Waghbil : mood upbeat in Navratri
RAGHAVENDRA ODEYAR
The Akhil Ghodbunder Road Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti has been celebrating Navratotsav for the last two years. Speaking to KYT, the Samiti’s secretary Ajay Jagtap said, “Navratrotsav is not just Garba and Dandiya, as is commonly understood. Navratri, meaning nine nights in Sanskrit, is a nine-day-long festival dedicated to Goddess Shakti (feminine power). The festival is associated with the battle between Durga and the demon Mahishasura to celebrate the victory of good over evil. These nine days are solely dedicated to Durga and her nine avatars – the Navadurga.”
Ghodbunder Road is like a metropolitan hub where skyscrapers and shanties co-exist, and people from various parts of the country have settled here. Whereas we see lakhs of people descending on roads on Ganapati immersion day in Mumbai, we don’t see such scenes on GB Road since most residents celebrate festivals indoors. “We endeavour to make this festival public and attract all sections of the society. In the Hindu religion, we have people from different casts and sub-casts. By celebrating Pooja together in a public place, we unite the people from all sections,” added Jagtap.
People from different parts of the country have different ways of worshipping the Goddess Shakti. The Gujaratis and Northern people celebrate Mata ki Chowki – a holy event that consists of songs and bhents (devotional songs) praising the Divine Mother Goddess Durga sung by her devotees. They worship and invoke her to come and provide them protection, love, and spiritual awakening for the attainment of Moksha.
Gondhal and Kirtan are popular in Maharashtra. In West Bengal, it is celebrated as Durga Pooja and Sindhoor ka Khela. In Northern India and Rajasthan, an effigy of Ravana is burnt to signify the victory of good over evil. In Kerala, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped in the form of books. The Akhil Ghodbunder Road Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti’s purpose is to bring the various forms of worship under a single roof by having a pandal and installing the idol of the Goddess Shakti. To mark the 75th year of Independence, pictures of 75 freedom fighters were displayed in the pandal. “Last year, 18 families congregated here to perform Ashtami Havan. It was a rare scene,” added Jagtap.
Holding Navratri publicly is to pass on our hoary traditions to Gen Z and Alpha. The Samiti has arranged quiz and drawing competitions in different age categories to involve youngsters. They will also perform the ritual of burning Ravana’s effigy on Dussera day.