The pious festival ‘Navaratri’ is nine night festival. However, it falls twice a year but the most significant one is Sharad Navaratri or Maha Navaratri. The devotees conduct all tantrums to appease nine goddesses, including goddess Durga, goddess Lakshmi and goddess Saraswati. These all deities are the representatives of ‘eternal power’.
South India celebrates it with different names:
In Andhra Pradesh, it is known as Bommla Koluvu. But Keralites and Tamilians call it Navaratri. Its joy and significance enhance for the people of Karnataka. They observe it for nine days and then, celebrate Dusshera on the tenth day. This tenth day is also famous as ‘Vijayadashmi’.
How south India observes it in a different way?
The event of placing Kolu and Kalash (brass pot) makes it outstand. The Kolu is a doll. It represents the goddess ‘Shakti’.
South Indian style of Navaratri celebration:
* It’s a previous night ritual. The worshippers clean the house and puja room as the deity paves in the clean surrounding.
* Festoons are made with the mango leaves. They are tied on all the entrances of various rooms and puja room.
* People tend to keep the kolu dolls of previous years safe. They repair the broken dolls in advance. They renew those dolls using natural colours.
Pooja preparations:
* Purchase a couple of new kolu dolls. The pair (of male and female) includes the Marapachi dolls.
* Kalasha or Kumbha (pot)
* Sweets
* Neivediya (fruits)
* Betel leaves
* Areca nuts
* Coconut
* Incense sticks
* Earthen lamp
* Lotus and Jasmine flowers for goddess Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga respectively.
Pre-Navaratri preparations:
* A night before ninth night of this festival, females design Kolam.
* The Kalasha or Kumbha is kept on the Kolam. It also represents goddesses.
* Kolu dolls are also put behind the Kalasha.
* The kalasha is enticed with jewels, turmeric, sandal paste and flowers.
* Betel leaves, cloves, areca nut, turmeric powder and coconut are placed in front of the Kalasha.
* The prasadam is prepared with neividya, cooked rice and sweet milk.
* A big earthen lamp is lighted before the Kalasha for nine days. It is also known as ‘Akhand Jyot’ since it is ignited for nine days continuously.
How puja begins?
Females take charge of this pooja in the family. The devotees keep fast on these nine days. But the priest-booking can also be done for observing it with holy customs. Let’s learn how it is performed.
* Put all the things in the puja room that have been arranged a previous night.
* Light the earthen lamp.
* Chant the hymn “Om Aim Heem Kreem Chamundaaye Vichai”.
* Light incense sticks and offer homam to the goddess.
* Offer the coconut as well and break it.
* On ninth day, unmarried young girls are fed with the prasadam.