INTRO

Keeping Golu during Navratri is a deeply cathartic and emotional experience for me. I set aside my professional commitments to create this heartfelt tribute to the Divine Feminine, celebrating the goddess Durga's various forms and the profound power of feminine energy. It's a time for introspection, deepening my spiritual connection to the goddess, and it fills my heart with devotion and joy.

It is a festival where everyone comes together - especially inviting neighbors and friends for haldi-kumkum prasad. This year, I've recreated the Malai Mandir (Uttara Swamy Malai temple dedicated to Lord Murugan) that is in Delhi - a temple I've cherished for years, and the emotions that flow through this creative process resonate deeply within me.

My personal creations include, apart from the temple set-up, enhancing the aesthetics around the Chettiar shop, crafting small clay dolls from Shilpkar mould-it, and meticulously creating flower garlands from paper tissue. These additions infuse our Golu with unique charm and passion. With the unwavering support of my family, even as a parent of two young kids, this marks my 11th year of Golu, and the journey continues to be a labor of love.