Nine Nights of Power

<p><b>Explores the rich diversity of narratives rituals and participants connected with one of the most important celebrations for Hindus in South Asia and in the diaspora.</b></p><p>The autumnal Navarātri festival-also called Durgā Pūjā Dassehra or Dasain-is the most important Hindu festival in South Asia and wherever Hindus settle. A nine-night-long celebration in honor of the goddess Durgā it ends on the tenth day with a celebration called the victorious tenth (<i>vijayadaśamī</i>). The rituals that take place in domestic royal and public spaces are closely connected with one's station in life and dependent on social status economic class caste and gender issues. Exploring different aspects of the festival as celebrated in diverse regions of South Asia and in the South Asian diaspora this book addresses the following common questions: What does this festival do? What does it achieve and how? Why and in what way does it sometimes fail? How do mass communication and social media increase participation in and contribute to the changing nature of the festival? The contributors address these questions from multiple perspectives and discuss issues of agency authority ritual efficacy change appropriation and adaptation. Because of the festival's reach beyond its diverse celebrations in South Asia its influence can be seen in the rituals and dances in many parts of Western Europe and North America.</p>