Ushering the Goddess in our Homes and our Hearts – Welcome Maa Durga / Shakthi !!!

With Ganesh Chaturthi just ending few days ago, Mumbai is all geared up to welcome Maa Durga, Shakthi as we all know.   She is worshipped with great bhakti not only in India, but also other parts of the world where we have Indians. Call her Durga, Bhadrakali, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Anapoorna, Mookambika, it is one - She is truly there to hear you out. She is like a kid who likes to be pampered and I pamper her just like my daughter.  You may wish to see her in any form and there she is, smiling back at you and accepting you just the way you are, without any prejudice. 

Navaratri has a different meaning for everyone and everyone worships her these 9 days.  She, the Goddess is sublime and is energy personified and we love to see her in every form these 9 days specially.  In South India, we have a tradition of ushering her inside our homes these 9 days and a traditional Gollu is installed.

For me, she is a like a married daughter who comes to her parents home and stays for 9 days and 9 nights.  Just like a mother /daughter relationship which is so divine, for me she and me are connected and I feel ONE with her. I love to prepare the choicest of dishes for her, adorn her with flowers and bright coloured clothes, not to forget the traditional Chundal and Payasam (kheer) that is prepared.  Every woman who comes to my home during these 9 days is the Goddess herself and I love to welcome one and all. There are a lot of positive vibes during these nine days and I am sure everyone would be able to relate to what I say.

Though many of us know what Navaratri is about, I would still love to write as I love to describe her just the way she is. These nine days are divided into three different facets of the divine Goddess.  The 1^st three days she is the form of Durga or Kali and is there to destroy every evil.  She loves to give and so ask for anything and believe that you will receive it.

The next three days is the embodiment of wealth and she is worshipped as Goddess Lakshmi.  The last three days, she is worshipped in the form of Goddess Saraswathi who helps us attain wisdom and knowledge.  In a typical South Indian home, the Saraswathi puja is performed which is also known as the Ayudha puja where we worship every form of tool, machinery and equipment and beautify the Goddess Saraswathi.

So let us celebrate this beautiful festival of divinity and beauty personified with a range of colours.  These colours truly denote something that I will cover in my future posts.

October 5, 2013 – Grey colour

October 6, 2013 – Orange colour

October 7, 2013 -  White colour

October 8, 2013 – Red colour

October 9, 2013 – Blue colour

October 10, 2013- Yellow colour

October 11, 203 – Green colour

October 12, 2013 – Peacock blue/green colour

October 13, 2013 – Purple colour

 So let’s celebrate her arrival with happiness and enjoy the festival in the true sense.

Signing off for now!!

Rekha