Nava Durga - Siddhidātrī

Siddhidaatri form of Durga is worshipped on the ninth day of Navaratri or Navdurga puja i.e. ashwini shukla Navami and Chaitra shukla paksha Navami. She is the holder of eight siddhis and blesses the devotees with 26 different wishes. This Goddess is revered to offer all types of Siddhi (perfection) to her devotees and thus glorified with name 'Siddhidaatri'. As per Markendey Puran, there are mainly eight types of Siddhi names as - Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakyamya, Inshitva, and Vashitva. In this form Siddhidaatri removes ignorance and she provides the knowledge. She is represented with four arms sitting on lotus flower. Her arms hold Gada (bludgeon), Chakra, Shankh (scallop shell) and lotus flower. Her appearance glows in red saree. Her procession is Lion. This form of Durga is worshipped by all Gods, Rishis-Munis, Siddhas, Yogis, Sadhakas and devotees for attaining the best religious asset and siddhis.

Saraswati - The Goddess of Wisdom

Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and the arts, embodies the wisdom of Devi. She is the river of consciousness that enlivens creation; she is the dawn-goddess whose rays dispel the darkness of ignorance. Without her there is only chaos and confusion. To realize her one must go beyond the pleasures of the senses and rejoice in the serenity of the spirit.

Saraswati wears neither jewels or paints herself with bright colors. The white sari she adorns reflects her essential purity, her rejection of all that is base and materialistic.

She transcends the cravings of the flesh and rejoices in the powers of the mind as the patron of pure wisdom. She embodies all that is pure and sublime in Nature.

Nava Durga - Mahāgaurī

Goddess Maha Gauri is worshipped on the eighth day of Navratri. Maha Gauri means one clean and bright ray of lightning that lightens the universe. She has the power to fulfill all the desires. Her beauty glows like gleam of white Pearl. She denotes peace and endurance. She is represented with four arms seated on a Vrishabha (bull). Her upper left hand holds Trishul (trident), lower right hand carries Damru (hand drum) and other two hands are in different Mudras (positions). It is believed that this manifestation is of Parvati when she did hard penance to obtain her Shiva due to which her body color turned dark. When Lord Shiva accepted her great devotion he washed her body with pure Ganga water that made her body completely Gour (white). And this way, she became prominent with name 'Gauri' and consort of Mahadev.

Nava Durga - Kālarātrī

Kālaratri form of mother Durga is her seventh form in the sequence of Navratri worship. Kālaratri is extremely frightening to look at but she is always auspicious in effect. She is believed to be the most violent Devi among Navadurga. She has dark Krishna (black) complexion and her appearance is extremely fearful. Her large red eyes, open red tongue and sobre on hand violently demolish devils and monsters. She is also glorified with name 'Kāli Mā'. Devi Kālaratri has three round eyes, and scattered long black hair. She wears a bead that gleams like fire of electric power. Durga manifested herself to completely destroy the dirt and demons (Shumbha and Nishumbha) from existence. She is revered with name Kālaratri because she represents herself as a death of Kāl appeared like a dark night for demons. Donkey is her procession, as she rides on gadarbh. Goddess Kālaratri also has four arms. She holds sobre in her upper left hand and thorn of iron in lower left hand. Her upper right hand is in Var Mudra and lower right hand is in Abhay Mudra. Because of her Shubh or auspicious power within her ferocious form Goddess Kālaratri is also known as Goddess Shubhankari.

Nava Durga - Katyayani

Katyayani, the 6th aspect of Mother Durga is worshipped on sixth day of Navaratri (Durga Puja). She is represented with four-arms. Her upper left hand holds sword and lower left hand represents lotus-flower. Her upper right hand is in Abhaymudra, and lower right hand is in Barmudra. Lion is her procession. Her appearance is imagined with pink Saree wearing white rosary on her neck.

Nava Durga - Skandamata

The fifth aspect of Mother Durga is known as Skandamata. She is the mother of Kumara or Skanda or Kartikeya, who was chosen by gods as their commander in the war against the demons. Worshippers offer great reverence to mother Skanda on Panchami of Durga Pooja. When all Devta (deities), Rishi-Muni (saint, holymen) and Manushya (mankind) was tired from torment as well as domination of colossal giant Tarakasur, Kumar kartikey is the only almighty who demolished the tyranny of Devil Tarakasur. Being the mother of powerful deity Kumar Kartikey, mother Parvati is glorified with name 'Skanda Mata'. She is the true Goddess of endurance. She is represented with four-arm holding six-faced infant Kumar Kartikey in her lap. Her both right and left upper hands hold lotus flower. She is also revered with name 'Padamasana devi' as she seats on lotus in state of meditation. 

Nava Durga - Kushmanda

Kushmanda, the fourth manifestation of Goddess Durga, is worshipped on the Navratri Chaturthi. She is considered to be the creator of the universe. (Ku+Usma+Anda)- that is how the word has been derived. 'Ku' means `a little'; `Usma' is warmth, heat or energy and `Anda' means the cosmic egg or universe. That is from whose fraction of warmth the universe has emanated. She resides on Saurmandal (solar system). Like Sun illuminates and removes darkness from Earth, her boundless blaze gives light in life of human being. 

Nava Durga - Chandraghanta

The third aspect of Goddess Durga is Chandraghanta. On the third day of Navaratra worship her Vigraha (image) is worshipped. She wears the semi-circular moon (Chandra) on her forehead. The half-moon on her forehead looks like the bell (Ghanta) and because of that she is known as Chandra-Ghanta.This particular aspect of the Goddess gives extreme peace and provides ultimate good. This Durga Shakti is astride a tiger, displays a golden hue to Her skin possesses ten hands and 3 eyes. Eight of Her hands display weapons while the remaining two are respectively in the mudras of gestures of boon giving and stopping harm. She carries Trishul, Gada, Sword and Kamandal in her four right hands and keeps the fifth right hand in Varada Mudra. She carries lotus flower, Arrow, Dhanush and Japa Mala in her four left hands and keeps the fifth left hand in Abhaya Mudra.

Nava Durga - Brahmacharni

The Second day of Navaratri is dedicated to Goddess Brahmacharni, the Goddess of Swathisthana chakra. She is also known as Devi Yogni and Devi Tapsvini and is worshipped on the second day of Navrathri. Brahma means penance. So, Brahmacharni is one who practices penance. Goddess Parvati was a great Sati and tapsavi. In order to marry Lord Shiva she did severe penance and performed hard austerity. This unmarried meditating form of Maa Parvati is worshipped as Goddess Brahmacharni. It is said - Veda, Tattva and Tapa are synonyms for Brahma. The form of Brahmacharini is tremendously effulgent and extremely majestic.It is also believed that she continued that of her hard penance till thousands of years and ate only bilva leaves to survive. Till many hundreds of years, she abstained from water and food. And this way, she devoted herself completely in worship of Lord Shiva. This great Tapa made her glorified with name 'Brahmacharini' and pleased Lord Shiva to be her divine consort.

Nava Durga - Shailputri

The first form of mother Durga among the nine is Shailputri. She is known as such, because she has incarnated from Himalaya the Emperor of mountains. Shailputri in her previous birth was born as a daughter to Daksha Prajapati. She was named ‘Sati’. Sati in her next birth was born as a daughter to Himalaya and was named as Parvati.

Nava Durgā नवदुर्गा

Navadurga (Devanagari: नवदुर्गा), which literally means the nine forms of Goddess Durga, constitute, according to vedic scriptures, the manifestation of Durgā in Her nine different aspects. These nine forms of manifestation are Śhailaputrī, Brahmachāriṇī, Chandrakaṇṭā, Kuṣhmāṇḍā, Skandamātā, Kātyāyanī, Kālarātrī, Mahāgaurī and Siddhidātrī - together worshipped during the Navrātri Vrata (Nine Divine Nights). Each goddess has a different form and a special significance. Nava Durgā, if worshipped with religious fervor during Navrātri, it is believed, to bestow spiritual fulfillment.