Navaratri special: Nine days, nine hues

CHENNAI: Nine days of vrat, nine days of devotion and nine days of vibrant celebration begin today.

For many women, Navaratri is also a time to honour tradition by wearing a different colour each day, a practice rooted in the symbolic traits of the nine manifestations of Goddess Durga, each representing a unique virtue. While the colour sequence changes every year depending on the calendar, every hue carries its own divine significance and energy.

Deepa Rekha Srivatsan, a home styling enthusiast with a love for sarees, starts her Navaratri preparations by marking the colour code for each day in her personal calendar. Colour coding attire during Navaratri wasn’t popular until a few years ago.

“Now, with social media and growing festive awareness, it feels right to celebrate in the truest essence of the festival. It’s also a great way to bring out sarees that have been resting in our wardrobes,” Deepa shares.

Before building her collection, Deepa would buy a new saree for Navaratri or receive one from her mother or mother-in-law. Today, she enjoys ‘closet shop- ping’, thoughtfully selecting sarees so she doesn’t repeat last year’s choices. Jewellery is usually from her own collection, though she occasionally buys something unique to complement her look.

Each colour during Navaratri holds significance, honouring the various forms of the Goddess. “It is believed to bring positivity, unity, prosperity, and communal harmony as we celebrate together. Living in one of Chennai’s most vibrant neighbourhoods for Navaratri celebrations, I enjoy how the sight of saree-clad women adds to the festive atmosphere. I also draw rangolis each day, matching the day’s colour,” Deepa explains.

Most of Deepa’s sarees come from her collection, but she also borrows from her mother or grandmother when she finds pieces too beautiful to pass up. “They hold sentimental value and personal stories. Some vintage sarees are heirlooms, hard to find today, making them priceless possessions. It also makes sense to air them out now and then to prevent damage along the folds, and it’s a sustainable choice to rewear them,” she adds.

Designer Nandhitha Ramesh has been follow- ing the colour code on and off for the past 12 years. “Every year, I try to do something different. I de- sign sarees and get them specially woven. Last year, I repurposed all my blouses: I had beautiful pieces tucked away in cupboards, worn with sarees many times, but pairing them with different sarees gave them a whole new life,” she shares.

Founder of the clothing brand Merasal, Nandhitha often picks sarees from her mother’s, sister’s, and grandmother’s collections and matches them with her blouses, which has worked out beautifully. This year, she plans to wear nine different handlooms for the nine days, designing new blouses to match. “It takes a lot of preparation and thought. You want to stand out, do the pooja properly, and decorate the Goddess. I start planning at least two weeks, sourcing sarees, designing blouses, and more. Jewellery is mostly an impromptu affair. I look through my collection to see what matches. I recently ordered new bangles because I love wearing many and it’s a style statement for me. I also like different nosepins and try to match them with my saree.”

She’s noticed that colour coding has gained widespread popularity, especially with the rise of social media. “Many people already have the colours in their wardrobes, while others reach out to me requesting specific shades. We’ve even started custom-making sarees to meet this growing demand. Social media has truly transformed the way people celebrate,” she explains.

Designer Rema Kumar shares her enthusiasm for the vibrant nine-night festival. “Navaratri holds a special place in my heart, especially because of the beautiful tradition of colour coding that brings communities together, both online and offline, to celebrate feminine energy, renewal, and joy. The colour code is like a vibrant thread weaving stories of faith, celebration, and togetherness. It’s more than just what we wear, it’s about honouring tradition and spreading happiness in today’s connected world,” she says.

Through her Instagram initiative, Rema invites everyone to join in by following the colour code, tagging #navrangnavratriwithrk, and sharing moments where tradition and modernity come together beautifully. “Our Facebook group, now in its tenth year, remains a warm and festive space where people from all over can celebrate the spirit of Navaratri.”