Another Navratri came and went. For nine days, we decorated our homes with lights, dressed in our finest, danced around, and performed rituals to honor the divine feminine energy in all her glorious forms. Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, the three of the nine Goddesses embodying power, grace, wisdom, and protection. We chanted their names, offering flowers and prayers, seeking blessings to overcome our challenges and bring abundance into our lives.

But now that the festival is over, it’s time to ask THE question, Did our devotion and commitment for the divine deities extend to the women around us? Or, as usual, did we leave those values behind with the decorations and rituals? Ironically, We worship the powerful feminine energy for Navratri but fail to acknowledge the real powerful women around.

During Durgashtami, we worshipped Maa Durga, for her strength and courage. She’s the slayer of demons, the warrior Goddess who rides into battle and protects the world. We admired her fierce spirit, the way she slayed the presence of any evil without hesitation or a second thought. And what’s funny is, while we prayed to her, the women who battle demons every single day are ignored. Not the mythical demons like Mahishasura, the human ones, the men, who stalk, harass, abuse, and violate women in India and around the world.

Rape cases in India unfortunately did not stop for Navratri did they? Peace and safety for Women in India and most parts around the world are about as real as a unicorn at this point. I wish there was some magical pause button on the violence and cruelty women face, atleast for Navratri, but there wasn’t, atrocities continue to occur. It’s quite bitterly Ironic isn’t it? While Maa Durga is known for slaying evil, real women were fighting to survive in a world where their safety is never guaranteed.

If only women could summon Durga’s strength to defeat their real life demons, wouldn’t that be awesome? Imagine the world if every woman could rise up with Durga’s weapons, if we all had the chance to slay the Mahishasuras that haunt us without it being a criminal offence. But really, why are we still waiting for that fantasy? Why can’t we, as a society, step up and fight this evil together? Durga slayed demons, maybe start thinking about how women can be empowered to face theirs too. After all, Durga’s not just a figure from mythology, she’s a spirit, an ideal we can bring into our reality. The Mahishasuras of the world shouldn’t feel so comfortable. The ground beneath their feet is starting to tremble, and they should too. Watch out, Durga isn’t done with them yet.

While we prayed to Durga for strength, we also worshipped Lakshmi for wealth, and prosperity. She represents all that is abundant and beautiful. And asked her to bless us with financial security, with a good life, with happiness and fulfillment. But how often do we reflect on what it means to truly honor Maa Lakshmi’s values? Can you really call yourselves her devotees when women in the workplace continue to be underpaid, undervalued, and disrespected? The same women who balance families and careers together at the same time along with many other challenges. Are they being treated with the respect that you give to Goddess Lakshmi?

You know what’s really painful though? They say every woman in a household is known to be the Lakshmi of the house, bringing wealth and prosperity to the ground her feet touch. But that same women gets disrespected, undervalued, and often violated… What? How is it that we can call her Lakshmi in one breath and then turn around and deny her basic respect in the next?

It’s really devastating to see the same “devotees” worshipping Lakshmi Devi which so much empty grace and compassion, when you consider how women are often denied basic dignity. They fight for equal pay, for the right to be heard, for the chance to succeed in spaces dominated by men who hold them back in every chance they get, literally. How are you praying for prosperity if you aren’t willing to share it equally with the women who contribute to it? Lakshmi Maa isn’t just a Goddess of wealth, she’s a symbol of balance and fairness. And as long as women are denied these things, the very essence of Lakshmi Devi is being disrespected.

Saraswati Mata, the Goddess of knowledge, art, wisdom, and creativity. She’s the one we ask for blessings when we want to do good in our 10th and 12th grade board exams (the Indians know), or if we want to get an admission into one of the top universities or colleges, pursue a creative career, or gain wisdom to navigate life’s challenges. We place her image on our desks, in schools, on instruments, books, events, hoping her presence will inspire minds and fill us with the wisdom to succeed. But is that wisdom really sinking in?

Saraswati isn’t just about knowledge for personal gain, she embodies the pursuit of truth and enlightenment for the greater good. She teaches us that wisdom is not just a privilege but a responsibility. We pray to the Goddess of education, how about educating the men of this world who continue to impose atrocities upon women, on the otherworldly concept of respect? Because honestly, it seems like a lesson they’ve somehow missed along the way to becoming an “Alpha man”. We turn to Saraswati for knowledge, but what good is all this knowledge if the basic concept of respect, equality, and boudaries are still so foreign to so many?

We speak of Saraswati with so much love and devotion, calling her the light that guides us out of ignorance. But how can one claim to seek her blessings while refusing to educate themselves on something as fundamental as respecting women? It’s not that complex, it’s not quantum physics. Educate yourself.

Saraswati is the mother of wisdom and creativity, but she also stands for moral integrity. She calls on us not just to fill our minds with facts and figures but to cultivate a deep sense of compassion and justice. If we truly honored her, we’d make sure that those men, who seem to be stuck in the endless purgatory of ego and insecurities, learn the basics of respect. Saraswati’s wisdom isn’t passive it demands action.

Story time :

So as I was thinking about the concept of respect just now, I read something that hit me hard a few days ago, this happened during Navratri, just to be clear.

I came across a post by an incredible woman who goes by the username ‘themodernmowgli’ on instagram, please look her up. She’s spent so much of her life caring for street animals, especially dogs who are often treated like garbage. This woman, who embodies compassion and dedication, was out feeding stray dogs one night when two men approached her. They tried to lure her into their tent with nonsense, saying one of the dogs was hurt, or that she could wash her hands inside since her hands were dirty from all the feeding. Their intentions were anything but noble, and their grins? Absolutely sinister.

The rage I felt reading her story was unreal. This woman, who dedicates her life to helping creatures that can’t help themselves, had her own safety threatened by these men. And this happened during Navratri, a festival meant to honor Goddesses. The irony was absolutely sickening. This woman is nothing short of a modern day goddess herself, caring for others selflessly, yet she was left scared, unable to return to help those animals because of the danger posed to her.

May Maa Durga bless her with all the courage and strength to continue her wonderful work without fear. But it’s really tragic, that in our society, women like her, need like z+ security or needs to be a Krav Maga, Karate, Taekwondo, Kung fu and etc champion, because you never know where these men will come from. It’s like trying to survive in a forest while looking out for wild animals who will eat you. Screw that, women would choose the bears over men any day, atleast the bears won’t bother them unless they’re attacked or threatened.

Why do women still have to fear for their safety when they step out to do good? Why are we waiting for a divine intervention when a safer world could and should already be built?

Do not forget that, the Goddess, Devi, isn’t just a symbol of power. She is a mother. She has nurtured each one of us with love and compassion. When one of her daughters cries, she cries too. But when her tears turn into fury, those responsible for causing her child pain should tremble. Because when the Goddess’s rage is awakened, there’s no place for the guilty to hide. The ground itself will tremble under her wrath, and those who dared to harm her daughters will find no refuge.

The most important lesson to learn from this is just because Navratri is over, the lessons of the nine days, cannot be packed away with the rest of the decorations. Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati Devis aren’t just Goddesses to be worshipped for 9 days.

There are 9 Goddesses worshipped for each day during Navratri. And each one of them carried with them values we should be upholding, every single day. Strength, grace, and wisdom are not abstract concepts, they’re practices, ideals that need to be embodied and implemented in how we treat the people and especially women around.

Women aren’t just to be worshipped in theory, during festivals or random occasions like Mother’s Day. They deserve love, respect, protection, and equality, always.

This Navratri may have passed, but the pledge to honor women all round the world continues. It’s not about the rituals or prayers anymore, it’s about what to do next. Will those lessons be carried into your daily lives? or will you continue to worship idols while ignoring the living, breathing goddesses around you?

It’s time to do better. Not just for nine days, but every day. So start doing better, Now.

Happy Dussehra, Navratri, and Vijayadasami to everyone!

May the essence of the divine Godesses always stay with you.