Navratri 2021: Day 1 History and significance of Maa Shailputri

पंचमं स्क्न्दमातेति षष्ठं कात्यायनीति च ।सप्तमं कालरात्रीति महागौरीति चाष्टमम् नवमं सिद्धिदात्री च नवदुर्गाः प्रकीर्तिताः ।।

Thursday marks the beginning of Navratri (nine nights) is particularly celebrated to worship goddess Durga and her nine forms namely Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri to seek the blessings for protection from evil and seek happiness.

Day 1 of Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Shailputri, the daughter of Himalaya born in the house of the king of mountains. The pictorial depiction of Maa Shailputri shows her having two hands, holding the Trishul or the trident in the right hand, a pink lotus in the left, and a crescent adorns her forehead. She is seen riding on Nandi bull, she is the wife of Lord Shiva and has two kids, Ganesha and Kartikeya. She rules the planet Mars, and worshipping her is believed to provide good fortune. In Sanskrit, Shailputri is an amalgamation of two words- 'Shail' which means mountains and 'Putri' which means daughter. According to Hindu mythology, Mata Parvati was born as Goddess Sati in her previous birth, and she took her life by immolating herself because of her father, Daksha Prajapati. One day, Sati's father invited everyone to a grand Yagya but he did not invite Lord Shiva just to insult him, Angered Mata Sati killed herself in that same yagya. After this, she took birth as Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king. She did meditation and offered prayers to marry Lord Shiva. Mata Shailputri is the first Navadurga venerated during the first day of Navratri, and is a reincarnation of Goddess Sati. Hence she is also known as Goddess Parvati and Hemvati.