Navrathri - Bomma kolu

Festivals are occasions to celebrate the joy, happiness and laughter with family, friends and neighbours. We share our happiness as gifts and sweets; sometimes home-made sometimes ready-made items, anyway importance remain in the love, care and sharing among the people in the society. More than the value of gifts, maintaining the relationship with others is the main attraction I feel related to these festivals. All around the world there are number of festivals celebrated among different religions and communities. These festivals have more than one histories but the main idea will be the victory of good over evil. Irrespective of the continents, that remains the same. Government holidays are declared to celebrate together, for family members and friends to unite to celebrate together.

Navrathri or Dusshera is an auspicious festival celebrated all over India for ten days. Nav means nine and ratri means night so navrathri means nine nights. Houses will be decorated with lights and flowers, and they will do Pooja for nine nights. The historical story says there lived Asura named Mahishasura who pleased Lord Shiva through long term penance and attained immortality. He declared himself to be the most powerful man in the world and became a threat for the Deva ganam. Devas approached Lord Vishnu for help and Thrimoorthi’s( Lord Brahma , Lord Vishnu and Lord shiva) united to take birth as Durga.

Durga was so beautiful in her elegance and Mahishasura fall in love with Durga and moved forward with marriage proposal but she put forward to defeat her in war and the over confident Mahishasura accepted her demand. Durga and Mahishasura fought for nine nights and the war ended when Durga beheaded Mahishasura and Durga came to be known as Mahishasura Mardhini.

 

People keep her idols as well as idols of other gods and do pooja for nine nights and Vijayadhashami, the last day is considered to be the most auspicious moment to begin new jobs and events; children are taught to start writing on this Vijayadhashami. On Mahanavami, ie the previous day of Vijayadhashami, children keep their books for Vidya Pooja and the people involved in various wokr keep their tools for Ayudha Pooja.

Children eagerly wait for Navrathri becasue its the time for holiday. Even during summer holidays children are sent for tuitions and other classes whereas for Pooja holidays they are extremely free to play and celebrate. Once you keep Vidya Pooja and Ayudha Pooja children are expected not to study and workers not to do the work with their tools.In 2014, Vijayadhashami is celebrated on October 3. Most probably the Navrathi festival fall in the month of October. Every year lakhs of children enter into the world of knowledge and writing. Well known writers, priests, bureaucrats and poets are indulged in the Vidhyarambham. Kolloor Mookambika temple is famous for the occasion.

Certain communities are involved in idol making job and annually they appear in city streets and surrounding places with the different types of idols- Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Ayappa, Durga, Sai Baba, Chettiar and Chettichi, Nandi, Ananthashayanam, Pashupathi, Saraswathy, different forms of Krishna,Thiruppathy, ShivaLingam, Guruvayoorappan, Brahmin man and lots more. Sometimes they bring idols as set; Soorya devan in his chariot with seven horses, Rama Sita swayamvaram, Dhashavathaaram(ten avatars of Lord Vishnu; :Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki) AshtaLekshmi( eight forms of Goddess Lekshmi).

They are arranged and decorated based on the creative skills of the households. There are old aged people who have thousands of dolls carried from their ancestors. These idols has to be preserved very carefully as they are made of clay. The guests who arrive to see the Bomma kolu are treated happily with sweets and gifts. The celebrations end with fun and happiness for the family and society. Festivals are the belief of people to live peacefully without dislike and hatred on others.