Celebrating Womanhood During This Navratri Festival

The nine nights of Navratri are here. It's that time of year again.

You can do what you have been doing for years. Go to the mandir, get a mauli tied on your wrist, close your eyes in front of Mata and ask her for a raise... or for a new car - a new house - whatever. Or dress in your finest, grab the daandiya sticks, and go dance the night away.

Or maybe this year you can be a little different. This year you can look into the bright steady flame and pretty kolu dolls, and decide to celebrate the true meaning of the festival. Decide to celebrate Womanhood.

Our scriptures describe the shakti within the female to be the most powerful force in the universe. This shakti has the capacity to not only create and protect, but to destroy. The Navratri festival is intended to dwell on this beautiful and fragile creation, and to celebrate Her nine forms...

1. Without a doubt, a woman's DEVOTION is always unwavering. Be she a mother, daughter, or a wife - she will give you her heart and soul, many times even at the cost of her own comfort.

2. The miracle of MOTHERHOOD - of childbearing and childbirth - is one that cannot be described in words. It is the force that created us all. It is the power that sustains the Universe.

3. Our sages have described women as the ultimate Karma Yogi. The epitome of selfless action. Educated or not, she is blessed with a depth of intuition and KNOWLEDGE that allows her family to flourish under her care. The woman seems to be capable of intuitive and spiritual knowledge that men often wander the seven seas in search of.

4. Though she may lack a man's physical strength, a woman seems to have a limitless ability to WORK. From parenting to housekeeping to maintaining a successful career, she multitasks like few men can. It is a characteristic that has not only been proven in scientific experiments, but touted in our scriptures for ages.

5. A woman's PASSION is the beat to which the entire cosmos dances. Poets have sung its praises since the beginning of time, and many a men have been driven mad by it. There is no denying this power that only a woman seems to possess.

6. It is said that behind every successful man there is a woman. It is with her support, guidance, and well wishes that PROSPERITY is showered upon all. Not just in material wealth, but peace and happiness. Few can call themselves prosperous after alienating the woman in their life.

7. The woman is capable of emotional STRENGTH that few men can match. Even the fragile Sita repelled the mighty Ravan by using a single blade of grass. There is a message there. Gentle and tender though a woman may be, you know you can count on her to be your mountain in times of distress. She has a capability to handle the ups and downs of life with a calm strength.

8. Strong, devoted, and passionate though she may be, there is no denying her SENSITIVITY. Her physical form wilts at the first sign of harsh conditions, as does her soul. How many men get hunchbacked in their old age? How many of us can deny knowing a woman that cries at another's plight - even if it is on the silver screen?

9. It is easy to acknowledge the characteristics that are beautiful and favorable in a woman. It is very easy to forget her strength when we experience her beauty and sensitivity. But push her too far - break her spirit - and she possesses a power to destroy like no man can. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It is an aspect that we wish to see least. But its presence should never be denied. The invincible Mahishasur was crushed because he dared to wake the power. The mighty Kaurava army was reduced to nothing because of Draupadi's humiliation.

Yes, Navratri is here. It is the time of year when egos are put aside and the Truth is acknowledged - nay, celebrated. There is nothing sexist about it.

So women, revel in your strength. Men, reflect on the quiet power of the women around you - your mother, daughter, sister, or wife.

Happy Navratri everyone!