Hindus honor the Mother Goddess

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Indian Hindus dressed as the deities Lord Ganesh (left), Laxman (center), and Rama (right) for Dussehra held at the end of the Navratri. (photo: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images)

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Indian folk dancers participate in a full dress rehearsal for the forthcoming Navratri festivities that will last until October 6, 2011. (photo: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images)

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An Indian folk dancer poses with her troupe. (photo: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images) Hindus in India and around the world are in the midst of celebrating Navratri, the colorful and light-laden, nine-day festival also known as Durga Puja. Dedicated to Durga, Hindus celebrate the mother goddess’ defeat of the demon Mahishasura — the triumph of good over evil.

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An Indian idol maker works on a miniature clay statue of Hindu goddess Durga. (photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)

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Workers prepare to erect an effigy of demon King Ravana, ahead of the Dussehra festival in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. The Dussehra festival celebrates the defeat of demon King Ravana at the hands of Hindu god Rama, marking the triumph of good over evil. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

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Indian artists dressed as Hindu God Rama, left, and his brother Lakshman sit on a tableau during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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An Indian boy sells effigies of the Hindu demon King Ravana at a roadside stand in Amritsar on October 4, 2011 ahead of the Hindu festival of Dussehra. The festival of Dussehra will be held on October 6 on the last day of the Navratri (nine nights) Festival, symbolises the victory of good over evil in Hindu mythology. On the night of Dussehra, fire-crackers and stuffed effigies of Ravana are set alight in open grounds across the country. NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images

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Indian devotees arrive at a place of worship to see an idol of Hindu goddess Durga during the Durga Puja festival in Siliguri on October 4, 2011. In Hindu mythology the ten armed goddess Durga symbolizes power and the triumph of good over evil. The five-day Durga Puja festival commemorates the slaying of a demon king Mahishasur by goddess Durga, marking the triumph of good over evil started on October 2 and will culminate on October 6 with large processions and the immersion of Durga idols in rivers. DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP/Getty Images

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Villagers watch as a buffalo is sacrificed at a temple of Hindu goddess Durga at Rani village on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Every year, hundreds of devotees arrive with buffalos, goats, pigeons and ducks to sacrifice them during the Durga Puja festival. (AP Photo/ Anupam Nath)

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Hindu women dance around Bathukammas, floral arrangement representing the giver of life, during the Bathukamma festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Gauri, in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

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An Indian craftsman puts the finishing touches on effigies of the Hindu demon king Ravana at a workshop in Amritsar on October 4, 2011 a head of the Hindu festival of Dussehra. The festival of Dussehra will be held on October 6 on the last day of the Navratri (nine nights) Festival, symbolises the victory of good over evil in Hindu mythology. On the night of Dussehra, fire-crackers and stuffed effigies of Ravana are set alight in open grounds across the country. NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images

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Indian artists dressed as Hindu God Rama, left, and his brother Lakshman sit on a tableau during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A local Indian band performer plays an instrument during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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Priests carry a Kumari, a virgin girl worshipped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga, during Durga Puja festival in Belur, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of Kolkata, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. The five-day festival commemorates the slaying of a demon king by lion-riding, 10-armed goddess Durga, marking the triumph of good over evil. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

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Indian devotees holds earthen lamps and take part in Maha Aarti ritual at Hindu deity Umiya Mata temple on the eighth night of Navratri or nine nights festival in Surat, Gujarat state, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Every year thousands of devotees participate in this ritual. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

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Indian artists dressed as Hindu God Rama, left, and his brother Lakshman sit on a tableau during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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An onlooker talks on the phone as workers, unseen, prepare to erect an effigy of demon king Ravana ahead of Dussehra festival in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. The Dussehra festival celebrates the defeat of demon king Ravana at the hands of Hindu god Rama, marking the triumph of good over evil. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

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A Hindu devotee holds a traditional oil lamp as he offers prayers to Indian artists Kandha Panday, left, dressed as Hindu god Rama, and Shiva Sharma, dressed as Rama's brother Lakshman, during the Dussehra festival in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. The Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. Rama killed Ravana to free Sita. The burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil, brings the festivities to a close. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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An Indian Hindu devotees takes a picture with a cell phone of an idol of the Hindu Goddess Durga during the Durga Puja festival at a temple in Amritsar on October 5, 2011. In Hindu mythology the ten armed goddess Durga symbolises power and the triumph of good over evil. The five-day Durga Puja festival started on October 2 and will culminate on October 6 with large processions and the immersion of Durga idols in rivers. NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images

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Indian Hindu devotees dressed as the Hindu god Hanuman sits behind an auto-rickshaw as they commute in Amritsar on October 5, 2011, on the eve of the Hindu festival of Dussehra. Held at the end of the Navratri (nine nights) Festival, Dussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil in Hindu mythology. On the night of Dussehra, fire-crackers and stuffed effigies of Ravana are set alight in open grounds across the country. NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images

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An Indian artist dressed as Hindu God Rama looks on during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over demon Ravana. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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An Indian man prepares backstage to play his role as Hindu goddess Kaali as part of Dussehra festivities in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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in this Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 photo, devotees perform the Garba, a traditional dance of the western Indian state of Gujarat, at the Umiya Mata temple on the eighth night of Navratri, or festival of nine nights, in Surat, about 270 kilometers (169 miles) south of Ahmadabad, India. Umiya Mata is the deity worshipped by Kadwa Patidar Hindus spread across the world. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

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An Indian man prepares backstage to play his role as Hindu god Shiva as part of Dussehra festivities in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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An Indian man, left, prepares backstage to play his role as Hindu god Rama as part of Dussehra festivities in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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Indian artists dressed as Hindu God Rama, left, and his brother Lakshman sit in a tableau during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

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Indian artists Kandha Panday, right, and Shiva Sharma dressed as Hindu god Rama and his brother Lakshman have paint applied to their faces ahead of a religious procession during the Dussehra festival in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. The Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. Rama killed Ravana to free Sita. The burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil, brings the festivities to a close. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

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Indian artists dressed as Hindu God Rama, left, and his brother Lakshman ride inside a tableau during a Dussehra festival procession in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

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Members of an Indian band play religious tunes during Dussehra festival procession in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Dussehra festival commemorates the victory of Rama over Ravana, an evil ruler who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita. The festival culminates on Oct. 6 with the burning of effigies of Ravana, signifying the victory of good over evil. AP / Altaf Qadri

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Indian devotees holds earthen lamps and take part in Maha Aarti ritual at Hindu deity Umiya Mata temple on the eighth night of Navratri or nine nights festival in Surat, Gujarat state, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Every year thousands of devotees participate in this ritual. AP / Ajit Solanki

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Children look at a buffalo decorated with a garland awaiting to be sacrificed at a temple of Hindu goddess Durga at Rani village on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Every year, hundreds of devotees arrive with buffalos, goats, pigeons and ducks to sacrifice them during the Durga Puja festival. AP / Anupam Nath

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A Hindu woman holds a pot of holy smoke while dancing as a part of religious rituals for offering prayers during Hindu festival Durga Puja in Mumbai, India,Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. AP / Rajanish Kakade

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A priest puts a garland on a Kumari, a virgin girl worshipped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga, during Durga Puja festival in Belur, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of Kolkata, India, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. AP / Bikas Das

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Devotees perform the Garba, a traditional dance of the western Indian state of Gujarat, at the Umiya Mata temple on the eighth night of Navratri, or festival of nine nights, in Surat, about 270 kilometers (169 miles) south of Ahmadabad, India on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Umiya Mata is the deity worshipped by Kadwa Patidar Hindus spread across the world. AP / Ajit Solanki

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A Bangladeshi devotee prays before an idol of Hindu goddess Durga during Durga Puja, or Durga Prayers at Dhakeshwari tample in Dhaka Bangladesh, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. AP / Pavel Rahman

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Hindu devotees offer prayers before an idol of goddess Durga, center, during the Durga Puja festival in Gauhati, India, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. AP / Anupam Nath

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A Hindu priest chants hymns from a sacred book as another pours water on a banana leaf as part of a ritual in Kolkata, India, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. AP / Bikas Das

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A Hindu woman performs rituals on the bank of the river Ganges in Kolkata, India, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. AP / Bikas Das

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Indian vendors sell flower garlands at a wholesale market on the second day of Hindu festival Durga Puja in Kolkata, India, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. AP / Bikas Das

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A Hindu priest worships goddess Durga on the first day of the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, India, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011. AP / Bikas Das

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Indian sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik creates a sculpture of Hindu Goddess Durga ahead of Durga Puja festival in Siliguri, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. AP /

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People carry an idol of Hindu goddess Durga to its worship venue in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. AP / Bikas Das

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An Indian artist adds finishing touches to a demon face as he works on idols of Hindu goddess Durga at a workshop in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

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An Indian artist gives finishing touches to an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga, ahead of Durga puja festival in Allahabad, India, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

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An artist puts final touches to an idol of Hindu Goddess Durga in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011. AP / Saurabh Das

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A Hindu devotee offers prayers to the sun after taking holy dips in the River Ganges on the first day of Navratri festival, in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. Navaratri, the festival of nine nights, is devoted to the worship of Durga, the Hindu goddess of valor, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

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Indian men wearing traditional attire perform Garba, a traditional dance of western Indian state of Gujarat, as part of preparation for Navratri festival in Ahmadabad, India, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011. Navaratri, the festival of nights, lasts for nine days, with three days each devoted to the worship of Durga, the goddess of valor, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. Feasting and fasting takes over normal life for millions of Hindus, and many people join in religious dances in the evenings. AP / Ajit Solanki

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Hindu Goddess Durga Idol at Puja Pandel in Kolkata , five-day Durga Puja festival. The event commemorates the slaying of a demon king Mahishasur by goddess Durga, marking the triumph of good over evil, begins on 5 October 2011 in Eastern India City Photos by Bhaskar Mallick

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An Indian idol-maker draws eyes onto a clay statue of the Hindu goddess Durga in Kumartoli, a Kolkata neighborhood renowned for its artists and idol-making. Monsoon rain and economic stagnation have made it difficult for artisans to finish idols in time for seasonal festivals. Photo by Diptendu Dutta/ AFP/ Getty Images.

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Nepalese priests carry Phulpati, an assortment of flowers, leaves and fruits of different plants considered auspicious on the seventh day of Nepal's biggest annual festival Dasain, in Katmandu, Nepal, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. Dasain festival commemorates the slaying of a demon king by Hindu goddess Durga, marking the victory of good over evil. Animals are sacrificed at Hindu Temples in Nepal during this festival. AP / Niranjan Shrestha

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Nepalese priests carry Phulpati, an assortment of flowers, leaves and fruits of different plants considered auspicious on the seventh day of Nepal's biggest annual festival Dasain, in Katmandu, Nepal, Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. AP / Niranjan Shrestha

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Nepalese bystanders watch as other devotees lead a buffalo to be sacrificed during the ninth day of the Hindu Dashain Festival in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on October 5, 2011. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese calendar and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Many victory stories are told including The Ramayan, where the lord Ram after a big struggle slaughtered Ravana, the fiendish king of demons and Durga slaying the terrible demon Mahisasur, who terrorised the earth in the guise of a brutal water buffalo. PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images

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A presentation by Nubia Nubia_group@yahoo.fr http://nubiagroup-powerpoint-collection.blogspot.com/