Little Little Wonders Around You.....: Navrathri 2013

Navrathri falls during the month of Sep-Oct and is celebrated by Hindus all over the world in praise of the almighty Goddess.Some South Indians have the habit of keeping Golu-display of usually clay dolls and toys(usually Gods) in an odd number order(usually 3-9 or 11 steps) in their house for 9 days. They invite friends and relatives and are offered kumkum to the ladies who come to attend the poojai and also offer Sundal as prasadam to those who come.North Indians have Dussera, Dhandiya, where they will dance and pray to Durga matha.Girl Children are given importance throughout these 9 days.Good to hear right.Girls are dressed in beautiful silk dresses and some children even dress up as gods during these days.I remember dressing up Arshi as Lord Krishnar once and as Radha once.This year I sticked on to the traditional South Indian dress for girls-"Pattupavadai " - a silk long gown for the period and will try to show a few pics of her during these days for you all to view.

I have been keeping Golu in my own way all these years and will try to continue with the rich tradition.Though I don't have clay dolls of Gods and Goddesses, I try to keep the toys I have in an odd number pattern.My mother buys me a small statute every time I go to India for this sake and I add them in the upcoming Golu. There is a belief that we should buy new Golu dolls every year.Usually, the Gods are placed in the top steps-padis whereas the animals,humans,non-living things will come in the lower steps.I try to follow all these instructions as much as I can. This year the Navrathri was from 12-19 th October.I had my own 5 padi (step) Golu,went to a few houses that had Golu celebrations and invited a few friends to my house too(hope I had invited many). I will be touring you people to my Golu as well as to some of the Golus I have been these days and Let's see some pictures from my Navrathri Golu 2013 album.

My simple Golu

Forest

playground

all of these were made by myself

Kolam and all these colours are natural made, using turmeric powder,kumkums

After my Golu, let us take a look at the places I visited during golu.

Kavitha's Golu

kids are enjoying

Arshi with Kavitha's afmily

My friend Revathi's Golu

I really loved Kamakshi's Golu.It made me feel as if I was in India itself.It looked so traditional and yet so beautiful.

Kamakshi's Golu

I also went to Lakshmi's house and was greeted to this beautiful Ganapathy.They didn't have Golu but did pooja all the nine days for the Goddess.

Navarthri is an occasion where we get to meet your friends and we tend to dress our self as well as our kids traditionally.

Praveena's Golu

Temples too have Navrathri celebrations and they have an elaborate Golu with mythological themes.

Sengkang Gyana Muneeswarar Temple's Golu

Simple yet beautiful golu of Toa Payoh Vairavimada Kaliamman Kovil''s Navrathri alankaram

Changi ramar temple's Golu

Little India was flooded with traditional Golu dolls.But they were too expensive.I just took a look before heading back home.Arshi loved the dolls very much.

This year Arshi's music class had arranged the kids to perform in 2 temples -Sengkang Gyana Muneeswarar Temple and Toa Payoh's Sri Vairavimada temple and Arshi sang in these temples for the first time.It is considered auspicious to perform in temples during Navrathri.I felt blessed to see my daughter sing before the audience without fear that too in a temple.