reminiscing navaratri

[Guest guest]

Thought it might not hurt to add some of my recollections

and references on Navaratri. This festival happens to start

on the first day of sharadrutu or fall that is Ashvayuja shukla

pratipada to the navami. It is also believed that Narayana

and the other gods are supposed to be asleep for a period of

four months spanning from AshADa to Krittika. It is probably

linked to the rainy season spread over these hindu months

which gave little scope for the movement and activity and

that Surya bhagawan gave very little light to the aryans in the

northern latitudes. This probably is one reason that people

generally do not perform marriages particularly during Ashada.

 

The whole idea seems to be oriented towards worshipping of

various forms of Thayar as the Shakti swaroopa of the Lord rather

than disturbing him from his slumber. Usually the whole

'bommai kolu' kicks of with the keeping of the Kalasa with water

containing sandal paste (probably to supress the possible bad odor

after the nine days?), the 'darba' grass and leaves of five trees

like Mango etc. and clay from seven places (don't really know where

the number came from). Let me just be silly and try suggesting this

- could it be possibly be true that after the rainy season with a

lot of clay around the erstwhile artisans tried their hand at recreating

the images of our gods and godesses and went on to depict all of

Narayanas creation in their clay images which we display. The whole

of the nine days seem to be all about praying for 'shakti' personified

as a feminine gender in the form of 'Saraswati' in the south and

Durga in the west. South indians sure do have a photo of Saraswati too

and typically worshipped on the saptami or astami day if my memory

serves me right.

 

As Mr.Sadagopan had written various sects do indulge in recitation

of various Devi oriented stotrams but it is a vogue among Vaishnavas

to read the whole of Ramayana by the khandams each of the 9-10

days with a lot of 'madi'. Is'nt it interesting that we set aside a day

to worship and respect even inanimate instruments and implements that

have been useful to us during the year on Ayudha puja day which

typically is on the navami.

 

Finally on the Vijayadashami it is said that Rama killed Ravana but

on all the previous nine days that he is supposed to have fought, he

is said to have gone to the battle field after praying to his inner shakti

and his steadfast resolve to get back his beloved Sita devi. But on the

final day he is believed to have worshipped the tree 'ShamIvriksha' and

did indeed attain victory. Hence the Shami tree is actually a symbol

of victory in undertakings.

 

I remember all the years I grew up in Bangalore, we would go to the Andal

Rangamannar temple there when on Vijayadashami day after the 'veedhi parappad'

 

of the lord, some small branches of the shamivriksha tree would be tied up

to the coconut tree in the Andavan Ashram there and the bhattar would

take his aim with the bow and arrow. Later the shami leaves would be

distributed which we would hold onto in various places where some good luck

was needed. Most often it ended up between school text books.

 

Dasan

-sriram