victory of good over evil – the stories behind them differ.