Guest guest Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 CASSELBERRY, Fla. (USA) (October 9, 2005) - Hundreds of local Hindus with roots from all corners of India and across the world have been coming together at the Hindu Temple of Greater Orlando to celebrate the female side of divinity in a 10-day community festival of color, folk music, song, dance and worship. The annual fall festival, which began Tuesday, honors different feminine deities representing facets of the one supreme God for their triumph of good over evil. The festival continues through Wednesday. The first nine days of the event, marked by worship, dance and devotional song, are called Navaratri, which means "nine nights." It commemorates the nine-day battle and ultimate victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. The 10th and final night, called Dassera, is devoted to worship. At the temple community hall in Casselberry, a rotating pedestal adorned in colorful flowers displays photos of the female goddesses Durga (representing strength), Lakshmi (representing prosperity and health) and Saraswati (representing knowledge). The goddesses are paid homage for three consecutive days each, but their combined attributes are recognized as necessary to overcome worldly problems, said temple member Palavi Jahagirdar of Longwood. "Each day of the nine nights is in honor of the goddess who conquered evil," Jahagirdar said. "All of these are ideals. They conquer the bad." Jahagirdar noted that the mood of the festival is very upbeat because in India it coincides with the end of the monsoon season and post-harvest time. As is the tradition in the northwestern Gujarat region of India, a crowd of all ages gathers at the temple community hall to dance around the deities to a lively beat. The simple, traditional three-step folk dance called garba is infectious, said Sruthi Sarangarajan, 16, of Lake Mary, who likes to bring friends of different cultures to the festival. "You can dance with old people, young people, anyone. It's really free," said Sruthi, a junior at Seminole High School in Sanford. "It's different from other [festivals] in that it's more vibrant and more participatory. Here, the audience members are the performers." Sruthi's friend and classmate, Mitali Jahagirdar, 15, said the dancing is exhilarating but often leaves blisters on her feet. That's never enough to keep her from coming back each evening for more, she said. "You're there and you're dancing your heart away. You completely forget about everything," Mitali, of Longwood, said. After the garba dancing, celebrants take time to pay their respects to the goddesses by praying, lighting a lamp in worship (aarti) and offering fruits and sweets (prasad). Afterward, the festivities often continue into the wee hours of the morning with a traditional raas folk dance with colorful, decorated sticks. Mahendra Kapadia of southwest Orlando is in charge of temple cultural activities and organized this year's event. Kapadia said that Indian folk bands from Orlando, Daytona Beach and India will provide music for the festival, which last year attracted 500 to 600 celebrants per weeknight and more than 1,200 on the weekend. On Dassera, the 10th day of the festival, celebrants devote themselves to prayer and worship. "That's when your attention is solely on God," Mitali said. Mitali noted that Hinduism is a religion of one God, but that the festival honors the strong, feminine aspects of God manifested in the Mother Goddess Durga and the other goddesses. "We worship different facets of God. It [the festival] is worshipping the feminine powers of God," said Mitali, whose family originated from Mumbai in Central India. Color, decoration and a coming together of communities are hallmarks of the festival, which is celebrated differently in different regions of India and around the world. "Navaratri is a really decorated festival. It's very multicultural within India and outside of India," Sruthi said. Sruthi said that in southern India, where her family is from, ceremonies emphasize the goddess of knowledge by commemorating teachers on the 10th day. Ceremonies honoring teachers are performed in other areas of India as well. Devotional music plays a big part in south Indian celebrations. Devotional singer Dr. Vasundhara Iyengar of Orlando learned a nine- part composition honoring the female deities called the Navavarna kirtanas, which is traditionally sung or chanted in southern India during the festival. Iyengar, originally from Bangalore, said the intention of the 18th century composer of the kirtanas, Muthuswamy Dikshitar, was to allow all people, regardless of means or education, to partake in the spiritual aspect of the holiday. "You can just chant this lyric with real feeling and devotion and get the same benefit as performing the ritualistic worship," Iyengar said. Modern-day celebrations in the West may also fuse traditional dance and music with hip-hop, disco and jazz moves and beats. Dr. Aravind Pillai of Longwood said the theme of eradicating ignorance through knowledge is consistent in the celebration and in Hinduism. "The remover of ignorance, darkness, evil -- they are all one and the same -- is knowledge," he said. SOURCE: 2005, Orlando Sentinel. "Hindu festival has feminine appeal: The 10-day event celebrates the female side of divinity with color, folk music, song, dance and worship." Debbie Barr. Special to the Sentinel. URL: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl- sfestival0905oct09,0,7604825.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-seminole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 Namaste, I certainly agree about the blisters! But I consider them a sign of a good time! BTW, still don't know what to do with the red cloth and the betel leaf.... prainbow , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > CASSELBERRY, Fla. (USA) (October 9, 2005) - Hundreds of local Hindus > with roots from all corners of India and across the world have been > coming together at the Hindu Temple of Greater Orlando to celebrate > the female side of divinity in a 10-day community festival of color, > folk music, song, dance and worship. > > The annual fall festival, which began Tuesday, honors different > feminine deities representing facets of the one supreme God for > their triumph of good over evil. The festival continues through > Wednesday. > > The first nine days of the event, marked by worship, dance and > devotional song, are called Navaratri, which means "nine nights." It > commemorates the nine-day battle and ultimate victory of the goddess > Durga over the demon Mahishasura. > > The 10th and final night, called Dassera, is devoted to worship. > > At the temple community hall in Casselberry, a rotating pedestal > adorned in colorful flowers displays photos of the female goddesses > Durga (representing strength), Lakshmi (representing prosperity and > health) and Saraswati (representing knowledge). > > The goddesses are paid homage for three consecutive days each, but > their combined attributes are recognized as necessary to overcome > worldly problems, said temple member Palavi Jahagirdar of Longwood. > > "Each day of the nine nights is in honor of the goddess who > conquered evil," Jahagirdar said. "All of these are ideals. They > conquer the bad." > > Jahagirdar noted that the mood of the festival is very upbeat > because in India it coincides with the end of the monsoon season and > post-harvest time. > > As is the tradition in the northwestern Gujarat region of India, a > crowd of all ages gathers at the temple community hall to dance > around the deities to a lively beat. > > The simple, traditional three-step folk dance called garba is > infectious, said Sruthi Sarangarajan, 16, of Lake Mary, who likes to > bring friends of different cultures to the festival. > > "You can dance with old people, young people, anyone. It's really > free," said Sruthi, a junior at Seminole High School in > Sanford. "It's different from other [festivals] in that it's more > vibrant and more participatory. Here, the audience members are the > performers." > > Sruthi's friend and classmate, Mitali Jahagirdar, 15, said the > dancing is exhilarating but often leaves blisters on her feet. > That's never enough to keep her from coming back each evening for > more, she said. > > "You're there and you're dancing your heart away. You completely > forget about everything," Mitali, of Longwood, said. > > After the garba dancing, celebrants take time to pay their respects > to the goddesses by praying, lighting a lamp in worship (aarti) and > offering fruits and sweets (prasad). > > Afterward, the festivities often continue into the wee hours of the > morning with a traditional raas folk dance with colorful, decorated > sticks. > > Mahendra Kapadia of southwest Orlando is in charge of temple > cultural activities and organized this year's event. > > Kapadia said that Indian folk bands from Orlando, Daytona Beach and > India will provide music for the festival, which last year attracted > 500 to 600 celebrants per weeknight and more than 1,200 on the > weekend. > > On Dassera, the 10th day of the festival, celebrants devote > themselves to prayer and worship. > > "That's when your attention is solely on God," Mitali said. > > Mitali noted that Hinduism is a religion of one God, but that the > festival honors the strong, feminine aspects of God manifested in > the Mother Goddess Durga and the other goddesses. > > "We worship different facets of God. It [the festival] is > worshipping the feminine powers of God," said Mitali, whose family > originated from Mumbai in Central India. > > Color, decoration and a coming together of communities are hallmarks > of the festival, which is celebrated differently in different > regions of India and around the world. > > "Navaratri is a really decorated festival. It's very multicultural > within India and outside of India," Sruthi said. > > Sruthi said that in southern India, where her family is from, > ceremonies emphasize the goddess of knowledge by commemorating > teachers on the 10th day. > > Ceremonies honoring teachers are performed in other areas of India > as well. > > Devotional music plays a big part in south Indian celebrations. > Devotional singer Dr. Vasundhara Iyengar of Orlando learned a nine- > part composition honoring the female deities called the Navavarna > kirtanas, which is traditionally sung or chanted in southern India > during the festival. > > Iyengar, originally from Bangalore, said the intention of the 18th > century composer of the kirtanas, Muthuswamy Dikshitar, was to allow > all people, regardless of means or education, to partake in the > spiritual aspect of the holiday. > > "You can just chant this lyric with real feeling and devotion and > get the same benefit as performing the ritualistic worship," Iyengar > said. > > Modern-day celebrations in the West may also fuse traditional dance > and music with hip-hop, disco and jazz moves and beats. > > Dr. Aravind Pillai of Longwood said the theme of eradicating > ignorance through knowledge is consistent in the celebration and in > Hinduism. > > "The remover of ignorance, darkness, evil -- they are all one and > the same -- is knowledge," he said. > > SOURCE: 2005, Orlando Sentinel. "Hindu festival has > feminine appeal: The 10-day event celebrates the female side of > divinity with color, folk music, song, dance and worship." Debbie > Barr. Special to the Sentinel. > URL: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl- > sfestival0905oct09,0,7604825.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-seminole > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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