Tag: tradition

Navarathri

~ Apar ~ Leave a comment

My fourth post titled “Navarathri”!!! 2007, 2008, 2011 & this! For those mathematically inclined, predict when my next Navarathri post will be!! Method to madness!

I read my previous posts. Each one had amma mentioned. I had imaginary conversations with her this time! First Navarathri after she left us. She was a stickler for tradition. I knew I would arrange the dolls for Navarathri this year – after the one year mark of her passing away. I was wondering if I would do the for tradition’s sake and place a few dolls near the altar, or do one step with dolls or a small one? Get off my lazy arse and assemble the modular steps?! Choices galore. Placed a coffee table, put the white cloth on it….then decided to add two more steps using my step stool! So there the base was done. Three mini steps!! Now to arrange the dolls… as I unwrapped the paper around the dolls, found almost all being huge! Some were bigger than the steps!! 😀 Finally narrowed down the ones that were going to be placed. I wanted a mix, wanted the old ones too. I also do have a leaning towards the clay dolls from Bengal. They have character….soul!! Set it up with my father. It is #day3 today and am still amused , a little guilty that the “kolu” is tiny – micro/mini!! To add fuel to fire, when I FaceTimed A, his reponse ” Why so small?”. Well that is that! It is what it is this year!

I am left wondering how amma got huge kolus up in a much smaller space in the flat I grew up in. Two kids, this huge kolu, making offerings like sundal or sweets to be distributed to those who visited, small thoughtful return gifts (when internet was a thing of dreams), running the household, dressing me up differently for me to go invite others [ this reduced as I grew up and grew distant], the elaborate kolams in front of our building! Super woman she was. No wonder I never lived up to her expectations!! She was not without her faults. We hardly saw eye to eye, but she was always there to talk to/argue with. I do miss her! A lot!! These festivals make it harder. I now understand why there is a pause for a year after one’s passing away – time to reflect, mourn. I would not have been able to do anything even if I tried I think if I had to set up for Navarathri or any other festival last year! I have been pushing myself this year as I know that is what amma would have liked.

Varalakshmi puja, Gokulashtami done, Navarathri going on…next is Deepavali! With A far away, amma farther away, it takes a lot to do anything! I try do my best, am sure not even close to what my mum did or expects of me! I will try my best to keep the tradition alive as much as I can! Hope A gets the blessings of the Gods & Goddesses!!

So far saw pics/videos of Kolu at a couple of my friends’. They were just awesome!! Apart from the tradition, I like how this festival encourages artists, creativity, brings people together. I have never been to dandiyas/ garbas and wonder how lovely it would be to see the exuberance!! Some day… Ma Durga willing, I can go pandal hopping in Kolkata!

No idea when all that would happen! No idea when I will come back to this space to scribble! Taking (or trying to) things as they come and it has not been that easy for an overthinking me!

Happy Navarathri 2023!!

Happy Deepavali!

~ Apar ~ 4 Comments

A Festival of Lights – well more of noise & smoke and diets going for a toss!

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A enjoyed his Deepavali. I tried to get him to say no to crackers & failed miserably – it was mixed emotions felt wonderful to see the joy on his face and horrible at not being able to convince the kid to be pollution free.
I felt sorry for my neighbour’s dog who was going ballistic.
For my part, I cooked yummy snacks. Our forefathers were good at planning. Make all this…while it rains outside, eat with tea/ coffee. Maybe they could have foreseen a bit more and went lax on the crackers?!
At least it is good to keep the mosquitoes & other insects away ( may be that was their thinking and we in our generation go overboard?! )

time lapse video of A and a flowerpot
Also puts us into perspective that all things come with pluses & minuses. It is definitely a festival that brings all together!

Those who like fireworks , those who don’t. Those who love food, those who don’t. Those who watch all those special programmes on TV channels ( read new movies), those who don’t – well you get the picture 🙂
Happy Deepavali all!!
PS: update on day 43 of 100 happy days (next post may be on that?? 🙂 )

Navarathri

~ Apar ~ 6 Comments

This is my third post of the same title!! 🙂 Trivia…

This made me look at what I had written earlier & when… 2007 & 2008. 2007 I have written about going back & following the tradition (don’t know if I have to laugh or cry at reading this!). 2008 just a wikipedia like note with pics taken from kolu at home. Then 2 years missing & this now!! 🙂

Got no new dolls this year…yet. Think I got a proper Bengali Durga doll the last 2 years when I had not posted. Mum tells me that I had asked for a similar doll better looking one ages ago – but was expensive & we could not afford it then. I like this doll too.

Every year, as we keep the dolls on the steps, we reminisce about how we got the doll. Other conversation invariably revolves around how the quality of the dolls are not up to the mark. I can actually see that here… the dolls we have inherited from my great grandparents look so good even after all these years, but those we got recently are broken, faded. It feels like the artisans of yore actually took pleasure doing the dolls while the newer ones are more of a commercial venture?! Or is it just my random thought?

This year, one small doll is missing (we are in the process of finding out where she is gone…) It is Ganga in the Bhaghirath story of bringing her on to earth! Aside we are laughing at how even he cannot do that now if he tried & may be it is symbolical that Ganga is missing 🙂 The weird conversations we have at home!!!! It is coincidental that in the 2008 post, one of the pictures is of the same set!!! So, we have her at least on that 🙂

I noticed some broken dolls. Was wondering if we discard them… and lo behold Mum & I had a debate ( been a while since we even spoke to each other – we used to have so many of these nice debates – not fights/arguments…but debates 🙂 ) She quoted “maha periyaval” saying He said that something to the tune of do we throw away old people if their limbs are broken or don’t function. My view was…hey these are dolls, we need to recycle. If they are broken, replace them…gives a boost to the artists when you buy, keeps commerce going. This got the response – well look at the dolls these days! 🙂 Guess what in the end, I did succumb and decided to mend the mendable old dolls with quickfix cos they still look good. Even the paint of the old dolls look good!! What did they do – use vegetable paint I suppose?!

Anyways it was one “ok” day. With some work done, debates (& some arguments) – the kolu is up…hope to improve on it the next few days , may be go against my parents get a new doll or 2 or 3 …(and of course find Ganga 😉 ). Must start calling friends and asking them to come over for the “vethalapaaku” . I keep saying I don’t believe in God & I do all this just cos this has been done all these years. I don’t want to influence my son with my views! He has to form his own ones… lets see!!

Happy Navarathri to one and all!

Hindu

~ Apar ~ 13 Comments

I have written many a post talking of whether I believe in God or not. About whether there is any reason behind many of the customs we follow (or at least read and commented on many posts on my blog hopping!!)  I have also read a lot of posts on all this -why must I follow these customs in the name of tradition/religion? What is the meaning behind the way something is being done. Way too many questions.

My mum is not some one who used to say “This is the way it is done so do it.” She was one who used to explain when she knew or she would find the answer. We have had many discussions on lots of such topics. One book that P made me read and said that my mum would like (ok! bring those eye brows down….we have been married close to 8.5 years of which we have been together for 6.5 years of those – so we did have some good talks too!! 🙂 ) was Am I a Hindu? by Ed Vishwanathan. Not a bad read.

Now, my mum is hooked on to something on TV. Initially I did not bother to find out what it was though I know she is not the kind to watch soaps. Slowly I ended up watching the show with her. Obviously the show has something to do with my long winded introduction. I find the show pretty good. It is in tamil by Cho Ramasawamy. Features on Jaya TV  at 8 pm IST. Name of the program ” Engey Brahmanan” (Where is the Brahmin?) 

I find the series very informative. Down to earth. Cho explains various concepts in Hinduism, being a Brahmin and lots more using a story as a baseline. Quotes from various scriptures, explanations in lay person’s terms. So suffice to say I am hooked on too. Feels good to watch something with my mum, followed by discussions (sometimes heated arguments even 😉 )

If any of you is interested, do catch it. I know that Laksh  & Ms CP might be interested…. Catch it 🙂