The seventh day of ongoing Navratri 2020 falls on Friday and devotees worship the Goddess in the form of Maa Kaalratri on this day. It is also the second day of puja, commonly known as saptami.
The name of the Goddess means – the one who wins over time. Also known as Kaali Maa for her dark complexion, Maa Kaalratri has a fierce appearance but is said to be a form of the Goddess easiest to please.
She is believed to wear electricity as her necklace, and holds a sword and khadga in two of her hands while the other two are held in abhay and vara mudra – the postures for showering devotees with fearlessness and blessings.
Rituals: Devotees offer two puja for Maa Kaalratri – one is performed in the morning while another one is held overnight. For the morning puja, offer jaggery and recite the mantra “Om Ayam Hreem Kreem Chamundaaye Vicche, Om Kaalratri Mata Devyaye Namah”.
Known as Nisha puja, it is performed in the night. Alcohol is offered by devotees interested in the tantrik path of worshipping the Goddess. It has been clearly advised that this puja is best done under the guidance of aghori tantriks.
Other devotees also perform the sringar puja on the seventh night. The Goddess is offered sindoor, kajal, comb, hair oil, shampoo, nail paint, lipstick and all kinds of things women may use for makeup and skincare. Two sets of these items are usually offered – one set of the products is later donated to temples while devotees use the other set for themselves as a form of prasad.
As per the mythological story, Goddess Durga transformed into Kaalratri during a battle with the demons when eliminating demon Raktabeej seemed an impossible task. According to the Durga Saptashati, Raktabeej had a boon due to which new demons were created out of each drop of blood that fell from his body to the ground. To solve, Durga took the form of Kaali and drank all the blood that came out after slashing the demon’s body.
Maa Kaalratri is said to love white colour so devotees consume white coloured-food and prefer to wear white clothes.