It’s currently Sharada NavRatri for we Hindus (the Nine Nights of the Goddess Durga ,  Chandika / Chamunda ) – and so therefore, a look at the observance in light of its Indo-European context.

This includes the correlate Goddess-oriented War Rites undertaken by both the Romans (in the form of the Quinquatria dedicated to Minerva ) and the focal for the Hrēþ mōnaþ (Month of Hretha ) of the Germanic Anglo-Saxons (which points toward the Goddess Rheda ).

We also engage Vedic attestations for both Warfare and Goddess (of Death) observances which are pertinent, and the mythic deed of Lord Rama which incepted the Autumnal propitiation for the Goddess (in parallel to the Spring observance) for Victory in War.

Both of these strands – the War Rites (initially more of Spring) and the Goddess-keyed observances of Seasonal Transition between Light and Dark halves to the Year – have underpinned our modern Chaitra & Sharada Navratri understandings.

And the strong concordancy between these perceptions as found in both the Indo-European West (i.e. Europe) and East (i.e. the Hindusphere) help to further demonstrate that these Goddess-oriented elements are, indeed, endogenously and archaically Indo-European.

Jai Mata Di !