Navarathri, not just a festival, it brings back very old memories too... Having lived in north india and being a south indian by birth I have had the chance of celebrating it according to both customs and traditions...
In north Navarathri is celebrated by fasting for nine days, worshiping nine different forms of Shakti and then on the ninth day, navami nine small girls are called upon to their houses, considering them as The incarnation of The Goddess and worshiped. Though the small girls are pretty much unaware of all this and are very happy with just the gifts, money they get in form of 'Prasad'.
I remember how we dressed up in lehengas and me in my pattu paavadai, dressed up as cute little devis in our traditional attire early in the morning, me and my friends all of 9-10 years were invited by aunties of the neighborhood, we would still be at one house getting all the rituals done and Uncles (aunties would be busy doing preparations) from the neighborhood waiting to take us to their home. It use to be an all girls toli(gang) and we would feel like VVIPs on that day! at the end of the day it would be a real good collection of pooris, halwa, all having different taste, but each one tasted good as it had the real love and bhakti of all the aunties. Golden days those were, felt like we are the most important people that day!!! I miss those old days when I see small girls in their cute dresses :) and for one second I really feel bad about having grown up :(
Now, the south style Navarathri...
I have loads and loads of memories about that too...the Golu memories...It was at my granny's place that i had my initial experiences of golu...playing around with my cousins who would come down to paati's place for golu. Paati keeps a grand Seven Step Golu, evenings would be spent with guests coming over, singing keerthanais, eating sundal, kesari, looking for blouse bits and small gifts like bindis, miniature combs, mirrors to be given to aunties who come home to receive Vethalai Paaku, kids would often get beautiful clips that would be latest in market... best part is, whenever kids failed to come, the remaining gifts would all be ours :) small innocent kids we were...Till 2000 this was Golu for me, then we had to move out of delhi, Appa got transferred and we had shifted to Bareilly. No south indians, in fact we didn't know any one in this totally alien city. After a lot of persuasion Amma began with the Golu ritual of navarathri in 2001 with a small Three Step Golu with just a few toys and since then we have come a long way with a lot many toys and Seven step golu :) Now in lucknow we have a lot more south indian friends, and we celebrate Navarathri beautifully, the way it should be, wearing the traditional paavadi daavani, eating sundal, kesari...nothing has changed over years, just that i have grown up :)
In north Navarathri is celebrated by fasting for nine days, worshiping nine different forms of Shakti and then on the ninth day, navami nine small girls are called upon to their houses, considering them as The incarnation of The Goddess and worshiped. Though the small girls are pretty much unaware of all this and are very happy with just the gifts, money they get in form of 'Prasad'.
I remember how we dressed up in lehengas and me in my pattu paavadai, dressed up as cute little devis in our traditional attire early in the morning, me and my friends all of 9-10 years were invited by aunties of the neighborhood, we would still be at one house getting all the rituals done and Uncles (aunties would be busy doing preparations) from the neighborhood waiting to take us to their home. It use to be an all girls toli(gang) and we would feel like VVIPs on that day! at the end of the day it would be a real good collection of pooris, halwa, all having different taste, but each one tasted good as it had the real love and bhakti of all the aunties. Golden days those were, felt like we are the most important people that day!!! I miss those old days when I see small girls in their cute dresses :) and for one second I really feel bad about having grown up :(
Now, the south style Navarathri...
I have loads and loads of memories about that too...the Golu memories...It was at my granny's place that i had my initial experiences of golu...playing around with my cousins who would come down to paati's place for golu. Paati keeps a grand Seven Step Golu, evenings would be spent with guests coming over, singing keerthanais, eating sundal, kesari, looking for blouse bits and small gifts like bindis, miniature combs, mirrors to be given to aunties who come home to receive Vethalai Paaku, kids would often get beautiful clips that would be latest in market... best part is, whenever kids failed to come, the remaining gifts would all be ours :) small innocent kids we were...Till 2000 this was Golu for me, then we had to move out of delhi, Appa got transferred and we had shifted to Bareilly. No south indians, in fact we didn't know any one in this totally alien city. After a lot of persuasion Amma began with the Golu ritual of navarathri in 2001 with a small Three Step Golu with just a few toys and since then we have come a long way with a lot many toys and Seven step golu :) Now in lucknow we have a lot more south indian friends, and we celebrate Navarathri beautifully, the way it should be, wearing the traditional paavadi daavani, eating sundal, kesari...nothing has changed over years, just that i have grown up :)
