Navratri is a special occasion, a time for new beginnings and offering your dedication and reverence to the Goddess Shakti. The eighth day of Navratri is celebrated to worship the manifestation of Goddess Durga known as Mahagauri. Being a symbol of purity, serenity and tranquility, Maa Mahagauri is said to put an end to all the suffering of her devotees. It is also believed that Maa Mahagauri is the 16 year old unmarried manifestation of Goddess Parvati. It is believed that the 16 year old unmarried Goddess Parvati wanted to marry Lord Shiva and, as such, did rigorous meditation (tapasya) for so long to please him. Because of this, she ended up facing a lot of hardships and her complexion turned dark with dust, heat and starvation. Lord Shiva was pleased with her tapasya and agreed to marry the divine. Lord Shiva washed her clean thorugh the ganga flowing through his matted hairs. Consequently, her white clothes and fair complexion started glowing radiantly again. Since then, she is known as Maa Mahagauri. She is also known as Shwetambardhara.

सर्वमंगल मंग्ल्ये, शिवे सर्वार्थ साधिके।
शरण्ये‌र्त्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोस्तुते।।

Maa Mahagauri in her physical form is depicted as a three eyed and four armed beautiful Goddess mounted on a white vrishabha (bull). Two of her arms on either side are in the Varada and Abhay mudras (poses) to bless and alleviate fears from the lives of her devotees, while her other two arms hold a trishul (trident) and damru (tambourine). On this day, the goddess is dressed in peacock green clothes and is adorned with white ornaments. Because of her fair complexion, Goddess Mahagauri is often compared with the moon, a conch and jasmine flowers.

As per Tantra spiritual practice, Maa Mahagauri is the goddess of the Soma Chakra. Soma is also known as Amria Chakra which means the nectar of the crescent moon. The inverted triangle, symbol of feminine energy, and the great seat of Shiva & Parvati consciousness. This impelling energy represents the realization of our inherent animation to create, preserve and dissolve; the foundational embryos which lay dormant within the First (Root) Chakra. The Shiva and Parvati union is the expression of three aspects of consciousness: Knowing, Feeling and Doing; the emanation of truth, beauty and goodness. The realization that these forms existing, within all expressions of life, is the expression of the highest state of living. To incorporate them into your life is the highest state of realization. Symbolically, Shiva provides the stimulus to awaken the Shakti and draw her wisdom into union with him. When first awakened she is a furious serpent whose breath is fire. She proceeds upward from her nest within the root chakra via the path of Saraswati and soon the ego subsides. Saraswati is the goddess of eloquence and transcendent-knowledge . She is depicted as a graceful woman, holding a lute (sound), a book (wisdom), a rosary (mantra prayer), a conch (pronouncement utterance). a bell (transience), a plow (cultivation) and a bow (determination). The fully awakened Soma is the ultimate union of Shiva and Shakti within which non-dualistic realization is achieved. Such potency is pooled physically, within us, in the energetic union of two brain glands; pituitary and pineal. The pituitary governs the stuff of physical incarnation (method). The pineal establishing transcendent (spiritual) awareness/awakening (wisdom).

Chant this mantra to worship Maa Mahagauri

श्वेते वृषे समारूढा श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचिः |
महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्त्र महादेव प्रमोददा ||