BHUBANESWAR: Navratri is a special occasion. It’s the time for new beginnings and showing your dedication to Goddess Shakti. On its sixth day, Goddess Katyayani, who is dressed in pink with a white rosary in her neck, is worshipped. She has four arms and three eyes and lion as her vaahan. In her upper left hand, she holds a long sword and in the lower left hand a lotus flower. The right upper hand is in Abhay Mudra while the lower right hand is in Var Mudra.
It is believed that girls who worship Maa Katyayani on the sixth day of are blessed with a desirable husband and all their other wishes are also fulfilled. If a girl’s marriage is getting late or if there is any other trouble, the devout advise her to fast and worship the Goddess to overcome all the hurdles and remove problems from her life. It is said the devotees who worship Maa Katyayani with devotion, faith and purity of heart and mind will accomplish Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.
The legend of Maa Katyayani is, once there was a great sage named Katya and it was his wish that Maa Durga be born as his daughter. He did penance for several years to please the Gods. Pleased with his unflinching devotion, Maa Durga blessed the sage by fulfilling his wish. Since she was born to Katya, she was called Katyayani.
Meanwhile, the demon king Mahishasura was creating havoc for the Gods as well as the humans after he was blessed with a boon that he could be killed only by a female power. Thinking that no woman could kill a powerful demon king like him, he assumed to be immortal. Enraged by his tyrannical rule, the Trinity — Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar (Shiva) — prayed to Goddess Katyayani to kill the evil ruler. After a fierce three-day war, the Goddess slays Mahishasura on the tenth day of Vijayadashami.
OrissaPOST interacted with devotees who were queuing up in front of the Durga temple to do puja of Maa Katyayani.
Usha Dixit feels that as Maa Katyayani has a blue skin look, it’s auspicious to wear purple colour clothes and one should offer sweets prepared with honey, payasam or honey as prasad to the deity.
Binita Mangaraj says there are various temples to Goddess Katyayani in India. The devotees, who want to specially worship Maa Katyayani, can go to these temples. She also said many varieties of prasad were prepared at her home to offer to the Goddess and these would be given to whoever visited her home.
Sachidananda Chinmay, a self-proclaimed sadhu who lives near Lewis Road said, “The spirit of Katyayani is very pious and she blesses her human children with all her heart.”
Chhabi Behen, a Gujarati homemaker and resident of Palashpalli, said, “Our Utkal Gujarati Samaj is organising Garba Sabha every evening and I too dance to my heart’s content on Mata’s bhajans. One should also give children toys as gifts as such gesture gets the blessings of Goddess Durga”.