Plant Symbolism and Deity Worship- Navapatra puja (Nabapatrika pooja): A great example from North India. In India there are a number of festivals associated with plants and many are observed by women for removing barrenness or for getting male progeny, or for a long-married life with husbands and children. Some of these ceremonies are simple and consists only of praying, lighting a lamp or tying a thread, some can be very elaborate and last for a few days. Perhaps the most elaborate one is the navabatrika pooja (Navapatra pooja), prevalent in many parts of India, most noticeably in Bengal. Navapatra pooja forms part of durga pooja ceremonyceremony. Here nine aspects of Durga, symbolized by nine plants are worshipped. The nine aspects are: Brahmani: a benevolent aspect of Shakthi, considered to be the female counterpart of Brahma, represented by a plantain (banana plant) with stem and leaves. Kali (Kalika): a terrible form that Shakthi had taken while fighting with Mahishasura. There are several episodes of her origin and worship. She is represented with Kachu (colocasia) plant. Durga: Durga herself is present in haridra (turmeric) and so this is the third plant. Kritika: Durga took this form (also known as Karttiki) while fighting Sumbha and Nisumbha and she is represented by Jayanthi (balloon wine or heart seed), and this becomes the fourth plant. Raktadantika: Shakthi took this form of who fought against the demon Raktabija. She is represented by dadima (pomegranate), which is the fifth plant. It is believed that parashakti when incarnated as Parvathi, worshipped Lord Śiva with flowers of aśoka and that the Lord loves this tree, and that Devi made it her abode in the aspect Sokarahitha, the remover of sorrow. So aśoka becomes the sixth plant. Chamunda: An aspect of Durga emanated from the forehead of Karthyayani (an incarnation of Durga who killed the invincible demon Mahishasura) for killing the fearsome demons Chanda and Munda, and she is symbolized by the arum plant, and this forms the seventh plant. The paddy plant is the food and source of nourishment of the humans and Devi Parvathi in the aspect of Annapoorna (the goddess of food and nourishment) dwells in this (so also Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity). This is the eighth plant. All these leaves are bundled together with a ninth plant, a branch of vilva tree bearing two fruits that represent Śiva and Śakthi. All the nine plants are tied into a bundle with a girikarnika vine, which again symbolizes Durga. This bundle is ceremoniously given a bath, then dressed in red or golden silk, vermillion is applied, decorated, placed by the side of the idol of Durga and worshipped as Devi Durga for nine days. Each day, an aspect of the Devi is invoked separately and pooja is offered. Here each plant or leaf is collected ceremoniously, and many formalities exist in bundling them, in giving ceremonious bath and in dressing and decorating the goddess. Once it is decorated and placed in the altar the bundle of leaves is treated just like an idol of Durga and all offerings and poojas are offered to it. The whole festival is an elaborate one in which all people in the neighbourhood participates. Here is an example of an evolution of simple plant worship to a complex and elaborate one with a lot of symbolism attached. The well known Navadurga tradition is closely allied to the Durga aspects worshipped during the navapatrapooja. According to the Devi Mahatmyam tradition the Navadurgas are Śhailaputrī, Brahmachāriṇī, Chandrakaṇṭā, Kuṣhmāṇḍā, Skandamātā, Kātyāyanī, Kālarātrī (Kali), Mahāgaurī and Siddhidātrī. These nine forms of Durga are the major deities worshipped during the nine days of the navaratriNava Durganavadurga worship is popular all over India, while the navapatrapooja tradition is observed mostly in North India. The picture shows the Bavapatrika pooja in progress in Bengal.