INTRO

We have been celebrating Navratri Golu at our home for the past 40 years.

Our Golu starts with 11 traditional steps with various gods and goddesses.

This year, we planned to have 2 main themes.

Theme 1 : Importance of Nava

• 9 different concepts resembling the significance and speciality of the number 9 which includes Nava Siddhar,Nava Durga, Nava Abishegam, Nava Dhaaniyam, Nava Tirupati, Navarasam, Nava Rathinam, Nava Bhakti with Nava Naanayam, Nava Graham.

• Various family functions like Kalyanam (Marriage), Baby Shower (Valakaappu), Ear piercing ceremony (Kaadhu Kuththu), Shartiyarthapoorthi (60th wedding)

• Short tales - Pittuku Mann, Manuneethi Chozhan, Thirsty Crow, Paati vadai sutta kadhai (Crow stealing vadai from old lady which fox inturn steals).

• Moral stories include cows and the lion - resembling unity is strength, lion and the clever rabbit where the rabbit pushes the king lion into the well.

Theme 2: Culture rich Madurai

• Madurai Meenakshi Amman is arranged using cooking utensils.

• Raakayee Amman, a form of Parvati, situated at the top of the Azhagar hills where noopuragangai originates from deity's sannithi.

• Pazhamuthircholai with lord Murugan, Valli, Deivanai deities which is 6th Arupadai veedu at Azhagar hills

• Sundararaja Perumal (Kallazhagar) temple which is one of the Divya Desam and Pathinettaampadi Karuppannasami

• Kallazhagar getting into Vaigai river

• Thiruparankundram - First Arupadai veedu where lord Murugan married Deivanai

• Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple with Meenakshi Sannithi, Sundareswarar Sannithi Por thamarai kulam and thanga ther (golden chariot)

• Keezhadi archeological museum and excavation site having evidence of civilized Dravidians before 2600 years. It includes ring wells, pots, ivory combs, plates, vessels, weapons, beads and precious stones used by ancient dravidians.

• Kannagi breaking her Silambu in the Pandiya king Nedunchezhiyan's court to prove her husband's innocence that he's not a thief.