Navratri
Navratri (nine nights) celebrate the victory of Goddess Durga over a demon, Mahishasur. They are celebrated twice a year and once it coincides with Durga Puja. During Navratri, devotees fast and pray for health and prosperity. The Puja is carried on for nine days and different manifestations of Durga or Shakti are worshipped every night. In Maharashtra and Gujarat devotees and young enthusiasts dance the Garba or Dandiya Raas throughout the night, in keeping with the exuberant nature of this festival.
The Garba dance in Gujarat is famous and an colourful occasion. The women dance around an earthen lamp while singing devotional songs accompanied by rhythmic beating of the batons in the women's hands. In Punjab, Navratri is a period of fasting. In Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka dolls called Bommai Kolu are placed on steps and decorated.
Where: Most parts of India.