What are your favorite things about Navaratri?

[renuka]

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Dear RR ji,

When I was a kid even though Navaratri was not celebrated at home but I used to attend bhajans at a Sai Mandir that my father and a few friends had built.

It used to be a real quiet affair cos almost every other Hindu female devotee would skip the bhajans in the Mandir and go to the Amman temples.

So very few people used to attend the Bhajans at the Sai Mandir for those 9 days and for Dusshera.

So my mum used to be in charge of those bhajans along with my father for Navaratri and it used to be just usual bhajans with just a few extra Devi songs.

My father then would speak on the spiritual significance of Navaratri.

So that was the Navaratri I knew.

After we had transferred to a different city..Navaratri just became a home bhajan.

 

[Raji Ram]

Clinic Kolu...


Yes! We had a 'Clinic kolu' in our father's clinic every year. My father's assistant, who was living with his family,

in the rear portion of the clinic, used to display the medical instruments in three steps, just as the kolu of toys.

The forceps will be clinging to the while cloth and other instruments will be displayed on the steps. The Shiva

temple 'gurukkaL' will do a special pooja. The prasAdham was 'Chenna dhal chundal' which had the same aroma

and taste every year - prepared by Mrs. Assistant! It was very colorful - golden yellow dhal, green chilli pieces,

grated white coconut and black mustard seeds used for seasoning. Yummmmy! :hungry:

 

[renuka]

hi
this is not blah blah......sorry to say ...nice write up....nice naration of life experiences...

Dear TBS,

LOL!
Don't get me wrong..I think you are missing a point here.

Yesterday RR ji was discussing in Horoscope thread about Sani being in some 10th house and these type of people are talkative in nature.

So RR ji had used to word Blah Blah Blah to describe a Talkative situation,conversations and sharing stories.

So I am using Blah Blah Blah to describe sharing stories here.

Don't worry TBS garu...I am not ridiculing her.

Please see horoscope thread and you will understand.

 

[Raji Ram]

Navarathri in SingArach Chennai...

We shifted to SingArach Chennai in May, 1982. Soon, I joined Prof. S. Ramanathan Sir's music classes. We have many relatives

in close family circle and extended family circle and when my music group also added to this, I really had a huge group! Wow!!

Kolu was arranged in most of the houses and it was lot of fun singing songs and giving and receiving gifts. The very next year,

we had a 'NavAvaraNam' group too. Yes... those who learnt the set of Dikshithar's NavAvaraNam krithis made it a point to sing

all the songs on all days, in nine different houses. Hot milk was served twice in the breaks. Some rich mAmis gave nice sarees

+ blouse bits to the singers. Snacks and coffee were served after the show!


One of my student is from a SasthrigaL's family and she invites me to attend at least one NavAvaraNa pooja at their

residence. Their Kolu is be real huge with nine steps which are about 12 feet in width! She also makes new clay toys every

year to add in the kolu. A very talented girl. We sing that particular day's NavAvaraNam song, soon after the pooja.


Some organizations hold competitions and give prizes for the best Kolu in that area. RangOli kOlams, kOlam on water, kOlam

inside water are all the specials in a few houses. Plastic gifts have become today's fashion. In each house, we get plastic

items in different colors and sizes. Sometimes, it just adds to the junk in our house! The shops sell many varieties of stuff

as gift items for Navarathri. It is great fun to visit shops every year, whether we buy stuff or not!


The toys have changed to modern toys! Lord Ganesha is the one who plays cricket, chess, carrom board and musical

instruments! RAmAyaNa scenes, KrishnAvatAr scenes and as the like are sold as 'set toys'. Some mAmis are very smart and

buy the set toys soon after Navarathri, when they will be sold at throw away price and keep them safe for the display next

year! Once, I too bought a cricket set just for Rs. 45, for my younger sister.


Now a days, not many come in person to invite to receive 'manjaL kunkumam'. The city is so vast and we can not expect it

too! Invitation is by phone call only.


This year, Sringeri SwamigaL is in SingArach Chennai and the special poojas draws huge crowds in spite of the slashing rains on most
of the days! Food is served to all those who have dharshan and the arrangements have received great appreciation from everyone! :clap2:

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear TBS Sir,

Thanks for your appreciation. I hope you enjoyed the other write-ups too!

 

[tbs]

hi
due to heavy rain in singara chennai.this yr.....i heard that the prices of toys/mallugai poo gone up significantly......

 

[Raji Ram]

​Don't worry Renu... I like to :blah: by :typing: and

also the real :blah: in my huge circle!! :grouphug:

 

[Raji Ram]

.....due to heavy rain in singara chennai.this yr.....i heard that the prices of toys/mallugai poo gone up significantly......

There is an idea in my third write-up, to buy the toys cheap! Just have to wait for two days!! :couch2:

 

[renuka]

​Don't worry Renu... I like to :blah: by :typing: and

also the real :blah: in my huge circle!! :grouphug:

Dear RR ji,

Nice to read your Navaratri stories in this thread.

I can really imagine it coming alive.

I am sure when Boston Shankara comes on line he is going to be "Wow"!

 

[Raji Ram]

......... I am sure when Boston Shankara comes on line he is going to be "Wow"!

I too hope so, Renu!

 

[amala]

The clinic golu sounds really cute. If i had my own way my golu will have what I like too . Renu you know why those ladies didn't come to bhajan and went to Amman temples during Navratri, I feel its because temples were more livelier. Just my opinion.

 

[Raji Ram]

.. due to heavy rain in singara chennai.this yr.....i heard that the prices of toys/malligai poo gone up significantly......

The prices of flowers shoot up like rocket not only during Navarathri and rainy days but also for any other festival in normal weather!
One 'muzham' (will be just about 15 inches long) costs between Rs. 20 and Rs. 40 depending on the location! opcorn:

 

[kk4646]

The prices of flowers shoot up like rocket not only during Navarathri and rainy days but also for any other festival in normal weather!
One 'muzham' (will be just about 15 inches long) costs between Rs. 20 and Rs. 40 depending on the location! opcorn:

"One 'muzham' (will be just about 15 inches long) costs between Rs. 20 and Rs. 40 depending on the location!"

அப்பாடா....காதில பூ....சுத்துவது கொஞ்சம் குறையும்.......!!

TVK

 

[BostonSankara]

This thread turned out so well! Thank you all for your stories and additions.

Sowbhagyavathi Renuka, as always thank you so much for your support and sharing your wisdom. Every interaction with you is always so enlightening.

Sowbhagyavathi Raji Ram, you really went above and beyond. As always your writing and stories were of the highest caliber. I wish we lived near one another so you could tutor me in Tamizh.

Last night's festivities at the Peetam went down in grand style. I arrived at 1:00 PM to clean the temple and prepare for the pujas and crowd. The Maha Chandi Homam is intricate and requires a decent amount of preparation. My friend and I prepared 16 baskets colored with tumeric and inscribed with designs in kumkum and filled them with offerings of akshata, tumeric, a coin, dals, and 16 different fruits for Agni to present to Devi for us. In my ignorance I thought I was preparing baskets to hold prasadam to give to sponsors and thought to myself "These dried fruits are covered in tumeric and akshata! How will the devotees eat this?!?!" When I saw the first basket go into the homa kunda I laughed at myself and felt elated that my work would go directly to her. I was tasked with assisting my Guru during the pujas which was a GREAT honor for me. There were many people there so I felt a little nervous but it surpassed. In the heat of the festivities my Guru would tell me to do this or that first in Tamizh, then seeing my confusion would tell me in Hindi, then finally in English! After rakhis and prasadam the devotees that are close to his family and I shared quite a laugh about this. He then told me I must undertake learning Tamizh with a smile as to avoid said confusions! We have a large Bengali community (as well as Kashmiri) of which I was unaware. Let me assure you they came out en force! Our temple temple is relatively small so the even was CROWDED! I estimate hundreds of pounds of fruit were brought to the Devi the amount of prasadam was incredible as well. I am not a fan of sweets but I had the finest kitcheri I have ever eaten in my life. It was like a Saffron bomb! So delicious! Being such an integral part of the actual rituals felt quite different than performing rituals for god at home or simply attending at the temple. Simply shuttling naivedyam, filling the lamps, bringing my Guru water, assisting the devotees, and even dealing with trash felt like meditation in motion.

After the Homam we led all the young girls to the lower temple where we perform abhishekam and our two 4,000 lbs Sahasralingam reside. Covering their feet with tumeric and kumkum we gifted and honored the little devis we then did the same for all the mamis.

Aarati was breathtaking. I really look forward to next year.

Jai Maa

 

[BostonSankara]

Dear TBS Ji,
Wow what a small world. I absolutely love that community. I used to attend SSVT but then settled at Murugan Temple because I enjoyed it's community and traditional nature. Sri Ganesha Sivachariar is a wonderful and hard working priest at Murugan temple. I think of him and his family often and fondly. You are in a wonderful place for sure. It may not have been the best in the world but I miss the sambar rice served at Murugan temple to this day!

hi sankara,
i very close to Murugan temple/SSVT in Lanham , Maryland.....i know many ppl there....MTNA is unique culture of indian /srilankan

tamils....they have nice arupathumoovar uthsava moorthis....typical south indian temple...i visited many times....

 

[prasad1]

hi sankara,
i very close to Murugan temple/SSVT in Lanham , Maryland.....i know many ppl there....MTNA is unique culture of indian /srilankan

tamils....they have nice arupathumoovar uthsava moorthis....typical south indian temple...i visited many times....

I come to DC, but most of the time I visit SSVT, may be I will run into you next time I am in DC. LOL

 

[BostonSankara]

Sri Prasad Ji,
SSVT is a pretty incredible temple. The form of Lord Vishnu housed there is absolutely stunning! I am up in Boston these days (since 2007). Please send a message if you come through New England. It would be an honor to meet in the real world.

I come to DC, but most of the time I visit SSVT, may be I will run into you next time I am in DC. LOL

 

[prasad1]

Sri Prasad Ji,
SSVT is a pretty incredible temple. The form of Lord Vishnu housed there is absolutely stunning! I am up in Boston these days (since 2007). Please send a message if you come through New England. It would be an honor to meet in the real world.

Thank you for the invite. I will look you up if I come that way.

 

[amala]

Please do let us know how it went! We'd like to know how its like the real persona after all the online communication...well at least I would

 

[N.R.Ranganathan]

Now that the navaratri is over, let us all look to the next year's for a few more exchanges.

 

[Raji Ram]

KOlam on water.

Photo courtesy: Google images.