India is a multi lingual country with multi religion and faiths, multi culture with multi cuisine. In fact it is proper to call India a continent rather a country. We have hundreds of festivals. Every day in this country is a festival, which can also be interpreted that we Indians welcome every day with a flavour of new hope and look forward to new horizons thus we celebrate every day with a new enthusiasm.
We have festivals related to crops, seasons and many other reasons.
Most of these festival are celebrated by the Hindus. One such festival is Navratas - A nine days festival which comes twice in a year in the month of March / April and October / November.
The March / April Navratras ends at Ram Navmi and October / November Navratras end with Vijay Dashmi or Dussehra.
Both festivals are connected with Lord Rama.
One ends with his Birth and other with the end of war with Ravna. But in place of Lord Rama it is Durga who is being worshipped during this festival.
Now in the month of March is a Chaitra Navratri. These nine days festival will end at Ram Navami the birth of Lord Rama. These Nine days, the followers and believers observe fast where only few items are to be consumed and on eighth and ninth day minor girls who have not yet attained puberty are treated with the Prasad and gifts which ends the fasting.
Incidentally I am in Silchar, Assam the North Eastern part of our country, in this month of February, 2018. During my visit to one of our office sites in Amraghat near Silchar, I found Artists making Durga Idols along with the idols of Ganesha, Kartikeya and others. I couldn't stop my self and intruded into their small workshop cum residence. Did not interact much with them as they were busy in their work and yes there was a language problem.
Religiously these labourers or so called artists making these idols year after year for every class be it lower, middle or rich to bring new hopes and fortune in their lives. But these remain poor through generations and these Idols can't bring good fortune in their lives.
Every person in the house is given different duties, it seems.
One person was busy in segregating Bamboo for the support of idols.
Here this boy is busy making a base for a large size idol or a group of Idols.
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The Idols are made of Husk. Here these men can be seen giving shape to Husk
Interval from preparing base, so he is relaxing with rubbing choona (lime) on his Tambakhu before chewing it. I have asked many people that why they chew Tambakhu, their answer is "To kill boredom." Which later on becomes habit
Husk Idol is prepared and resting on its stand with
vigour and grace. Yes Durga is Vigorously Graceful, an epitome of woman hood, which actually is to be realized by every women. Women should stop behaving a weaker sex and should also stop taking disadvantage of it.
This older man must be the head of the clan.
Preparing batter of clay for giving the final shape to the Idol.
Another Member covering those husk idols with the mud or clay batter.
Sun bathing Moulded Faces of Idols waiting for their turn to be fixed on to the body of Idols
There are lot of stories connected to these Navratras. When these are connected with the Birth of Lord Rama and end of war with Ravna the king of Lanka, why Durga is being worshipped for nine days in place of Yashodhara the mother of Rama during the month of March and April and Rama and Sita during the months of October or November????
Though there is Ram Lila being performed in most of the colonies in north India where the story of Lord Rama, right from his birth to the death of Ravna is being told through play, for nine days.
They say that during these days, Ma Durga visits her parents home and leaves on Dashmi the day on which all the idols are submerged in water amidst pomp and show and tears in eyes.
Marriages are solemnised during this season without any Muhurat as these days are considered auspicious.
Anyways, with Chaitra the new Hindu Lunar Year starts. Thanks to Social Media people are now getting aware of this Hindu Lunar Year and we are in receipt of many messages on this occasion where we are being lamented for forgetting and not celebrating our own new year with the same pomp and show with which we celebrate the Gregorian Calendar. Can anybody dare to ask these fanatics, do they remember their date of birth according to Hindu Calendar and why do they celebrate their birthdays on the dates of Gregorian Calendar? For this they need a Pandit or Brahmin, a third person who was not even aware of their existence, to tell them their actual date of birth according to Hindu Calendar rather than their parents.
Whatever the stories are, but my firm belief is that there was a very scientific reason for these two Navratras. Both these Navratras appear when we are entering into a new season, In earlier days, unlike today's times there were full seasons of all weathers. I remember my childhood when we experienced acute cold and enjoyed its mystic and pleasant fog and then there were hot Summers which was also enjoyed and tolerated with the lesser facilities. Then we used to enjoy rains for full three to four months. So these Navratras were introduced by our ancestors who I considered more intelligent in comparison to present days' intelligentsia. When we are entering from one cold sessions of winters into warm sessions of summer in the beginning of the year and vice versa in the end of the year from warm sessions of summers to the cold sessions of winter, our body react to this change in season. So it is extremely necessary to get attuned ourselves physically as well as mentally, to the new seasons. For this, our ancestors dictated a regime of fasting of nine days and if one feels weak during the fast, he or she can consume Carbohydrates in the form of Potatoes etc. as Carbohydrates provide immediate energy. To kill the boredom of fasts they also had made the provisions of festivities in the evenings in the form of puja. As I already said that our ancestors were really far more intelligent, therefore they connected the stories of Gods and Goddesses to make people follow the regime.
Marriages are solemnised during this season because in the past India was mainly based upon agriculture. And in these months fresh crop is harvested so people have money.
People were free as there was time for next crop so this time was found best for marriages.
This age old routine has now turned into a ritual.
Today people are worshipping Goddess Durga on these nine days and millions throng the shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu. In the name of fast they are eating mercilessly potato wafers and other snacks meant specially for fast whole day with a plea that they on fast. Hotels are offering special Navratra Menus and Thalis for the occasion. Thalis contain three to four varieties of vegetables and three to four puri of kuttu ka atta and sweet dishes.
The festival actually has lost its spirit, it has become only a showoff item for people. When religion is commercialised and is used for negative purposes, then it is left with blind people who have no iota of affection for the festival or even for the religion. The spirit is gone.
Blinds can be led to any extremes.
India is a land of contradictions also. We worship Devi a Goddess and we have plenty of temples in the memory of so Many Goddesses and day night one can find people chanting Jai Mata Di. On Ashtami and Navmi the fasting ladies need eight to ten girls who are offered treat of puri, chana and halwa along with few gifts so that they can bid adieu their fast.
But on the other side we are leading in female infanticide. Girl child is still not welcomed in our society that's why we need slogans "BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO" in the land of Durga, Kali and many more Goddesses. Yes we are incredibly incredible
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