Day four of the Navaratri festival celebrates Mahalakshmi and Kushmanda. Mahalakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, and Kushmanda is considered the creative energy. So these goddesses together can bestow health, wealth, and creativity!

Today, October 6th, is my dad’s birthday. He would have been 79. And among my mom’s last words spoken were the words ‘happy birthday’ to my dad (wherever he was looking on from) before she passed away on the 7th last year. This year, I am keeping the golu (the doll festival/arrangement for Navratri) in their memory and honor.

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Mahalakshmi and Kushmanda

In southern India, we shift gears on day four as we start worshipping the forms of the goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of prosperity), starting with Mahalakshmi (Maha meaning great). While in the north, people venerate the fourth of the Navadurgas, goddess Kushmanda.

Before I go on to each goddess, today’s color – orange, and the lentil of the day – the green/whole mung lentil

Goddess Mahalakshmi

Goddess Mahalakshmi is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, prosperity, and fortune. She is the divine consort of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, and is associated with abundance, beauty, and spiritual well-being.

Who is Goddess Mahalakshmi?

Mahalakshmi embodies both material and spiritual wealth. She is depicted as a radiant goddess seated on a lotus flower, symbolizing purity, growth, and self-realization. In her four hands, she holds symbols of wealth and auspiciousness: a lotus, which represents beauty and purity; gold coins, symbolizing prosperity; and two hands in blessings, offering protection and guidance.

She is a benevolent goddess, but also one who expects devotion, righteousness, and hard work from her devotees.

A Mahalakshmi Story: The Churning of the Ocean (Samudra Manthan)

In ancient times, both the gods (Devas) and demons (Asuras) sought the elixir of immortality, Amrita, which lay hidden at the bottom of the cosmic ocean. They decided to work together and churn the ocean, using Mount Mandara as the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope.

As the churning progressed, various divine treasures emerged, and finally, the goddess Mahalakshmi appeared from the depths of the ocean, radiating with beauty and grace. She chose Lord Vishnu as her eternal consort, and her arrival brought immense prosperity and balance to the universe. Since then, she has been worshipped as the bestower of wealth, abundance, and good fortune.

Source: Wikipedia

Goddess Kushmanda

Goddess Kushmanda is the fourth form of the Navadurga, the nine divine forms of Goddess Durga, worshipped during the festival of Navaratri. She is known as the creator of the universe, the one whose smile brought life and light to the cosmos.

Who is Goddess Kushmanda?

Kushmanda, meaning “the cosmic egg,” is revered as the goddess who brought order to chaos. She is depicted as a radiant goddess with eight hands, holding divine weapons, a rosary, and a jar of nectar, symbolizing her powers of creation, nurturing, and sustenance.

A Kushmanda Story:The Creation of the Universe

It is believed that before the universe existed, there was only darkness. Goddess Kushmanda’s gentle smile created the first rays of light, which gave birth to the cosmos. She is also known to reside in the center of the sun, where she provides the energy that powers the universe.

Her presence is celebrated during Navaratri, where devotees seek her blessings for prosperity, health, and happiness. She is a symbol of the power of creation and the nurturing energy that sustains all life.

source: wikipedia

Recently

Posts since my last scribblilngs, as I kept my golu padi (steps) at home one day, removed the dolls out from storage the next, arranged them on the steps the following, and added a little bit here and some more there since then!

• Vaaraahi and Chandraghanta + Powerful Connections
• Kaumari and Brahmacharini: Glorious Goddess (es)
• Maheshwari & Shailaputri: Goddesses of the First Day
• Taking Steps Back to the Past and the Present
• Down Memory Lane on the Wondrous Navratri Golu Steps
• The Strings that Bind Us Together (Of Love & Loss)
• Sunday Scribblings #196: Of Love of Verse and Verb

Upcoming

On My Blog and On the Homefront

More posts for the golu this week. And an unveiling of my golu a little each day.

Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)

• Literary birthdays this week include: Anita Shreve, Diane Ackerman, Sherman Alexie on the 7th of October; R.L. Stine and Frank Herbert (of Dune fame!) on Oct 8th; John Lennon and Simon Sinek on the 9th; R. K. Narayan, Kota Shivaram Karanth, Sivasankari, Harold Pinter and Nora Roberts on Oct 10th; Thích Nhất Hạnh and Richard Paul Evans on Oct 11th; Julie Kagawa on the 12th of Oct; Conrad Richter and Emily Gould on Oct 13th
• Mystery Series Week – First Full Week of October.
• National Newspaper Week – Begins First Sunday
• World Space Week – October 4-10
• Freethought Day is October 12 while
• October 13th is International Plain Language Day as well as National Train Your Brain Day

Foodie Celebrations

• The 7th is National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day and National Frappe Day
• While October 8th is World Egg Day, National Fluffernutter Day, and National Pierogi Day
• followed by National Moldy Cheese Day and International Beer and Pizza Day on the 9th of October
• October 10th brings some sweetness with National Angel Food Cake Day and National Cake Decorating Day. It is also World Porridge Day
• The 12th of October is National Gumbo Day followed by
• a celebration of those colorful candies on the 13th of October; it is National M&M Day

Other Celebrations and Observations

• Oct 7th is International Day of Non-Violence
• World Octopus Day is on the 8th of October
• October 9th is World Post Day and National Leif Erikson Day. It also observes International Top Spinning Day, and also National Stop Bullying Day
• It is World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October, as well as Indigenous People’s Day. The 10th is also, being the second Thursday of October, World Sight Day.
• October 11th observes International Day of the Girl Child. It is also National Spread Joy Day, which of course can and should be everyday.
• The 12th of October, being the second Saturday of this month, celebrates World Migratory Bird Day (which is celebrated annually on the Second Saturday in May and Second Saturday in October)
• October 13th is International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Another month-long observation is I’m Just Me Because Month, which invites everyone to just “Be Yourself!”

Related Reads and More

• Check out Amar Chitra Katha’s Gods and Goddesses series for a rich and beautiful exploration of many mythologies, stories, and legends from India
• And Abhishek Singh’s Purnam: Stories & Wisdom of the Feminine Divine as well

Wrapped Up: My Sunday Scribblings

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. And, of course, do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month?

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon. And for the Ultimate Blog Challenge