Celebrations 31 Oct Mrinalini Watson 10/31/2019 2:28 PM Throughout my childhood, I looked forward to pujo. That was when we got new dresses, skipped school, ate delicious Bengali junk food, and were swept up in the Durga puja celebrations in Bombay (Mumbai). For five days we visited different pandals (tents where the prayers were held) throughout Bombay. But, I only missed four days of school because the fifth day was Dassehra, a school holiday. I knew the Dassehra festival celebrated the victory of good over evil: Lord Ram vanquished King Ravana; Ma Durga slew the demon Mahishasura. However, during a recent trip to Bengaluru, it was our Uber driver who clued me into one of the myriad ways in which Indians celebrate this 10-day period in the Hindu month of Ashvin. He told us about the lavish and elaborate Dassara celebrations in Mysore: the highlight of which is a procession that includes an ornately caparisoned elephant with an idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari in a gold howdah on its back. Our driver was also enthralled by how magical the palace looked when it is lit up with thousands of lights, and offered to drive us to Mysore because he felt no one should miss the celebration. Although our plans for the weekend prevented us from going to Mysore, fortunately Samantha Bennett, a Fulbright-Nenru student researcher did and she shares her experience of the “Dassara celebrations in Mysore, from inside the palace grounds.” She saw “a parade that stretched from 2pm – 10 pm … greetings from the prince, followed by fireworks” and, the turning on of the palace lights. Samantha Bennett participating in a Navratri puja A few other Fulbrighters also shared their experiences. Fulbright-Nehru senior scholar, Rekha Srinivasan, witnessed the Garuda Vahana Seva at the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in Malleshwaram Bengaluru. In the photograph, Lord Vishnu and Garuda the eagle, (Lord Vishnu’s chariot), are being transported around the temple streets. Karisma Chhabria, a Fulbright-Nehru student-researcher based at the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, celebrated Dussehra in Mumbai with her lab family. All “20, or so, departments at the Institute did rangoli outside their doors; creating patterns that were frequently based on themes of reproductive health and other research interests.” According to Karisma, “Each department made their own murtis. Many of the murtis were made with the pipettes, microscope slides, and other tools that are used daily. This is done as a request to have their work for the coming year blessed.” One of the ways Gujaratis celebrate the victory of good over evil during Navratri (the nine days and nights before Dassehra) is through the dandia-raas, a dance which represents the battle between the mother goddess, Durga, and the demon Mahishasura. Samantha Bennett and another Fulbright-Nehru student researcher, Daphne Taranto, did the dandia dance (clicking their sticks with other dancers while moving in concentric circles that go in opposite directions) for many hours with friends in Ahmedabad. Formally performing the mythology is another aspect of these celebrations. While doing some work at Sahitya Academy in Delhi, I discovered an exhibit on masks used during this festival season. The types of performances were Sahi Jatra, Ramleela, and Krishnattam. In Sahi Jatra, a processional form of theater that is found primarily in Puri, Orissa, the performers wear masks, head decorations, and ornate costumes. Performances are held in front of the temple in Puri. Ramleela performances using masks are held throughout the country, but the gold and gilt embroidered zari masks from Ramnagar as well as the brass mask for Ma Durga are exceptionally exquisite.The Krishnattam masks are used in a “ritualistic dance-drama performed in the temple of Guruvayur, Kerala” where a cycle of 8 plays present Lord Krishna’s story—from birth to death. Finally, while walking around Delhi, I discovered one more way in which Hindus pay their respects to the divine in all of us. At a number of places around the city, people were preparing large vats of food and feeding anyone who wanted to partake in this prasad. A couple of links which provide more detail about the different celebrations: https://www.quora.com/What-is-Navratri-Why-is-it-celebrated https://www.tripsavvy.com/ways-and-places-to-celebrate-dussehra-in-india-1539268 Blogger : Mrinalini Watson Host Institute : Rupayan Sansthan Jodhpur Categories : Student Researcher Comments : 0 Comment Related Posts IN SEARCH OF MANDANA / 17 Oct 2017 "JULEY" Lighting the New Year in Ladakh Comments No Comments.. Write Comment Name: * E-Mail: * Website: Comment: * Notify me of follow-up comments via email. Security Code: * tubemate videos downloader download hotstar apk linux bug apk imo android apk sonyliv tv apk root android mobile apk myjio android apk showbox apk fast filmz apk instagram apk Clash of Clans Candy crush soda saga pc download hotstar apk download xmodgames apk android software snape chat for desktop and android apps install viper4android marshmallow install xender for pc music maniac apk download candy crush soda saga pc benefits of orange during winter keep our body warm during winter rid of headache fast without pills centos-7 operating system released tubemate videos downloader download hotstar apk linux bug apk imo android apk sonyliv tv apk root android mobile apk myjio android apk showbox apk fast filmz apk instagram apk Clash of Clans Candy crush soda saga pc download hotstar apk download xmodgames apk android software snape chat for desktop and android apps install viper4android marshmallow install xender for pc music maniac apk download candy crush soda saga pc benefits of orange during winter keep our body warm during winter rid of headache fast without pills centos-7 operating system released