On a saturday in March, I went to sector 10A market to get milk and daily stuff like vegetables and fruits. When I entered EasyDay - a departmental store that has all the daily needs, I was surprised to see that it was overflowing with eatables like dry fruits, potato chips, sabhudana fry, roasted peanuts, silky ladoos, roasted finger chips, rasagullas, milk cake, gulab jamun ,shrikand - sweetened yogurt cream and many other such mouthwatering stuff. I noticed that all the shops in the market were overflowing with similar stuff. I wondered what the reason was!!!! My curiosity could hold me no longer. I asked a shopkeeper the reason for the rush of these items. He told me, " madam navarathri Vrath ke liyae aayyaa hai " - it has come for navarathri fasting. I was puzzled, for I thought navarathri was celebrated in the month of September or October during the Dussera time. Any way, never mind that... what puzzled me most was the sight of wide variety of mouth watering food for the 9 days of fasting!!!
Fasting according to South Indians is eating nothing or to be more precise abstaining from drinking even a glass of water!!! Young ladies and housewives rarely keep fast. My curiosity drove me home fast to read about this Vrath in the Internet. I read that this navarathri was called "Chaitra Navrathri". It's also called as " Rama Navrathri ", as the ninth day is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ram. Fasting on all the nine days of navarathri calls for abstaining from food like rice, wheat, cereals, onions and garlic. All the food that I saw in the shops were the food recommended for the vrath. I realized that navarathri fasting is only a change in the menu!!!! According to me, it should be practiced by all who are bored of eating dhal chawal, roti and Sabzi/vegetables everyday. Good for the families too!!! A welcoming change from dal chawal, roti to sabudana kichidi, potato chips rasagullas!!!
While Reading more about the navarathri festival and rituals connected with it an interesting practice caught my attention... KANYA POOJA is conducted on the concluding day of the festival. My heart was filled with delight when I read about this pooja. 9 young girls of about 8 or 9 years of age are invited home and honored with good feast, clothes, jewels according to ones own financial status. They are considered to represent the 9 divine forms of divine mother. . The Kanyas of many Indian families who are actually considered a burden and curse to the parents, are glorified and honored on this day!!! I wish this spirit of navarathri is lit up everyday in everybody's home and in the hearts of all the men folks. This will probably teach them to respect female gender of their species and who knows!!?? By igniting this spirit India can soon become a safe place for women to come out, especially after 6pm!!!
Navarathri is indeed a festival of prosperity and happiness. The traders are happy with the profits earned due to high turnover of stock at such short period, Kanyas are happy with the importance given to them which is denied all the year round, the pundits of temples are happy with the Dakshina earned at the pooja and of course the family members are also happy with the change in the menu. The Divine Mother has her own unique way of keeping everyone happy!!! That's the Mother’s spirit... TO KEEP HER CHILDREN HAPPY!! 😊 😌
Fasting according to South Indians is eating nothing or to be more precise abstaining from drinking even a glass of water!!! Young ladies and housewives rarely keep fast. My curiosity drove me home fast to read about this Vrath in the Internet. I read that this navarathri was called "Chaitra Navrathri". It's also called as " Rama Navrathri ", as the ninth day is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ram. Fasting on all the nine days of navarathri calls for abstaining from food like rice, wheat, cereals, onions and garlic. All the food that I saw in the shops were the food recommended for the vrath. I realized that navarathri fasting is only a change in the menu!!!! According to me, it should be practiced by all who are bored of eating dhal chawal, roti and Sabzi/vegetables everyday. Good for the families too!!! A welcoming change from dal chawal, roti to sabudana kichidi, potato chips rasagullas!!!
While Reading more about the navarathri festival and rituals connected with it an interesting practice caught my attention... KANYA POOJA is conducted on the concluding day of the festival. My heart was filled with delight when I read about this pooja. 9 young girls of about 8 or 9 years of age are invited home and honored with good feast, clothes, jewels according to ones own financial status. They are considered to represent the 9 divine forms of divine mother. . The Kanyas of many Indian families who are actually considered a burden and curse to the parents, are glorified and honored on this day!!! I wish this spirit of navarathri is lit up everyday in everybody's home and in the hearts of all the men folks. This will probably teach them to respect female gender of their species and who knows!!?? By igniting this spirit India can soon become a safe place for women to come out, especially after 6pm!!!
Navarathri is indeed a festival of prosperity and happiness. The traders are happy with the profits earned due to high turnover of stock at such short period, Kanyas are happy with the importance given to them which is denied all the year round, the pundits of temples are happy with the Dakshina earned at the pooja and of course the family members are also happy with the change in the menu. The Divine Mother has her own unique way of keeping everyone happy!!! That's the Mother’s spirit... TO KEEP HER CHILDREN HAPPY!! 😊 😌
- Mrs. Bhooma Sundararajan.
Dear booma nice write up eye opener to so many people
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