Navratri, Navaratri, or Navarathri (Hindi: नवरात्रि; Gujarati: નવરાત્રી; Tamil: நவராத்திரி; Sanskrit: नवरात्रम्; Marathi: नवरात्र; Punjabi: ਨਰਾਤੇ Nepali: नवरात्रि; Bengali: নবরাত্রি; Kannada: ನವರಾತ್ರಿ; Telugu: దుర్గా నవరాత్రులు; Malayalam: നവരാത്രി; Tulu: ನವರಾತ್ರಿ/നവരാത്രി) is a Hindu festival of worship of Shakti and dance & festivities. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights^[2]. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussehra.

The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar.

Vijayadashami (Bengali: বিজয়াদশমী, Kannada: ವಿಜಯದಶಮಿ, Malayalam: വിജയദശമി, Marathi: विजयादशमी, Nepali :विजया दशमी, Oriya :ବିଜୟାଦଶମୀ, Tamil: விஜயதசமி, Telugu: విజయదశమి) also known as Dasara, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Dasara/ Dussehra is derived from Sanskrit Dasha-hara meaning "remover of bad fate" meaning remover of ten heads of Ravana's.

It is also referred to as Navratri and Durgotsav. It is also written as Dashahara, Dussehra Bengali: দশেরা, Kannada: ದಸರ, Malayalam: ദസറ, Konkani: दसरो , Marathi: दसरा, Oriya:ଦଶହରା, Telugu: దసరా, Punjabi: ਦਸੇਰਾ and Dashain in Nepal.