Your Navratri Celebrations in Pictures! - Contest for the Month of Oct'08

Dear Srividya Ma'am
Your Golu looks beautiful!!! The Aiyyappan idol is just out of the world!
All the best for the contest!!!

 

Navartri at my house, sit back, enjoy and relax looking at the pictures which takes you back to good old days.

 

Hi

This is susheelarao posting my navratri photos in our house. Bangalore.

We celebrate Victory of Good over the evil. Durga sapta shloki (the seven mantras) is the essence of the Durga Sapta sati (seven hundred mantras). It is very powerful to achieve Health, wealth and education.

Bija Mantra of Goddess Durga is to be recited silently for meditation.
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Hi Anshu,

'Kolu' or 'Golu' simply means arrangement of dolls. Earlier days dolls were made only of clay / mud -- from the earth ! The steps are to signify the stages of evolution .. the number of steps is usually at least 5 to signify the panchabhootas --[earth, fire, air, water & space] or in any odd number as per convenience.

The bottom most step is for inanimate objects like chair, table, vehicles etc. -- here you'll find most of the kid's toys
The next step 2, will display living things like plants, fruits, veggies, reptiles , animals , birds etc.
The middle step 3 is for normal human beings -- sets showing cricket players or a marriage processions or the Chettiar merchants [ most popular to signify prosperity] are usually kept.
The 4th. step are for the esteemed and enlightened among humans, like Gandhi, Vivekananda, Mirabhai, Raghavendra, Saibaba etc.
The topmost 5th. step is for the Almighty -- the Ashtalakshmis and Dashavatars being the most popular in this category.

Other decorations and crafts is entirely upto one's interest and imagination.

We all arise from clay and go back to the Supreme Mother -- this is the significance , according to my knowledge, practices and beliefs. It is a form of re-inforcing the fact that we all came from earth & will go back to earth and thanking the Supreme Power and praying for Her blessings.

Regards.

 

Hi Grace3,
You explanation was really good. Especially the Last two lines. Thank you.

Shobi.

 

Hey Grace3,

Thanks a lot for the nice explanation..And rightly said' last two lines are touching".

Anshu

 

Re: Navratri Celebrations in California - Contest for the Month of Oct'08

Hi,
My name is Srividya and I live in sunny California with DH and 2 kids. This is my 9th year celebrating Navrathri Golu here. I am posting the pictures of the same.

Most of my bommais are 'set bommais'. The first step has the traditional Ganesha with Murugan on one side and Durga on another. The second step has Ramar set and "Adhiandha" perumal and arthanareeswar (new additions this year)
3 rd step - AshtaLakshmi set
4th step - Aarupadai veedu set
5th step - Dasa Avatharam
6th step - Krishna with dancing girls and puttukku mann sumantha kathai (My sister Mathangi has the same set too and she has posted her Golu in this thread)
7th step - Paarkadal kadayara set and Gajendra Moksham.
'Kosuru' (the last one on the floor, technically not a step) - has some miniatures passed on to me by my grandparents. And in the middle is a Mama and Mami in madisaar and panchakajam. I should have taken a close up of those - but i did not bonk

Next comes the fun part - On the side i built Thiruvannamalai village. You can see the malai with ashtalingam, Annamalai and Unnamalai. There is a marriage going on inside the temple and a bharatanatyam with full katcheri set on the other side inside the temple. Outside, on the road leading to the temple, there is a mappilai oorvalam - the groom seated on a vintage car with the band playing next to him. Mrs and Mr. Chettiar have setup a shop too. And then in the front is a traditional village home - with a hut, bullock cart, a field, a pond and a well. And of course there is a railway station too!

Viba, (The doll dressed in blue paavadai) is american born indian raised :thumbsup She is the hostess and gives the thamboolam to everyone!

I hope you enjoy my golu.

~Srividya

 

SriVidya,
Enjoyed your Kolu and your arrangements with imagination of Viba...too..
Thiruvanaamalai set is super...

sriniketan

 

Grace,
Very good explanation..to Anshu and to us in general..
The last para speaks for itself..

sriniketan

 

Mathangi,
Just now visited your sister's Golu..(SriVidya)..and now I am coming to yours...

Nice arrangements, with Aalilaikrishnan, Meenakshi Sundereshwarar Temple, Vilakku Amman and Her Alanakaram..very very nice...

sriniketan