What are your plans for this Navratri!!

Ami seems so intersting to hear that you here in new jersey .
I am in east bruswick nj.

 

Hi Mals,

Nice thread. You know what it is on the 11th of this month the Navarathri is starting and my daughter's holidays are starting by the 5th of this month. She is having lots of plans for this year's Navarathri. As my son was so small last year I had the Golu in the shelf itself. This year my daughter is not ready to accept it. She wants a good grand Golu and a great park. So I have agreed for that and with the help of our maid's son I am planning to do it in a good way.

Will post the photos of the Golu as and when I take it.

Before marriage and when I was young I used to go to all friends's and family friends's house to invite them for the Golu. As my mother is a music teacher I am always expected to sing atleast one song in everybody's house. So daily during the day time I used to practise some songs as to not to repeat the same song(till date I follow the same). All the pattu pavadais are released and with my brother or father accompanying me I used to go to the houses and invite them home for Manjal Kumkum. (Engathula Golu Vechirukkom Manjal Kumkumam vangika vango). And when my brother started accompanying me he started getting irritated as he will be given a small pack of sundal and no gifts. But my mother used to gift atleast a small pencil for the boys who come home along with the sundal and vethalai pakku. Also the adult male are also given some gifts, a sloka book or a small scribbling pad or a key chain. I too follow that practice after my marriage and due to that my friends or my husband's friends attend the Golu with family (thambathi samethara). And it is always considered auspicious to give Vethalai Pakku to the couples during Navarathri.

My parents used to chant Lalitha Sahasranamam for 108 times during the Navarathri and if everything permits they perform Laksharchanai at home. With payasams or chakkarai pongal in the morning and different varities of sundals in the evenings with puttu on friday (each one's puttu will be of different taste) and Sigili on Saturdays it was a social function cum pooja before marriage.

But my inlaws take pooja as the main thing and till my MIL was alive my FIL will make a Kalasam which will be dissolved only after the Vijayadasami day. Every day in the morning he will do the daily poojas followed by Lalitha Sahasranama Archanai and the neivedhyam will be payasam and Vadai. Everyday a Sumangali is invited home and only after she takes food the members of the house take food. (After her passing away, as both my cosisters are working we invite sumangalis on a Holiday and that too only 3 and not 9 for 9 days). In the evenings along with sundal some mixed rice and Vadai is made and my FIL will perform pooja for all the women folk in the house and we will be served by my FIL and then he will have his food after singing some Bhajans and some songs.

Though we all are in separate houses (we and all the other two elder brothers of my husband), on the day when we had to do the Sumangali Pooja we all join together to do it. Apart from that on any day in the evening my FIL perform Kanya pooja in the evening and the grand daughters are given pavadai chattai to wear.

In my house as I keep Golu separately I invite the friends in our apartments (my daughter does the inviting part). I am yet to do the shopping for the gifts that I will be giving the people who come for the Golu.


I take this opportunity to Invite all ILS for the Golu in our house. Please come with your family and take Vethalai Pakku Manjal and Kumkum.

 

Hi

Nice to hear everyone's experience during Navratri. I am staying in Mulund East in Mumbai. We also keep Golu at home. Now my children are married. Elder Daughter stays in Dubai and my son and another daughter stay in Mulund only. So only myself and my husband are at home. We both together keep the golu. Buy some gift for the ladies and the young boys and girls and give them during navratri with vethilai pakku. Its great fun going to everyone's house for navratri for manjal kumkum. Daily someone or other visits our house also . So nine days will be very busy.

This year a Committee was formed named Maharudra Mahayagna Committee and they had Maha Rudra in Laxmi Bhai School . So again during Navratri on 13th and 14th they are going to have Chandi Homam.
On 13th is Devi Mahatmyam from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 6.30 onwards Bhagavat Seva is there. On 14th morning Ganapati Pooja and from 7 to 11 a.m. different poojas are there like saraswati Pooja , Shashti Pooja, Navkanya Pooja, Dampathi Pooja, Brahmachari Pooja, Swayamwara Pooja etc. are there and from 11 onwards till 2 Chandi Homam. Learned Vadyars are coming from Chennai to perform the Homam. At 2 Annadanam will be there. Those who are interested can attend the pooja and get the blessings of Lord Durga.

viji

 

Hi Rajmi,

Your parents chant Lalitha Sahasranamam 108 times, every day! Thats called devotion. I can understand that we are not able to give so much time due to our work commtiments. I loved your post, it was drafted in detail. Thanks.

 

Hi Viji,

Thanks for inviting all of us. Your days are going to be hectic and colourful too with friends coming in and visiting them everyday. In Vashi, Navi Mumbai, also there are pujas and homams conducted by Samajh . I do not have the schedule but I am sure they are conducted very religiously.

Thanks a lot.

 

Hi Mals,

thanks but not 108 every day but 108 times before the end of Navarathri.

I invite you again for the Navaratri in our house this year.

 

Rajmi,

I may land up any day.. ha ha.. keep sundal, sweets and all goodies ready for me. I am coming to attack the goodies...........

Hi ha hi...... :wave :wave

 

Hi Mals,

Most welcome on anyday. But just give me a day's notice so that I can prepare the goodies a bit more as you are coming to attack them ha ha ha. :-D

 

Rajmi,

So sweet of you... thanks a ton...

 

Hi mals,
so nice of you starting something so interesting as usual.......
god bless you gal and let new ideas come to your mind and you pen down everything......
may be I sound like a bit selfish always asking for more of your writing butI think everybody else also feel so......bring new things always......

I felt so happy to read all the replies and its nice to know how others perform Puja during Navrathri.
But I could not get anything, will anybody kindly explain what is Golu,park,sundal and all whatever written rituals......I am not aware of these things but felt so good to read all these, I can imagine that if reading these things are so much pleasant then performing these will be much more pleasing.......

Let me tell you how we used to celebrate Durga Puja.........
When I was a kid, all these ten days are counted auspicious and everyday some different kind of food will be prepared for puja and the day of Vijaya Dashmi is final day of all rituals.
Day before it, all the house will be mopped and cleaned, well decorated with flowers. We have to clean our vehicles and we used to perform Puja to all mechanical instruments that day as we don't perform Viswa-Karma Puja mostly.
Then for food, ten different varities of food should be prepared and also sweets, minimum ten in numbers......then my papa used to perfprm all the puja and we kids used to clean our things and help mom in small tit-bits. Puja used to last for 1-2 hours and we have to keep quite even kids used to sit silently and watch how everything is performed.......
Frds/relatives were always invited during these occasions. and the puja is followe by a grand launch.
Then evening is all for roaming........going to different pandals and watching the lighting and decoration is fun.
Ok, I forgot to tell you the best part I used to enjoy a lot before marriage...........
ITS THE SHOPPING SPREE........with the whole family......you people won't believe that somedays, we used to go for shopping 10:00 am and would only able to return by 11:00pm night.......
I have to accompany everybody for shopping..........my mom/papa/brothers/mama/mami/relatives .......everybody.............
I enjoyed that so much even if I was tired like anything...........
NOW COMING TO PUJA in USA..........
Forget it.......nothing so much fun at all.......will go to watch Puja near our place by our community........and will have prasad there and then come back to home.........
Shopping?????????? me and hubby did shopping online only yesterday night....no fun at all............
missing my old days of Puja............boooooooooo hhooooooooo........
missing everything of INDIA....all the sweets.all the food.......and all those crowd which I used to hate when I was in India................
regards to all.........and a VERY HAPPY VIJAYA DASHMI.........