Navratri Bommai Kollu - Celebrations

[Guest guest]

Navratri Bommai Kollu - Celebrations

Source: Free press Journal.

By Meera Sashital

 

During these nine days ladies are invited and offered haldi kumku

with betel leaves with huts and fruits. In the morning sweets and

evening `chundals' i.e. different chanas are offered to the ladies.

Kollu festival days are for rejoicing when ladies dress up in their

finery and ornaments and find an opt occasion to dress up specially

their daughters.

 

  On the ninth day, the day before the Vijay Dasami day, the tenth

day of the Dussera, falls the Saraswati Puja. Goddess Saraswati is

the Goddess of Learning and as such books musical instruments etc.,

are decorated with flowers and worshipped. Vijay Dasami or the

Dussera Day, the last tenth day is the auspicious day when all fine

arts like, dance, music, or any new venture in learning is begun.

 

  It is the `Learners' Day. A child beginning his first lessons of

alphabets begins it today ceremoniously. Prayers are offered to

Goddess Saraswati and her blessings sought. Token of Guru Dakshinas

are also given to the respective Gurus. During Kollu, old traditional

women observe "Valluku Anaya" Valluku meaning lamp and Anaya meaning

not going up. That is the lamp or diya once lit is continuously kept

burning for twenty-four hours for ten days. Some people observe it

even today.

 

  On the tenth night after the ceremonial arti and prayers the,

`Marapachi' are put to sleep. And, the next day the exhibits are

packed carefully in cloth or paper and preserved for use the next

year. Vijay Dasami and Navratri are also the auspicious time for

buying new clothes and feasting. Unlike other Vrats, there is no

custom of fasting during Navratri Kollu. As my friend admits,

Navratri Bommai Kollu is celebrated more out of enthusiasm, according

to one's space, time and purse, and more for meeting each other and

purse, and more for meeting each other and keeping good relationship

of all.