Navratri 2021 Day 3: Maa Chandraghanta story, puja vidhi, mantra and significance

Today, 9 October marks the third day of the Hindu festival, Navratri. The nine days of the festival are solely dedicated to nine forms of goddess Durga. They are named Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Shailaputri, Kushmanda, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. On the third day, devotees worship Maa Chandraghanta as per Drikpanchang. As Maa Chandraghanta is believed to be the third manifestation of Durga, people on this day observe fast, offer bhog, and chant mantra to please the goddess. Puja vidhi On this special day, people wake up early, take a bath and wear clean clothes. As the day begins, it is suggested to place the idol of goddess Chandraghanta on a chowki to bathe her with ganga jal, kewra, and kesar strands. Following this, the goddess is dressed in golden coloured clothes and is offered yellow flowers and lotus before the bhog. Meanwhile, the bhog is prepared of sweets made with milk. Who is goddess Chandraghanta? Maa Chandraghanta is all about being fearless and full of courage. She is portrayed as having ten arms and holding a wide range of weapons in her hands. As per scriptures, the goddess rides a tiger or lion as her vehicle showcasing her bravery. Moreover, the bell that she holds in her hand scared away the asuras. She is also known as Chandika, Rannchandi, or Chandrakhanda because of the presence of a half-moon shaped like a bell on her forehead. Significance Maa Chandraghanta is the ‘shakti’ of Lord Shiva in the form of Chandrashekhara. Each form or aspect of Shiva is accompanied by shakti, which is called Ardhanarishvara. People who worship Maa Chandraghanta, believe that her complexion is golden and she is beautiful. As per her nature, she is always eager to destroy the foes of her devotees. Those who worship her believe that all the sins, sufferings, and negative vibes are eliminated from their lives after observing fast for her.