Story of NavDurga

(Day – 3)

3. Story of Maa Chandraghanta

On the third day of the auspicious celebration or festival of Navratri, we pray to Devi Chandraghanta. Maa Chandraghanta, the goddess whose forehead is bedecked with a crescent-shaped moon that also looks like the bell of a temple. 'Ghanta' means the Bell of Temple.

In one of her previous births, Devi Durga was born as Sati and she has self-immolated herself. When she was born again, she was born to Himalaya and Mena, the God of the mountains. It is said that Himalaya and Mena had done severe penance and prayed to Adi Shakti, and Devi Durga blessed them that herself took birth as their daughter Parvati.

Maa Parvati on the insistence of Narad Muni went into a severe penance to win the love of Lord Shiva. After a severe penance Lord Shiva agreed to marry her. However, after he had lost Sati, Lord Shiva had become detached. He did not care any longer about anything. So when he came down to Himalaya and Mena's house for the wedding ceremony, he appeared to look scary with his matted hair, his body covered in ash, snakes all over his body. His looks scared all the people who had assembled there for the wedding. And so much that his wedding processions comprised ascetics, ghouls, ghosts.

Some of the relatives of Himalaya and Mena even fainted out of sheer fear. When Parvati saw him, she was upset. Yes, she was scared too but she did not want to give up; not now, not after that severe penance that she went through. So she took a very scary form too. She was huge; she was sitting on a lion and grew ten arms. She carried a different thing in each hand, a trident in one, a mace in one, an arrow, a bow, a sword, lotus, goad, bell, kamandal and she left her tenth hand to bless her devotees.

Then after she closed her eyes with a pure heart and she prayed to Lord Shiva and begged him to change his avatar (Look). She prays him to change his form; to come there as a more presentable groom, and also to bring along a more presentable procession.

Lord Shiva heard her prayers and at once transformed into his handsome avatar. And his wedding procession too transformed and comprised gods, goddesses. And both of them were married with a lot of pomp and show. Since that day, the third day of Navratri, we celebrate and pray to Maa Chandraghanta, the third avatar of Devi Durga or Adi Shakti Devi Durga.

Conclusion:

It is said that when devotees pray to Maa Chandraghanta with a pure heart then she eradicates all negative energy from their lives. All their sins, all the ghostly tribulations, anything that is negative, their depression, their mental anxiety, tribulations, and troubles are all wiped out. When she rides a lion, she exudes positivity, she exudes fierceness, yet she has a motherly aura towards her devotees. Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Navratri. Maa Chandraghanta blesses you with peace, positivity, and lots of strength.