NAVARATHRI/NAVARATRI:
Nava means “NINE” Ratri means “NIGHT” – Nine Nights in sanskrit and is celebrated every year in autumn.
In general, there are 4 Navaratri
- Magha Navaratri – falls on Jan-Feb; winter season. The 5th day of this festival is observed as “VASANTHA PANCHAMI” is counted as the arrival of SPRING season and this festival is dedicated to “GODDESS SARASWATHI” is revered through writing, arts and music.
- Vasanta Navartri – falls on Mar- Apr; Post Spring season. All though all these nine days are dedicated to GODDESS DURGA; but GOD Rama and Haunuman also, worshipped during this period as God RAMA was born on the last day of Vasanta Navaratri. It is celebrated as “RAMA NAVAMI”
- Ashada Navaratri – falls on June-July; the monsoon season, this is also called GUPTA Navaratri.
- Sharada Navaratri – falls on Sep-Oct; Post Monsoon. The most celebrated of all these four Navaratri. It is also called “MAHA NAVARATRI”.
The story behind the Sharada Navaratri
The prominent battle that took place between GODDESS DURGA and the demon MAHISHASHURA for the nine days
On the 10th day of the battle, Goddess Durga defeat the demon and celebrate the victory of GOOD over EVIL is “VIJAYADASAMI” also known as “DUSSHERA”
In Tamil Nadu, we celebrate SHARADA Navaratri in a grand manner for 10 days and the 10th day of navarathri we call it as “DUSSHERA/VIJAYDASAMI” which is celebrated in terms of victory of Good over Evil.
Over the 9 days, each 3 days will be dedicated to GODDESS Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi
1st (3) days for GODDESS DURGA
2nd (3) days for GODDESS LAKSHMI
Last/3rd (3) days for GODDESS SARASWATHI
HOW TO SET UP A GOLU/KOLU:
- Golu steps should be 3/5/7/9, it should be in odd numbers
- On the day of MAHALAYA AMAVASYA, we have to set up the golu steps with readymade steps/ using any strong cardboard boxes and cover it with clean white dhothi/ silk saree, the golu step should facing east/ north.
- Start arranging the dolls on this day, if you have any kid at home, give the 1st doll to the kid and ask them to place it in the golu step, it symbolize the golu will grow every year like the way as the kid grows
- The 9 step golu doll details as by books/ tradition are as follows
- 9th step – Pillayar + Lakshmi + Saraswathi
- 8th step – Moola kadavul (Brahma-shiva-vishnu) (OR)
- Navagraha/ Ashta Lakshmi
- 7th step – Sithargal
- 6th step – Human/ marapacchi/ chetti thatha-patti
- 5th step – birds – animals (5 sense)
- 4th step – crab/ insects ( 4sense)
- 3rd step – ant
- 2nd step – sea animals (kadal vazh uyrinam)
- 1st step – navadhanyam / mulaipari
- Typically the above mentioned list should be in our old custom GOLU has, now so many things have changed. You can keep based on the available items/ dolls.
- Mostly people wish to keep pillayar-lakshmi- saraswathi; ashtalakshmi; dasavatharam; chetti thatha-patti; marapacchi; animals- cow; goddess Durga; tanjore thalayatti bommai; GOD Shiva with Family; Radha-Krishna; Ram- Sita
- Down the GOLU step keep the mulaipari
- How to grow Mulaipari at home – 5 days before the navaratri, soak any of seeds of pulses/ green gram/ horse gram/ raagi/ bajra overnight and drain out the water and cover it in a cheese cloth; sprinkle some water whenever it needs and allow it to sprout
- Once it got sprouted, transfer these into the soil and allow it to grow under sun shade. Soon within few days it grows nicely.
// those who are in cold country; use wheat instead of any grams/ pulses; wheat needs less sunlight and it will grow faster//
- The most important thing in the Golu is keeping the kalasam; some people have the practice of keeping the kalasam on the TOP of the GOLU and we have the practice of keeping the Kalasam DOWN the Golu steps and we should keep the kalasam on the next day of amavasya (Pradhamai- Kalasa Time; ref Drikpanchang for details)
- How to keep kalasam ref the link VARALAKSHMI POOJA
- Once we kept the kalasam, we have to do the kalasa pooja until VIJAYDASAMI and later evening, on vijaydasami one of the doll/idol from the GOLU is put to sleep and the kalasam is moved a bit towards north, to mark the end of the year’s NAVARATRI GOLU.
- Prayers are offered to thank the god for the successful completion of this year’s GOLU and with the hope for successful one for the next year.
- The 11th day during the auspicious time, you can dismantle the golu dolls and pack it safely for the next year; also dismantle the kalasam on the same day.
HOW TO PERFORM GOLU POOJA:
For the 9 days, we have to perform the pooja for the kalasam and the home mandir both in the morning and evening with the naivedhyam.
- For the Morning pooja you can offer any kind of variety rice/ white rice-dhal- fresh ghee as naivedhyam and perform the pooja with slokas and mantras
- For the evening pooja, you can offer any kind of sundal along with one sweet (jaggery based sweet- preferably) as naivedhyam and perform the pooja with lalitha ashtotram , 108 times-laskhmi mantram followed by flower/ kunkumam archana. Ends the pooja with deepa aarti and distribute the prasadham to everyone at home.
- You can sing any divine song by this time, after that you can give the thamboolam to the invitees
- Thamboola plate/ bag – manjal-kunkumam; beetal leaves(2)- beetal nut; banana – 1; flower; glass bangles (if); manjal saradu (if); any return gift (bottle/ plate/ pen/ pencil/ etc.,), Rs.1/5/10/-
- At the end of the day, do kunkumam aarti to the Goddess, it should be done for all 9 days.
PRASADHAM IDEAS:
Morning Prasadham :
- Lemon Rice/ Puliyodharai/ curd rice/ ven pongal/ coconut rice/ sambar rice/ kadamba sadam (famous in Tamil nadu)/cooked raw rice- toor dhal- fresh ghee/ akkaravadisal/ sweet pongal.
Evening Prasadham:
Sundal:
- Peanut/ Black Channa/ White Channa/ Green Peas (dried)/ split channa dhal/ moong dhal/ black eyed peas/ butter beans (mochai – dried)/ horse gram/ navadhanyam.
Sweets – jaggery based:
- Asoka halwa (tamil nadu style with jaggery)/ coconut burfi/ coconut pooram/ split channa dhal pooram/ moong dhal payasam/ split channa dhal payasam/ cracked wheat payasam/ thayar ladoo/ mysore pak/ thina payasam/ aval- porikadalai/ poha-roastedgram jaggery (on sarsawathi poojai)
- PANAKAM – the most important prasadham during navaratri.
Golu Theme Setup – sample
// we want to recreate my husband’s grandpa’s village home setup, some of the pictures of that are below., all work done by my husband//
DO’s and DON’Ts:
DO’s:
- Should take head bath for all 9 days
- Light the lamps daily in the morning and evening
- Always light ghee deepam during kalasa poojai, those who dnt have sliver vilaku for ghee deepam use mud/ agal vilakku and pour some ghee on it and light it.
- Try to wake up early in the morning
- Try to take no-onion garlic food( satvik food)
- Wear washed and clean clothes- ladies should wear saree at least during pooja time
- Keep fresh flowers always
- Those who are not able to make prasadham, you can offer kalkandu/ any dry fruits-nuts/ fresh fruits.
- Should read at least for 10 mins on VIJAYADASAMI
Don’ts:
- Don’t shave/ haricut/ hair dye/ sewing during these days
- Don’t do deep cleaning in the house other than regular cleaning
- Don’t change the kalasam mango/ beetal leaves during the 9 days even if it is dried
- Don’t lock the home during pooja time and try to avoid travel places if you are keeping the GOLU
- Don’t turn off the light in the GOLU AREA during night time.
- Don’t study on saraswathy poojai
TIP/NOTEs:
- Usually I soak the sundal items in the morning for the evening pooja.
- Prep sundal podi a week before and powder the jaggery and put it in an air tight container before the pooja starts.
- Buy butter and make fresh ghee on the day of navaratri for the pooja and naivedhyam.
- Always use RAW RICE for naivedhayam.
- Powder the cardamom a week before and keep it in an air tight container.
- List out the prasadham items and store the grocery a week before.
- Also, list out the invitee list and buy the tamboolam gifts and other items before the pooja.
- The above mentioned list/ tips/ pooja description are learned and practiced from my family elders. It varies from family to family, kindly check with your family elders before proceeding any kind of pooja at home.