Navarathri – A nine night integration process
Navarathri Nostalgia
Six decades ago, living in a rural area in a village agrahaaram (like the one shown above), as school going kids, we used to wait eagerly for the evenings in the month of October (Tamil month of “Purattaasi” புரட்டாசி) with a glee in our eyes, fun in the mind and hunger in the belly.
Yes; this is the month of Navarathri (nine nights) where we used to have a collection bag, go to each one of the houses in the community who had put up “kolu” (arrangement of Dolls in an odd number of steps) to look at the dolls display.
Yes; this is the month of Navarathri (nine nights) where we used to have a collection bag, go to each one of the houses in the community who had put up “kolu” (arrangement of Dolls in an odd number of steps) to look at the dolls display.
We collect “Sundal” ( a strictly vegetarian snack preparation of proteins in the form of steamed, fried nuts ) making sure to exchange notes on who has collected what variety and from which house and of course about the quality of the supply.
We also used to listen to some wonderful singing by girls and ladies in front of the “kolu” and getting presents. It was fun time for kids; but I guess some serious work for the elders.
The essence of Navarathri
My understanding of the Navarathri is more spiritual now than what I had six decades ago as a kid. Let me try to explain.
Every human being has consciousness (Represented by Lord Shiva) and energy (Represented by Goddess Shakti). Consciousness and Energy (Shiva and Shakti) are both undefinable yet inseparable. Within this energetic realm, there are three main forms of Shakti. The 3 Forms of Shakti are:
• Iccha Shakti – the energy of will or desire
• Jnana Shakti – the energy of knowledge
• Kriya Shakti – the energy of action
During Navarathri, the nine nights are used to identify, work with, purify, and ultimately integrate and strengthen these forms of Shakti within us.
The “Kolu” (Display of dolls)
Of course we need to convey this message to the young ones through a visual medium for easy learning. Hence the display of dolls called Kolu. Dolls are arranged in specific sequences on odd number of steps in a staircase style arrangement to depict the process and interplay of these energies that are continually cycling within us. The steps progressively take us through the stages of our evolution in our spiritual progress as a human being. At the base step, dolls depicting routine mundane activities can be seen. Progressively as we climb the stairs, we can see the dolls conveying our graduation in our consciousness level. The dolls focus on various gods, their actions, themes representing the historical events around the gods and the meaning they convey for leading our lives. The apex level step will have the ultimate integration of our consciousness (Shiva) with the energy (shakti) at the top most (apex) step in the form of two wooden dolls (called in Tamil as Marapaachi dolls). That sums up the learning through the visual medium.
Navarathri – Women and the Music
Inviting, traditionally receiving and honoring girls, women and ladies, presenting them with gifts (as per the capacity of the host) and devotional singing in praise of the three goddesses representing the three energy forms is a tradition.
This brings out the axiom that we should see every single woman as a manifestation of goddesses representing these three energy forms. This also brings out purity in our thoughts that without these three energy ingredients, we would become inert.
Navarathri at Manhattan - 2024
I tried explaining this to my 5 year old USA born granddaughter. She was quick to grasp some of the concepts, quickly organized her own dolls as “Kolu”and did sing a Nursery Rhyme as a Prayer Song. Thrilled at her initiative.
Happy Navarathri.
God Bless