Nine Colours of Navaratri

One of the most significant aspects of the festivities is the different colours that are associated with each of the nine days.

The nine-day festival of Navaratri is always looked forward to. From the arrival of the Mother Goddess, Grandma’s explanation for the celebration of the festival and the retelling of mythological stories from the scriptures to the delicious food offerings and the air of celebration surrounding the house, everything adds up to the festive feeling.

Despite the global crisis that has racked the world, this festival shall usher in an atmosphere of divinity and serenity like always. Everyone looks forward to this festival for its joyous and vibrant nature, along with the remainder of the powers of the Goddess to vanquish negativity and bring prosperity and peace. 

One of the most significant aspects of the festivities is the different colours that are associated with each of the nine days.

As an Image Consultant, I can recommend you the best way to make the most of the Navaratri festival in the little ways you can, despite the pandemic. No, I am not asking you to have a huge gathering, yet add a tinge of festivity to your mood given the occasion. 

Be it wearing an elaborate dress for the Poojas or keeping it simple yet celebratory by adding those "Polki Jhumkis" to your attire, get dressed in the colour specific to each day of the Navaratri festival and relive the festivity in your little yet elaborative ways.

First day of Navaratri: Grey

On the first day, the Kalash is installed at the house, a copper vessel filled with holy waters decorated with banana leaves and a coconut. On this day, the Shailputri form of Maa Durga is worshipped. Grey signifies the quality of the destruction of evil.

Grey is a colour that is muted in its nature. If you wear grey slightly in your outfit, it won't get noticed much. So, why don't you try to wear a grey kurta with white leggings? Or if you feel that you don't want to add much of a dull, muted tone,  just add grey threaded earrings to your mustard yellow kurta paired with green cigarette pants.

Second Day of Navaratri: Orange

On the second day, the unmarried form of the mother goddess, Brahmacharini, is worshipped. Orange symbolises tranquillity, brightness and knowledge.

Orange not only adds brightness to your outfit but also attracts attention towards the wearer. So, if you can hold on much attention towards yourself, feel free to wear an A-Line Frock Suit otherwise go the nominal way of adding some bangles or earrings to your off-white outfit. 

Third Day of Navaratri: White 

On the third day, Maa Chandraghanta is worshipped. White represents peace, serenity, calm and purity. 

In my personal opinion, white is so neutral that you can wear it in maximum amounts. But we need to be mindful that in many communities, white is a colour of mourning. So, don't wear a plain white outfit. Rather add a chunky bottom/top to the outfit, or even a mere colourful dupatta on a plain white outfit can do wonders. 

Fourth Day of Navaratri: Red 

On the fourth day, the Kushmanda form of Maa Durga is worshipped. Red symbolises passion, auspiciousness as well as anger that is required to uproot evil. 

Red is again a colour that is associated more with married ladies in some communities. So, adding a lot of red can convey wrong messages to the people if you're not aware of the stereotypes. Use the colour wisely and add an ample amount to your outfit and enjoy the festive mood.

Fifth Day of Navaratri: Royal Blue 

On the fifth day, devotees worship Skanda Mata, the mother of Lord Kartikeya. On this day, people shall wear royal blue, a colour that represents divine energy. 

Royal Blue is one of my favourites. This colour not only enhances my personal colours but is also bright enough to grab ample attention which I can hold on to and carry beautifully. Dressing up all in royal blue on a festive day won't attract uncomfortable attention and would enhance your mood only.

Sixth Day of Navaratri: Yellow 

On the sixth day, devotees shall pray to Goddess Katyayani. The yellow colour symbolises joy and cheerfulness. 

Yellow is quite a bright colour. Again, it turns all the eyes towards you. If you feel a little uncomfortable with yellow, go for a muted tone of yellow, that is mustard yellow or use yellow in lesser amounts with the rest of the outfit. It can be used as a contrast with Green and Blue. 

Seventh Day of Navaratri: Green 

On the seventh day, the Kalaratri form of Durga shall be worshipped. The colour green refers to the various aspects of Mother Nature and its nourishing qualities. 

Green colour not only makes you feel at peace but it also blends you with Mother Nature. The green colour is quite an ideal colour to wear. Some communities find this colour more auspicious than others, but there's no doubt that this colour is very soothing to the eyes. Use this colour in your outfit with brown colour to make it look even closer to Mother Nature. 

Eighth Day of Navaratri: Peacock Green 

On the eighth day, Maha Gauri is worshipped. The colour peacock green represents the desires and wishes that get fulfilled. 

This colour is a variant of green colour with a mixture of blue to it. So, this is also a soothing colour and can be worn in larger quantities without getting uncomfortable with all the attention. Pairing this colour with white would bring even more peace to the eyes of the viewer and to the personality of the wearer.

Ninth Day of Navaratri: Purple 

On the ninth day, the Siddhidhatri form of Goddess Durga is worshipped. The colour purple represents ambition, goal and energy.

Purple colour is quite an energetic colour. You can pair it with its complementary colour, which is yellow. But wearing it with a complementary can attract a huge amount of attention, so use the combination accordingly. Also, you can pair it with achromatic colours, especially white, which will further enhance the look of purple. 

That's about the nine colours of Navaratri. Use these colours on each day of the festival and make your day even brighter with a change in choice of colour every day.

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Well, I am very fond of different colours and I am definitely going to try these colours for the upcoming 9 days. Also, it's true for me that colours enhance my mood and help me feel worse or better per the choice of colour. So, why don't you try this out and see it for yourselves whether it's equally true or not?

Don't forget to share your views in the comments section.