… and we’re busy busy busy.
Thanks to Shruti’s super idea our Diwali cards are all done.
Aren’t they gorgeous?
We’re onto the diya painting now. Will post the finished products soon.
Diwali is round the corner…
N has to be for 'Navratri'
.. the nine nights of celebration. Few other festivals can match this one in colour, music or the sheer energy of it all. What I completely love is how the same festival is celebrated across India in so many different ways. The message, however, remains the same – ‘A clebration of the victory of good over evil’.
In North India:
where I was born – Navratri meant nine days of fasting. At night we would go to see the Ramlila where scenes from Lord Ram’s life would be enacted culminating in Dussehra and the burning of the effigy of Ravana on the tenth day. What fun it was.
In North India:
where I was born – Navratri meant nine days of fasting. At night we would go to see the Ramlila where scenes from Lord Ram’s life would be enacted culminating in Dussehra and the burning of the effigy of Ravana on the tenth day. What fun it was.
In Western India:
specially in Gujarat Navaratri is synonymous with dancing. Over the last decade since I’ve been shuttling between Bombay and Pune I’ve come to realise that no written word or pictures can match the energy of a real live dandiya dance. It has to be seen to be believed. Can there be anything more colourful that the traditional garba dresses? N specially loves Navratri for this reason alone.
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| Dandiya… |
Down South:
people put up the golu. The first time I was invited to one I had no clue what it was. Idols are displayed in a typical step fashion and friends and relatives are invited home. This one is from a friend’s house this year. Strange, isn’t it.. how we keep on discovering new things about our country?
I love the add ons she did just for fun – a village scene
and that cricket pitch – her son’s contribution.
And in the East:
There’s Durga Puja. Maa Durga is believed to visit her ‘home’ during these nine days and what a welcome people give her! Majestic idols of the goddess are put up and worshiped. On the last day they are immersed in water. Bengalis all over the country celebrate it but I guess it’ll be something else in Calcutta, I’ve yet to experience that.
I’ve talked about just four versions of Navratri. Apparently there are many many more… in Goa, In Andhra Pradesh, in Himachal Pradesh… Seriously India is a hundred countries all rolled into one.
Linking to ABC Wednesday
Blockbuster Weekend
What a weekend this has been and N has been the undisputed leading lady of the week. We had some high octane sports, lots of dance, some drama and a bit of action thrown in too.
On Friday the kids had their Sports Day
The Husband excused himself, citing “unavoidable official work” (Lest the quotes don’t convey my disbelief, let me say it out “I didn’t believe him”). He’s a heartless man to leave me alone to witness two dozen races all on my own. After finding a place in the first row (some consolation) and trying fruitlessly to strike up a conversation with the two ladies (also alone) on either side I opened my BlackBerry and settled down for the wait. One of the women had brought along a book and I thought that was a great idea. I idly clicked some pics of the empty victory stand and the grounds, thinking that was all what I would take home.
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| There couldn’t have been a day more perfect… clear, breezy and cool |
The introductory walk started and H passed by me looking exactly over my head waving to God knows who. Then N came along and spotted me right away. She waved so hard and blew so many kisses that the commentator remarked on it. Muah.. to expressive daughters.
And then she went and won a medal.. yay!! It would not have been a big deal if it hadn’t been N. She has been longing for one for the longest time. It was truly a ‘dream come true’ moment for her. Each Sports Day I handle a deluge of tears so I was just glad she was the one who got it. While H, doesn’t normally bother he was a trifle put out with all the attention N was getting.
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| Still can’t quite believe it |
That’s the trouble with having twins. However, to his credit, he handled it pretty well. He promptly cooked up an imaginary injury (on his hand) because of which he couldn’t win!
Saturday morning was the kanjak and N was all thrilled with the morning partying till I burst her bubble a bit with my lecturing. Mums need to do that sometimes.
Saturday evening it was dandiya time, N’s forte through and through. The dressing up and the dancing… what more can a girl ask for? Take a look..
Sunday morning it was Dussehra and the kids made a rangoli thanks to Shruti’s help from Artsy Craftsy Mum. Of course she’d promised it would take 15 minutes flat but they spent much more time – drawing, wiping, bickering, fighting – it took them all morning. A case of two-many-cooks!
Sunday evening we enrolled N for Bharatnatyam class
Although I was a bit apprehensive about putting her in but I completely loved the atmosphere – the puja before the enrollment, the Krishna bhajan that won over N instantly – the Indianness of it all was very very heart warming. Such a sweet contrast to the Bollywood dancing I see everywhere. I need to clarify though, that I have nothing against Bollywood dancing, moreso since I’m no good at any dancing at all! But this was just different. I do hope N takes to it and keeps at it.
And finally to end the day ..
H punched N on the mouth and she came home all bloodied. The cuts inside her lip and cheek seemed too deep so we rushed to the hospital where mercifully she didn’t need stitches. On antibiotics for the week.
Whew!!
So how was your weekend?
The Ganapati story
Ganapati is gone but I need to do this post as a final goodbye till next year. After many many years in Maharashtra this year finally I caught up with Ganapati in as Maharshtrian a way as I could.
If you want to experience the true flavour of a festival, any festival, you should head for the old city area. And so it was to the city we headed when Chaturthi came around. Since the SIL brings home Ganapati we had tons of shopping on the agenda. Yes it’s dreadfully crowded, yes it’s noisy, yes you have to walk and walk, yes it’s hot and sunny and sweaty and utterly chaotic. But amidst the chaos you’ll find some of the best bargains ever. The streets are crammed with merchandise as colourful as the wares of Sarojini Naidu’s bangle sellers. A true treat for the eyes. And you have the added pleasure of haggling shamelessly till you’re blue in the face. Can it get any better?
Take a look…
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| All things glittery… |
This is what we started working with.
And this is what Ganapati’s seat finally turned out. We were pretty proud of our handiwork. Check out that toran – done entirely by the SIL out of handmade paper even while nursing a mother of all colds.
And now for the modaks. We saw so many kinds ….
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| Check out this mega-modak.. |
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| Pick your size here! |
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| …and your colour |
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| The hottest favourites ‘ukadiche modaks’ The ones I tried to make a failed pretty convincingly at. |
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| Look at those wads of notes. I do hope they’re put to good use. |
Waiting for Krishna
A very very Happy Janamashtami everyone.
If you’ve been around here you’ll know that Naisha has a very soft spot for the blue God. If you haven’t, well you can read about it here and here. It was she who made sure we celebrate Janamashtami with great fervour. Not that there’s anything to not like in Krishna. Who wouldn’t love a God who’s as human as one can be?
This year we planned to make a jhanki – one of my favourite traditions from Lucknow where we’d go to see jhankis on Janamashtami night. Some of the professional ones would be gorgeous with real water flowing and idols moving around. It was one of the few nights we would stay up till late. This was also one of the first fasts I ever tried only because it was simple enough to keep – you could eat so many many goodies – yet had the thrill of being ‘really hard’ because you got to eat only after Krishna’s birth at midnight.
This year we’d planned on making a scene from Vrindavan since I wanted to keep it easy. It turned out great fun. The kids launched off with great enthu.. collecting twigs, painting them and sticking on the leaves. They made play dough gopis and enthusiastically offered up their all their toys.
And so here it is.
That’s the backdrop. It is inspired by Shruti’s craft you can check it out here. Thanks Shruti :-).
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That’s the bottom half….
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| The the Yamuna flows bright blue while Krishna plays the flute. |
And then we decided to do another one only because my SIL got me this ‘jhula’ and it was too cute to not use. I couldn’t resist putting it up.
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| A Krishna on the swing, a peacock feather tucked in, a Yashoda put in and we were done. |
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| That’s what he looks like up close |
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| and that’s my Yashoda. |
Looking forward to fun times this evening when Naisha’s gang of girls comes in all dressed up. So how was your Janamashtami folks?