Journey with me as I continue taking steps back – to the past, and the present as well – and explore the richness of the Navaratri Golu traditions.

Note: this is another post from Sept 29 2014 (was part 2 of the post yesterday originally)

Other memories (the first set of memories is here) that come up are those of the sundals, the sweets, and of course, the dolls and the displays at each house we visited. The same humble bean with the same set of accompanying ingredients takes on unique yet wonderfully yummy flavors in different homes. We did not pause to think of this fact then but enjoyed the sundal. We would inevitably find the 7-cup barfi or the coconut barfi in the goody bag given to us (and the badam paalu served) and that would taste different too under the hands of different chefs.

So What is Navratri?

Navratri means nine nights, with the tenth day called Vijayadashami, symbolizing victory. People worship the mother goddess in her various forms over the nine days: Durga for the first three days, Lakshmi for the next three, and Saraswathi for the last three. The festival features various stories and traditions celebrated differently across India.

In Tamil Nadu, the tradition of Golu involves arranging dolls in steps, starting with goddesses at the top and ending with creatures like reptiles and fish at the bottom. These displays last for nine days, and on the tenth day, one doll is laid down to mark the festival’s end.

Here is one look at my golu from 2014

This post goes went towards ABC Wednesday’s letter K (this is no longer active)

Talking of Taking Steps Back to the Past and Present

This year, October 2nd, being the first Wednesday of this month, observes Random Acts of Poetry Day. Just another of those fun random celebrations! So with that in mind, I am taking steps to the past and presenting a golu-related poem I wrote earlier here (and the golu image to go with it, from my 2021 display)

My Navratri Golu
All the things we’ve to do, everything can wait a while, just hit pause and take a moment to enjoy.
Since you’re relaxed dear friend, look at this golu display, with clay dolls old and new, some favorite toys.
Up there is the popular Dasha Avatar set, down here the Aesop’s tale set hand-made by me.
From my mom per tradition came the Marapachi, while dear mom-in-law gave me her Meenakshi.
~Vidya Tiru @LadyInReadWrites

Taking Steps to the Other Side of the Pond

One of those place I take steps every once in a while – to the hodgepodge on the other side of the pond!

• 1. Hey, it’s October…what’s one fun thing on your October calendar? 
  • Navratri Golu 3rd through the 12th!
• 2. Thursday is National Poetry Day (first Thursday in October)…do you like to read poetry? If so, what’s a favorite poem, or whose poetry do you especially enjoy? 
  • Love this kindness poem from Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The World’s Need

So many gods, so many creeds
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind
Is all the sad world needs.

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

• 3. Tell us about something you’ve seen recently that could be described as ‘poetry in motion’. 
  • Waves hitting the rocks, oh so very rhythmically!

• 4. What’s one song on your autumn playlist? Do you have an autumn playlist? If not, pretend you do. If yes, then feel free to share more than one. 
  • I listened to a couple of songs recently that are playlist material for me:
    • Harry Belafonte’s ‘Day-O’ (an old favorite)
    • and Milck’s Devil Devil (a new addition)

• 5. Share a quote that inspires you this time of year especially. 
  • I picked a couple about family traditions because that is important to me at this time of the year, and found these to have a truth that resonates with me, even the arguments with the dead (in a bittersweet way)…
    • Family traditions are more than arguments with the dead, more than collections of family letters you try to decipher. A tradition is also a channel of memory through which fierce and unrequited longings surge, longings that define and shape a whole life. ~~ Michael Ignatieff
    • In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future. ~~ Alex Haley
• 6. Insert your own random thought here.  
  • Why do we press harder on the remote when we know the battery is dying?!

And Now, the End of this Post

Dear reader, hope you enjoyed taking steps down memory lane with me. Do share your favorite memories, or the place you go when you travel down memory lane.

And given it is Random Acts of Poetry Day, do share your favorite poem with me here. If I get enough responses, I will put together an anthology of readers’ favorites in another post this week!