My Life and Me

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As the weekend came nearer, two things I realized. One was the on-set of “Navarathiri” festival and second the beginning of Tri-series “Good Will Cup” between Runs N Wickets and Frost Cricket Club (For more info on the cricket, click here).

Navarathiri has a major significance for the Hindus in India. It marks the beginning of Autumn and during this festival we worship Durga or Shakti for nine nights and ten days. At the end of the tenth day we celebrate Vijayadashami or Dussera (as it is called in North India). During Navarathiri, many people will lit lamps in and around their house. The significance of this has varied but it is generally believed to get rid of evil spirits and welcome Shakti into households.

Navarathiri also brings back fond memories while I was a kid. I liked this festival very much because – first we used to get lot of sweets and the second – right after this festival comes Deepavali. During my childhood days, we lived in a colony. Hence during such festivals, my Mom would send me to our neighbors with a plate full of sweets and savories to invite them to our ‘Golu’. In return, they would provide their own sweets and savories as a token of appreciation and as a gesture which tells us that they will visit us. I would also get the chance to see how others have decorated their ‘Golu’. Some would have installed more than 7 steps and others just 3. But nevertheless, the display of ‘Golu’ and the flood of sweets and savories would keep us engaged all through the week.

Our neighbours would also come and visit the Golu and sing devotional songs. As the years progressed, apart from keeping God’s statues (I can’t call it idol because it is not!), we also started injecting some modern well mannered statues into our collection. With Cricket fever slowing rising in India at that time, I insisted on my Dad to buy a cricket set and place it in our Golu. Every year, we try to buy one or two dolls/statues which are exceptionally good. This time Mom and Dad decided to a set of Krishna’s doll and some others. Somehow this practice has become more of a tradition rather an important festival (which it still is!).

Hence, when my Mom mentioned about the approaching festival, I had decided to set up the Golu. Although my Father didn’t want to have an elaborate ‘Golu’ display, I insisted that it is more than a festival, it is a tradition and we needed to have at least 5 steps. After reluctantly agreeing, my Father and I started working on the steps. Last year we had bought the stand which would enable us to install 5-step Golu. We started of at around 10.30 p.m. last night and finished raising just the stand’s pillar by around 2 a.m. Then we decided to call it a day and went to bed. Got up early and started finishing the stand by 9 a.m. and then by 11:30 a.m. we had the Golu installed and ready for visitors to come awe at the display.

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