INTRO

Navarathri- A Global Celebration (As I Perceive)

Celebrate your life by offering obeisance to the galaxy of the hindu gods and goddess, thereby enrich life with prosperity, power and profundity of knowledge.
Hinduism is not only known for its antiquity but also austerity towards specific deities for specific purposes. Nevertheless all converge at one paramata.

Navarathri is a nine days celebration extolling three forms of Adi Parasakthi. The first three days are for Sri Durga for annihilation of cowardice, diffidence and demotivation; next three days are for Sri Lakshmi for amelioration of poverty and nothingness; the last three days for Sri Saraswathy for wedging out ignorance. In other words, we seek Sri Durga, Sri Lakshmi and Sri Saraswathy for blessing us with power & courage, wealth & prosperity and knowledge & fame respectively.

It is a blissful experience to arrange dolls and offer our worship. It is an opportunity given to every individual to externalise his/her devotion, to exhibit the skill in creativity, to host a member of kith & kin dining celebration. Imagination and individuality play a vital role in arranging Golu. There is no conservative outline to specify the way the dolls are to be arranged.

In our family we have been celebrating Navarathri for the past 64 years. Earlier days, Golu used to be small and simple. It got expanded through the years and now it has taken this shape.

My perception of Golu 2023 in my home:

The theme I have taken for this year is “Shanmatham” or “Shanmarkam” founded by Sri Adi Shankara. He propounded six ways of devotion to attain liberation. Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga, Lord Siva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Parasakthi and God Surya.

My Golu represents the first five. God Surya merges with Saivam and Vaishnavism and Gayathri mantra is an invocation to Surya to bless with intellectual and spiritual effulgence. so separate representation is superfluous.

Part 1 Lord Ganesha
Part 1 of my Golu starts with Lord Ganesa in variety of posses,decoration and of course size. All the other flex banners are prelude to this, to welcome the devotees into this temple of dolls.

Part 2
This part represents Vaishnavism. Instead of just arranging Dasavatharam, the purpose of Avatar’s (as quoted in vishnu sahasarnamam) is displayed. Placing Mahavishnu in lying posture and vishvaroopa darshan at the centre, the dolls of ten avatars are arranged corresponding to the drawing of Dasavatharam. This is linked with Bishma chanting. Vishnu Sahasarnamam is the bed of arrows Sri Krishna’s Gita upadesam.
Contrasting to the serious vein, Srigana Raasa is represented through Rasakrida in Brindavan by Sri Krishna and gopikas.

Part 3
Saktam is represented through multifarious forms of Goddess Parasakthi beautifully decked in each step. As Swami Vivekananda has said, our gods and goddess are never distant power; they live near us and with us. So is our mother Sakthi. She is our Divine Mother, always living as one among us. But these nine days, She is the chief person of our family receiving all types of hospitality(kappa vritha) from us. To be very specific, in my Golu,each Aurnam doll is decked very richly. Goddess Varahi (who is to be worshipped especially in current world scenario) takes a prominent role.

Part 4 Saivam
The divine shrines of Lord Shiva are represented,supplemented with 108 Lingam and 12 Nandis. Yoga Siva. Siva with Sakthi, Dakshina moorthy etc are some representations.

Part 5 Lord Muruga
Lord Muruga is Raja Alankaram accompanied by Peacock, six babies with Karthigai Pengal and the episode of claiming the fruit of knowledge are displayed. The grandeur and exuberance of this celebration is exhibited through Navarathri Mahotsavam.

The Golu commences and concludes with our humble prayers to Kanchi Maha periyava, the omnipresent power.

Hará Hará Sankara
Jeya Jaya Sanlara.

Om Sakthi

Namaskaram to all !!!!
By
Dr. Rajeswari Chidambaram