For me Dussera has always meant Navratri Golu- a time when my mom kept 'Golu' a display of stairs with hindu deity idols arranged exquisitely on them. As we grew up these displays started included a park, with coriander plants with a display of plastic animals in them. Mom's '5 step' display would get compared to greater displays in the neighbor's house and we'd keep asking for more!! Most of all I remeber Dussera as being the time I learnt most Indian epic stories!! The first time we had 'Dasavataaram'- the ten forms of Vishnu that symbolizes evolution- from Matsya (Water being- fish), Koorma (Amphibean- Turtle), Varaha (Land animal-Boar), Narasimha (Half animal, half human), Vaamana (Short human being), Parashurama (Full height jungle man), Rama (A man who has developed a sense of values), Bala Rama (A man who has developed physique), Krishna (A man who developed a sense of cunning) and finally Kalki (Man who has begun on the pat of destruction). Stories of each of these were told to me by my parents during the Dussera. Every year we'd add a new idol and hence there would be a new story that was discussed!! Amazing how these stories stay put in your mind! :) Below is a picture of our 'golu' from this year. Yet to buy the 'Dasavataaram' set, guess that will be what I add for next year! :)
This wasn't the only good part, everyday Mom would make 'Sundal'- a simple salad like preparation with boiled sprouts/pulses. 9 different sundals for 9 days.. I remember asking her once on why we needed to eat this and she said "If you want good hair and skin then just eat it". Turns out Dussera is during or just before the monsoons and at this time of the year all the proteins in the pulses and sprouts is just what we need!! This is true of most of the cuisines for our seasonal festivals, after discovering this I have gone on to check each of the specific festival food that my mom would give us and they all make so much sense when we think of the season they occur in! :)
The other thing was having so many people over for' thaamboola'; Mom would literally invite every person that she even barely knew to come home during these 9 days to collect the 'thaamboola'- a set of things that had betel leaves n nuts (for good health by way of good digestion), coconut (for prosperity, coz the poor man anyways can't afford coconut in his everyday food); turmeric and vermilion (for longevity of marriage)- she'd hand this out more as a symbolic way of wishing the person all of these! While as a child I never did enjoy meeting so many people, turns out now I am doing exactly the same thing. The best part is that it gives me an excuse to socialize and get to know all my neighbors. We stay in a nice apartment, but being a 'working couple' we hardly get the time to even look up as we rush in and out of home everyday!! This time around it was amazing to go and meet everyone who stay in our block and turns out we have some fantastically interesting neighbors and some equally nice colleagues who came home!! :)
On the 8th day of this festival we had the 'Ayudha Pooja' which literally translates to worship of tools/weapons. On this day we'd pay our respects to all the appliances at home and our books too. It was the one day when we weren't allowed to use any of them!! Of course we were thrilled we didn't have to study on this day!! But it was sooo painful not having the TV, Car, Scooter, Phone etc...........!! It really increased our apperception of the importance of each of these items in our daily lives!!!
The last day is Vijayadashmi- victory of truth over evil, popularly believed to be the day Lord Rama slayed Ravana. This was a day considered very auspicious and we had to read/study!! Anything begun on this day is expected to have a victorious run and so schools would invite us in for a special reading session! :)
Back in Bangalore, I used to take a lot of pride in drawing out vividly colored 'rangolis'- drawings filled with color just outside our house! In the olden days they's make this from rice flour so it would attract all the ants in the house, out to eat this rice flour. In today's pesticide ridden world, this seems no longer relevant. I still like the color that rangolis add to the scene. Everyday of Dussera, mom would conduct pooja by painting some vermilion and turmeric on the threshold of the house, these were meant to keep the ants out. Of course it also gave the house a very nice pious look! :) The camphor 'aarti' no only adds antioxidants but also keeps other pests out! Same with the incense sticks and wow, does the house smell good! :)
All in all, this year was another memorable Dussera, managed to have my in-laws over the weekend, was good fun to spend some time with Bapa n Amma. My dad couldn't make it to chennai though!! Surprise, surprise- I made Sundal and Payasam almost everyday!!!! And yes, AJ and I have gained pounds!! :P (Which celebration is complete without that??!!)...too bad it is already over! Now the wait for Diwali begins :D
This wasn't the only good part, everyday Mom would make 'Sundal'- a simple salad like preparation with boiled sprouts/pulses. 9 different sundals for 9 days.. I remember asking her once on why we needed to eat this and she said "If you want good hair and skin then just eat it". Turns out Dussera is during or just before the monsoons and at this time of the year all the proteins in the pulses and sprouts is just what we need!! This is true of most of the cuisines for our seasonal festivals, after discovering this I have gone on to check each of the specific festival food that my mom would give us and they all make so much sense when we think of the season they occur in! :)
The other thing was having so many people over for' thaamboola'; Mom would literally invite every person that she even barely knew to come home during these 9 days to collect the 'thaamboola'- a set of things that had betel leaves n nuts (for good health by way of good digestion), coconut (for prosperity, coz the poor man anyways can't afford coconut in his everyday food); turmeric and vermilion (for longevity of marriage)- she'd hand this out more as a symbolic way of wishing the person all of these! While as a child I never did enjoy meeting so many people, turns out now I am doing exactly the same thing. The best part is that it gives me an excuse to socialize and get to know all my neighbors. We stay in a nice apartment, but being a 'working couple' we hardly get the time to even look up as we rush in and out of home everyday!! This time around it was amazing to go and meet everyone who stay in our block and turns out we have some fantastically interesting neighbors and some equally nice colleagues who came home!! :)
On the 8th day of this festival we had the 'Ayudha Pooja' which literally translates to worship of tools/weapons. On this day we'd pay our respects to all the appliances at home and our books too. It was the one day when we weren't allowed to use any of them!! Of course we were thrilled we didn't have to study on this day!! But it was sooo painful not having the TV, Car, Scooter, Phone etc...........!! It really increased our apperception of the importance of each of these items in our daily lives!!!
The last day is Vijayadashmi- victory of truth over evil, popularly believed to be the day Lord Rama slayed Ravana. This was a day considered very auspicious and we had to read/study!! Anything begun on this day is expected to have a victorious run and so schools would invite us in for a special reading session! :)
Back in Bangalore, I used to take a lot of pride in drawing out vividly colored 'rangolis'- drawings filled with color just outside our house! In the olden days they's make this from rice flour so it would attract all the ants in the house, out to eat this rice flour. In today's pesticide ridden world, this seems no longer relevant. I still like the color that rangolis add to the scene. Everyday of Dussera, mom would conduct pooja by painting some vermilion and turmeric on the threshold of the house, these were meant to keep the ants out. Of course it also gave the house a very nice pious look! :) The camphor 'aarti' no only adds antioxidants but also keeps other pests out! Same with the incense sticks and wow, does the house smell good! :)
All in all, this year was another memorable Dussera, managed to have my in-laws over the weekend, was good fun to spend some time with Bapa n Amma. My dad couldn't make it to chennai though!! Surprise, surprise- I made Sundal and Payasam almost everyday!!!! And yes, AJ and I have gained pounds!! :P (Which celebration is complete without that??!!)...too bad it is already over! Now the wait for Diwali begins :D
