THE SCIENCE BEHIND TRADITIONS FOLLOWED IN NAVRATRI…

November 26, 2020

Navratri is a festival celebrated in Hinduism, a major festival held in honor of the divine feminine. Navratri in simple language means ¨9 auspicious nights¨. Why is fasting recommended to all during Navratri? Why do most of the women fast during Navratri? Why do we dance during the Navratri? Do we perform all these traditions to please the goddess or is there any science behind it? Yess!

There are 2 major reasons for fasting during the¨Navratri¨. Navratri comes twice a year. It is observed once at the beginning of summer and once at the beginning of winter. (March-April) and (September-October). If we observe the pattern it is celebrated between 2 junctures of seasonal change. As per modern science as the season changes, the inner chemistry of human beings also changes. During this transition, the body's immunity is down, and we are more vulnerable to infections. Fasts were found to be intelligent to handle the situation. Even if we are not fasting, it was advised to keep our diet light during the Navratri's. It was also a smart half yearly detox-routine.

Another reason why women fast during Navratri`s is: Our cell has an organelle called Mitochondria which is referred to as the powerhouse of our cell. Mitochondria convert the food into energy. One surprising fact is that our mitochondrial DNA comes from only our mothers. Nobody knows the reason behind this phenomenon. Traditionally in India ¨Devi¨ or goddess represents an omnipresent (general) cosmic energy. We say ¨Durga maa¨ (the goddess worshipped during Navratri`s) as our cosmic mother. Maybe the shakti (energy)

we refer to in this festival is just inside us meaning the mitochondria.

Like anything else mitochondria also need a detox. Science has proven the benefits of intermittent fasting. Low-energy conditions such as dietary restrictions and intermittent fasting have previously been shown to promote healthy aging according to a study conducted in Hayward. So basically when we do intermediate fasting, so by eating less we give our mitochondria some break and this reduces the chances of age-related diseases happening. This must be the reason why females do intermediate fasting to keep the female heritage healthy. (As mitochondria are received from our mother's side only.) Modern science is releasing the benefits of intermittent fasting now and our ancestors knew that way before.

Coming to the next topic, why do we dance during Navratri, especially when it is between (September and October)? Different cultures celebrate Navratri differently. Some celebrate it through classical music and while others through Gujarati folk dance like ¨Garba.¨ This is to reduce our negative energy. Most of the people are not negative or sad when they dance. The reason behind this is endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals produced by the nervous system to cope up with pain and stress They are often called ¨feel-good¨ chemicals because they can act as a pain reliever and happiness booster. According to science ¨we appeal to get much bigger endorphins when we dance than during any other forms of exercise.¨ Dance was a method to connect with our internal energies and vibrations and our ancestors knew that and that is why it is a part of our culture. The core thought is that when we meet people we also feel positive and make others also feel positive.

To conclude, often it is told that ¨Don't ask why!¨ when it comes to traditions and beliefs but to respect our culture and improve our lifestyles we need to ask why! We need to preserve our culture and traditions.

Citation:

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Navratri&sa=D&ust=1606409452955000&usg=AOvVaw0I3GdEcUxEEdD78hHgc3xG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnTc5Wemo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QteiqA5h2Lk