Celebrate Navaratri & Vijay Dasami!

Navaratri

You are invited to join us online on all days of Navaratri as we symbolically live through the mythic story of the Ramayana for nine days and nights.

Navaratri (“nava” nine and “ratri” night) is a nine-day ritual in which the Ramayana – a classic Sanskrit epic from India – is honored and brought to life by performance of daily puja to Ram and the reading of Ram’s story. The Ramayana recounts the story of one of the incarnations of the Hindu God Vishnu, who took the form of a human, Ram, to rid the earth of the terrible plague of darkness being spread by a great ten-headed demon king named Ravana. It can be interpreted as both the tale of a god incarnated as a human to help alleviate suffering, as well as our own inner journey of awakening and confrontation with darkness representing our own ego.

Vijay Dasami 

Navaratri culminates with Vijay Dasami, which means “victory on the tenth day.”

Participate in a special Vedic fire ceremony to offer prayers for purification and blessings for all. The puja (ceremonial offering) and yajna (ancient Vedic ritual) will honor Vijay Dasami, a traditional annual Hindu holiday also known as Dushera, celebrating the victory of Lord Ram over the ten-headed demon king Ravana. The ceremony symbolically represents the triumph of light over darkness or the surrender of the ego through offering all aspects of one’s mind, body, and senses to the sacred fire.

Ceremonies will take place at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple at Mount Madonna, and all events of the Navaratri program will be livestreamed on the Temple YouTube channel.

WAYS TO ATTEND

All Dates: Livestream

Thursday , October 3 – Sunday October 6: Livestream only

Monday, October 7: Livestream & In-person

• Early morning arati and Ram puja: without reservation, arrive between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.; no arrivals after 8:00 a.m.
• Afternoon Ramayana reading and evening arati starting at 5:00 p.m.: Registration required.

Tuesday, October 8: Livestream & In-person

• Early morning arati and Ram puja: without reservation, arrive between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.; no arrivals after 8:00 a.m.
• Afternoon Ramayana reading and evening arati starting at 5:00 p.m.: temple Reservation required.

Wednesday, October 9 – Friday, October 11: Livestream & In-person

• Early morning arati and Ram puja: without reservation, arrive between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.; no arrivals after 8:00 a.m.
• Afternoon Ramayana reading and evening arati starting at 5:00 p.m.: Registration required.

Saturday, October 12: Vijay Dasami: Livestream & In-person

• Early morning arati and Ram puja: without reservation, arrive between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.; no arrivals after 8:00 a.m.
• Evening puja and yajna – 5:30pm – Registration required to attend; arrive between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; no arrivals after 7:00 p.m.

In Person Overnight
Overnight accommodations may be available on some nights through booking a Personal Retreat.