A Diwali so different.....Celebrating with Team Umed....

A Diwali so different.....Celebrating with Team Umed....

Diwali, the very word brings forth dazzling lights in front of our eyes and fills our world with luminosity. Celebrations are an inseparable part of this festival. There is much joie de vivre at home with family and friends. However for working people who spend most of their waking hours at office celebrating with colleagues also becomes important. This not only creates camaraderie but also strengthens the bond among colleagues creating a congenial atmosphere at work. 

Thebefore for the last four years at the State Mission Management Unit of MSRLM Umed we have been celebrating Diwali. Of course it has been a Diwali with a difference not because the whole office gets a decorative look but because the celebrations centre around a theme. Last year the theme centred around the forts of Maharashtra and it was heartening to see the various forts of Maharashtra like the Sindhudurg, Raigad, Sinhgad etc come to life.

This year's theme centered around festivals of India. 

On my entry into office I observed a flurry of activity in each section which was working hard to put forth their creative best. Their efforts and creativity were amazing 

Our office had a surprise guest, Ayush Prasad, IAS , CEO ,Zilla Parishad , Akola and it was fun to show him around the office. 

We began our tour with the Convergence cell which had created Holi , the most colorful festival in our country. The team dressed almost like actors of a film were full of life. They welcomed us warmly with natural , eco-friendly colors. I could not escape the coloured speck on my cheek. The whole place was a riot of colors and had been transformed using placards made by colorful hand prints. The Holi Ka Dahan, burning of the Holi had also been made imaginatively depicting the burning flames. The evils of society like untidiness, dowry, superstition, oppression of women, child labour etc were to be burnt in the Holi. 

Energized by the concept, we moved on to the Skills section celebrating Eid. The melodious qawwali and delicious sheer korma added sweetness to our life. As we bowed in obeisance to the Holy Quran and raised our hands in prayer we could experience a feeling of solemnity. 

Moving ahead we were celebrating Christmas at the Social Inclusion Section. Santa claus's joy was infectious with his generous gifts and the popular song of jingle bells. As rightly explained, the Christmas spirit envisions joy and cheer and was similar to what MSRLM was doing by spreading joy among rural households through self help groups. Infant Jesus in the crib and the Christmas tree added charm to the look. 

Diwali time , the actual festival for which we all had gathered to celebrate was being celebrated by the MIS section which had used innovative ideas to transform the place. The story of Naraka Cahturdashi and lighting of lamps in celebration were brought out graphically. The best part of Diwali are the various eatables and the MIS section was generous in having a good spread of Diwali sweets which each of us happily devoured. 

From the world of feast to the world of fast , we were transported to Pandharpur to celebrate Aashadi Ekadashi. As I took darshan of Lord Vitthal through the peep-hole, I was immersed in chants of Jai Hari Vitthal and Gyanba Tukaram. The importance of Ashadi Ekadashi, the Varkari Sampraday were explained beautifully by the team members of the procurement section. Lord Vitthal's chandan tilak symbolizing the Google search mark was thoughtfully explained. 

The Human Resource and Knowledge Management Cell had put up the "Gudi" and were celebrating Gudi Paadva. The Umed Gudi set up by them symbolized the path of SHGs to prosperity. 

The capacity building section was celebrating Ganesh Utsav with Lord Ganesh, the vignaharta emphasizing the need to capacitate oneself through training and refresher courses. The mission's thrust was capacity building and who else but Lord Ganesha as the remover of obstacles could fulfill that. With chants of Ganapati Bappa Moraya we moved on to the Livelihoods Section which was celebrating Dashera. 

Stree Shakti is the core of our mission and the mission depends on its Community Cadre, its sakhis for it's progress. The livelihoods section presented all the sakhis as Nava Durgas. They also created a Durga killing the demon of poverty. The Goddess Durga here was not armed with weapons but was equipped with the Dashasutras of the mission, Regular meetings, savings, internal lending, repayment of loans, writing books of accounts and the social aspects of health, nutrition and sanitation, education, entitlements, participation in panchayat raj institutions and sustainable livelihoods. The team also sang a traditional song, "Gaarhana" seeking blessings of the Goddess for the progress of the Mission and the SHGs . 

The blessings of Durga led us to the celebration of Gokul Ashtami at the administration section where coloufully dresssed gopikas and gopalas waited to receive us. They had created all the episodes of Krishna's birthday and life with waste cardboard and disposed papers from the office. One could make Little Krishna swing in the cute little swing and also listen to his melodious flute. The Gopalas enthusiastically broke the Dahi Handi with much fervour. 

The Accounts Section reflected the Malayala culture of Kerala for the celebration of Onam. The team was dressed traditionally with the ladies looking beautiful in off-white Malayali sarees and the gentlemen in white Mundu. They explained the importance of the ten days leading to Thiru Onam as also Mahabali's penance and his boon of invincibility leading to his ego and its ultimate destruction by Lord Vishnu in the Wamana Avtaar. The celebration of Onam therefore had a message of giving up the ego which the team endorsed by taking an oath. 

The last theme made by the Financial Inclusion cell symbolically centered around Buddha. Between chants of Buddham Sharanam Gacchami we understood the eight fold path of right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right effort, right mindfulness, right samadh and right livelihood,

As said before our mission centres around livelihoods and it was a great feeling to know that the venerable Lord Buddha had also propagated right livelihoods. Our journey celebrating all the festivals ended with Buddha Pournima. 

This festivities were also more exciting specially since we were also celebrating our recent award of Best State and Best Natural Product and packaging at the Ajeevika Saras Mela. 

The decoration, theme, presentation and costumes were marked by a team of eminent judges including Marathi actress Samira Gujar and Mr.Waghmare , Ex Dean of the JJ School of Art. The seriousness of the competition was followed by a fun-filled afternoon of games and fun and of course a lot many prizes. 

The winners of the decoration were declared thereafter amongst much joy. 

Diwali can also be a time for reflection, a time to re-visit our thoughts, actions and words and to get rid of the darkness and negativity. The lamps and fireworks would be illuminating different corners of the world. Just like MSRLM Umed, this light would brighten every individual's home and heart. 

Happy Diwali.....

First timers at Ajeevika Saras : The Joys of being recognized....

First timers at Ajeevika Saras : The Joys of being recognized....

Noor Nisar Begam, a petite woman from an SHG in West Bengal walked on to the stage to share her experiences at the Closing Ceremony of Ajeevika Saras at the India Gate. This was the first time she had stepped out of her home and had come to Delhi for selling the products made by their SHGs. She was now on stage sharing her experience as a first timer. Her calm and cool demeanor displayed her contentment. She said she  was fortunate to have got this opportunity to exhibit her product range of sarees, duppattas, kurtis at the national level. With a team of 1400 women working with her for this cause she was happy at the excellent response she had received at the Saras Mela. Expressing gratitude to the Ministry and the government she hoped to come again. 

Navneeta from the state of Telangana was a first timer at the Food Court. The support rendered by her state and the Ministry of Rural Development had made it possible for her to come to Delhi. Her Hyderabadi Dum Biryani had become so popular that it was the most talked about food item at the food court. She had never imagined she would get such a massive response. Her sales had been really good and her face exonerated that joy.

Priyanka Kumari from Samastipur in Bihar is a Banking Correspondent Sakhi. She was a home maker till she joined an SHG under DAY NRLM, at Jeevika in Bihar. She started her career as a Bank Sakhi who helps the SHGs with banking under DAY NRLM. She soon got selected to be a Banking Correspondent Sakhi, BC Sakhi. Beginning with a commission of Rs.5000 today her earnings through commission are over Rs. 25,000. She was also a first timer at the Ajeevika Saras and was grateful for the opportunity. Her joy knew no bounds because during the 14 days of the Aajeevika Saras mela she had done transactions to the tune of Rs.1 crore. 

Jharkhand's Ruby Khatoon, a Patrakaar Didi, a Journalist was playing a very important role as a Book-keeper in the SHG when she got selected to be a Patrakaar Didi , a communication expert in the community. She was taught the trade of being a journalist and learnt how to write stories of successes of SHGs. She mastered the art of clicking photographs and presenting them in an interesting manner. She also understood how to use social media , facebook, Twitter etc effectively. She started taking interviews of SHGs and publishing them which gave her great confidence . She felt very happy for the opportunity to be at Ajeevika Saras with the MoRD team and the exposure she had in the 14 days of the mela has inspired her so much that she hoped to visit other places to learn more. 

It was also the first time when such a large food court had been set up at India Gate lawns with the support of Kudumbashree. The release of two publications, Homemakers to Foodmakers documenting the stories of the culinary skills of the SHG women and a recipe book, "Flavours from the Heartland" both curated by Kudumbashree were also released on the occasion. It was the first time that Kudumbashree had set up a professionally managed Food court at the India Gate which became the talk of the town. 

The Ministry of Rural Development had set a milestone by being the first to organize the Ajeevika Saras Mela and the Food court at India Gate. As rightly stated by the Additional Secretary and Director General, CAPART, Ms.Alka Upadhyay, the Diwali would certainly be brighter for all the participants at the Saras.  For those people who could not visit the Saras and buy the products, for the first time a website has also been created and SHG products would be available for purchase online at the nrlm.kalgudi portal which was also inaugurated. 

MoRD under the leadership of Joint Secretary, Ms.Leena Johri, was setting a trend by signing an MoU with Mr. Shantamanu, Director General of NIFT to facilitate the betterment of arts and crafts of the SHGs form all over the country. 

As for our state , Maharashtra, it was also the first time we were receiving two awards. One for the best natural food products and packaging by Sanskriti SHG from Satara. Ms.Uma Nikam' s confidence as she stepped on the stage to receive her award as a first timer spoke aeons about the transformation which was being made possible in the lives of millions of rural women due to NRLM. 

Our second award was for the best state and as I walked up with my team to receive the award I was engulfed by a sense of fulfillment. It was a recognition of the efforts made by every member of our team who had worked day and night to make this possible. More than that it was the recognition of all the women members of our SHGs who were toiling hard to make this vision of a prosperous rural India possible. 

To them and to all the first timers , my head bowed in gratitude....

Festival time with SHGs of Sangli.....

Festival time with SHGs of Sangli.....

Sangli, a historical district in Maharashtra is also known as the 'Turneric City' or city of spices. Obviously a lot of women must be a part of this industry. Similarly women in large numbers have become a part of MSRLM. Sangli has more than three thousand self help groups. It has recently become an intensive district with full fledged support under NRLM.
The women at Sangli have been enterprising anyways. No wonder a lot of the groups have come up innovative ideas and enterprises. Some of these groups are presently at the Saras Bazaar at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar with all their products.
It is Diwali time and urban ladies are on the look out for support to make Diwali sweets.
Matrubhumi Mahila Bachat Gat has brought Faralache Padarth that is Diwali snacks to make your life easy. Two other groups have also brought Chakalis, Laadoo, Chivdaa and Pedhas. Some of the groups have brought different kinds of biscuits. Bhajani, roasted and ground lentil flour is also available to make chakalis and thalipeeth.
Winter is nearing and to keep you warm during winters are Ghongadis made from sheep wool by the Hira Swayam sahayata Mahila Bachat Gat. Ghongadis are health products, woolen shawls, blankets, carpets or mats made form sheep wool which are also useful in reducing body aches.
Another SHG , namely the Adarsh Mahila Bachat Gat has brought footwear, comprising of different kinds of chappals.
Diwali is a time for gifting and Janaki Mahila Bachat Gat has brought some Stone and Marble Products. Some SHGs have brought dried raisins and spices which are also useful during the festive season.
The best part is that some groups have brought cloth and jute bags to help you in carrying all that you shop comfortably.
Our groups are also eager to ensure you retain your energies after shopping so one of them would be serving you with delicious Zunka Bhakri which you could savour after shopping or pack and take home.
The most interesting items are the Bamboo Sky lamps, Aakash Kandil from Shivshakti Mahila Bachat Gat. Eco-friendly and in bright colors they could be a better option this Diwali instead of the routine Chinese lanterns. I know, I would certainly be hanging one outside my home and office during Diwali.
Every product brought by the Sangli SHGs would make you better equipped for Diwali and the festive season. So rush to Saras Bazaar at the Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai and get into the festive mode.....

P.S.- SHGs from Sangli will be at the Trimurti Prangan in Mantralay, Mumbai, tomorrow, 16th October for an exhibition and sale of their products.

Feast at the Ajeevika Food Court, India Gate Lawns....

Feast at the Ajeevika Food Court, India Gate Lawns....

The Ajeevika Saras Mela organized by the Ministry of Rural Development at the India Gate Lawns has become the talk of the town in Delhi for more than one reason. Visits to the India Gate have become more colorful. And why not, when Delhites have got the golden opportunity to witness the vibrancy of every state in India  and take home their products or piece of art.
As a therapy, shopping never fails to uplift the mood of any individual. However feasting on good food does much more than that specially when we get to see and eat food which we have never neither heard of or got an opportunity to taste, even in the plushest hotels of Delhi. The Ajeevika food court at the India Gate Lawns is certainly a gourmet's delight.
I had arrived from Mumbai for the inauguration of Ajeevika Saras on 12th October which happened to be Saturday, a day on which I fast. The aroma of various food items emerging from the food court made my mouth water and controlling my desire to eat was a challenge indeed. If not for the variety of juices and Nannari Special Sherbat form the stall by Kerala I would never have survived.
The next day on my visit with my father, brother and his family, I more or less made up for the deprivation by gulping Thaleepith, Puranpoliche Mande, Misal Paav, Bhel and Batata Wada from Maharashtra. The 'assal' marathi flavour pepped my heart and gave me a good feeling. I had explored only Maharashtra food by now and was raring to discover food from other states. And so began my interesting journey in the Ajeevika food court.
I discovered that 18 states including Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand , Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra etc were participating.
The display board near the entrance skillfully informs the visitors about vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods available at the Ajeevika food court.
The well-known fares like Punjab's Makki di Roti and Sarson Da saag, Chole bhature or Rajasthan's Dal Halwa and Daal Baati Churma are there no doubt. Those who love to be safe with their food could also stick to Galauti Kebabs from Uttar Pradesh or the dosas from Karnataka.
My eyes however stopped at delicacies like Baajre ki Khichdi and coconut laddoos form Haryana. Being a vegetarian, Healthy Ragi momos from Jharkhand and Assam's - steamed Pitha and Mushroom special dishes as well as Sikkim's Sel roti caught my attention and their momos and chow mein are also popular.  Tripura's Awan Bhutai is another delight.
Bihar's Litti Chokha reminded of my trip to Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh on election duty as observer where I had savoured this tasty dish for the first time.
For the non-vegetarians there is a whole host of variety. To begin with Kerala's herbal chicken has become a favourite along with Chemeen fish curry. Goa's Chicken Xacuti and the Goan fish were attracting customers. Of course one can never get over the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani from Telangana.
Uttarakhand groups are making Mandua Roti, Kafli, and Jhangore ki kheer.
Chattisgarh had Farah Chilla , Angakar Roti.
Thankfully for the groups from Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala it has become possible to realise that not only Idli Dosa but a variety of dishes were available in South India. So Andhrapradesh has Pootherakulu, a rolled sweet and Sunnundallu, and Karnataka has Puliogare and Masoppu a green leafy vegetable made with daal.
I had to return to Mumbai today and not wanting to lose the opportunity I guzzled on Garadu Chaat, made form Yam,( Jimmy Kand or Suran) and Jalebis form Madhya Pradesh. Wanting to do justice to my home state Maharashtra, discarding my concerns on overeating, I also devoured a Zhunka Bhakri and Batata Wada.
My stomach may have been full but my heart was not satiated. Maharashtra has a variety of dishes like Thaalipeeth, Puranpoliche Maande, Misal Paav and Paavbhaji.
The best part of the food festival are the earthly prices at which they are available. It is possible to eat a variety of food under one roof and that too without burning a hole in your pocket.
The Ajeevika Food Court managed by Kudumbashree is a sheer delight when it comes to management since it maintains the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene for cooking in the cooking area. Every person entering the cooking area wears a cap and apron and washes his or her hands. The drainage pipe line, the tap water provided for the same are well-planned. The cutlery used for serving is spick and span. The plates used for serving are biodegradable and made by SHGs from Assam. The water dispensing machines help in avoiding indiscriminate use of plastic.
The Ajeevika Saras and Food Festival will be continuing at the India Gate Lawns till 23rd October. So pick up your shopping bags and once you have done with the Diwali shopping indulge your taste buds at the Ajeevika Food Court. I am sure like me , you will only come back for more.....

#SARASmeinHUM.....Ajeevika Saras Mela at India Gate Lawns, New Delhi

#SARASmeinHUM.....Ajeevika Saras Mela at India Gate Lawns, New Delhi

Saras, means excellent, the best, something very nice or beautiful. Ajeevika is NRLM's flagship programme promoting sustainable livelihoods through community based organizations. Ajeevika Saras is the signature event hosted by the Ministry of Rural Development, Rural  Livelihoods Divison and CAPART at the India Gate Lawns, New Delhi for marketing the products made by SHG women from all over India.
About eight years ago, the Ministry of Rural Development realised that lakhs of rural households remained under poverty due to social inhibitions and the lack of opportunities. It therefore came up with a programme namely the National Rural Livelihoods Mission which brought in the concept of inclusive growth through social inclusion. This became the largest programme of poverty eradication through social development.
Financial inclusion, Economic Inclusion and Sutainable Livelihoods followed Social inclusion and became the four pillars of the mission. The scheme brought rural women into focus by creating self help groups of women to facilitate their empowerment. Till date more than six crore women all over India are a part of this mission which has grown by leaps and bounds during the last 5 years. It has led to the creation of entrepreneurs producing a variety of products ranging from food and food products to handicrafts and handlooms. Providing markets to them became the next important step leading to Saras Melas all over the country.
Ajeevika Saras is the mother of all Saras Melas and provides a market at the national level to all SHGs. This time in its renewed avatar at the India Gate Lawns, the Ajeevika Saras proudly presents the fruits of labour of the SHGs from the twenty-nine states and nine union territories of India. So from Tamil Nadu in the south to Uttarkhand and Jammu and Kashnir in the North, from Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west to West Bengal and Orissa in the east, and the seven sisters of the North-east one will find exclusive products form every state and union territory at the Ajeevika Saras Mela.
From connoisseurs of art to lovers of textile, from health food freaks to organic shoppers Ajeevika Saras is a haven which unfolds itself in all its glory. It has 500 stalls in the two air-conditioned halls. There are interesting add ons like the puppet show, magic show, one-man music orchestra, kids play zone, street food stalls. Meticulously planned with sufficient space for easy movement  the organizers have been very thoughtful and even made arrangements of a feeding room for lactating mothers. As I meandered through the stalls I realised that Diwali shopping could never have been more easy and interesting.
There are host of mouthwatering delicacies from every state of the country at the Ajeevika Food Court to energize you after shopping The interesting and authentic cuisines made with a generous dose of love by the SHG women from every state is a delight for gourmet lovers. So shop till you drop and eat till you burp.
The cultural shows planned in the evenings are another highlight. The inauguration of the Saras at the hands of the Hon'ble Minister of State of Rural Development, Saadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in the presence of Hon'ble Secretary for Rural Development, Mr. Amarjeet Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ms. Alka Upadhyay, and Joint Secretary, Ms. Leena Johri reached a crescendo with performances by SHG women of Mizoram doing the Cheraw, Bamboo dance. The energetic Singhi Chham or the Lion Dance of Sikkim left us mesmerised and transported us to a different world.
As Additional Secretary, Ms. Alka Upadhyay, rightly pointed out this is an exhibition which everyone could identify oneself with and feel it is their own. So come to Ajeevika Saras and rediscover yourself , #SARASmeinHUM, you will have so much to explore....

Malathi, a loving flower....

Malathi, a loving flower....

I was born seven years after my sister, as the youngest in our family. I am not sure what my parents thought when they named her Malathi. Her name means a flower and it turned out to be so apt.
Among the very few memories I have of my childhood, I remember Malathi always being there to take care of me and protect me. There is nothing similar between me and her. She is sweet and softspoken, and me tomboyish and outspoken. I am an extrovert, raring to go and she homely, quiet and simple. Yes, we are poles apart but the one common chord between us is the love in our hearts by which are eternally entwined.
She is the one who has always understood my quaint ways of thinking, encouraged me and been with me in all my endeavours. She has always been the first one to support me when at times, I got into trouble with my impulsive nature. Many times I would be at crossroads in many of relationships due to my outspokenness. She always ended up cajoling me to think differently. Verily somehow or the other whatever she said always made sense. I never questioned her sensibilities for she always seemed right.
Her strength of character came to my rescue many times. My most vivid thoughts are of the state of my mind after the results of the tenth standard preliminary examination. Maths was never my favorite and much to the annoyance of my father I had got pass marks in maths in my prelims . I was quivering with fright not at reaction of my father but of the outcomes in the board examinations which were barely a month away. However Malathi coolly took it upon herself to make me relax and taught me maths everyday. The outcomes were phenomenal. I not only passed in maths but got more than 130 marks out of 150 which would have seemed impossible to anyone who had seen my performance in the prelims. Subsequently, I discussed with her about leaving science and maths and joining Arts in the eleventh and she promptly encouraged my decision. This gave me the confidence to speak to our father and I happily joined Arts.
As for Malathi she was a whizz in maths and mostly scored centums in the subject. She always made herself helpful in the house and even taught other weak students in our colony. Her patience helped even our neighbour's son who normally failed in exams to start passing exams. She has been known for such turnarounds.
Once I was a teenager and after I joined college our relationship acquired different dimensions. We were more like friends and confidantes always there for each other.
She got a job in the Dena bank soon after her graduation and was posted at Manmad, near Nashik. I used to keep waiting for weekends when she would be back and we would go for a walk to the Tapti river or go for a movie or giggle around at our jokes.
I was in the twelfth standard when she went to meet her would be husband for marriage. She was clearly smitten by him. She came back with stories of her would be husband and for the first time, I felt the pangs of distress to share her affection. Her departure after marriage with my brother-in-law almost shattered me but it was she who ultimately wrote letters to me, talked to me and made me get back to normal. My brother-in-law deserves equal marks for treating me with love, humouring me at times and ensuring that I didn't feel insecure. Slowly, they both became my strongest pillars of support.
Malathi, of course is the quintessential daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, mother and wife anyone would wish to have. She was a working mom who never neglected her home managing her office work and home perfectly. At work she was the most sought after employee in Dena Bank due to her clock like precision at work and her calm demeanor. The branch Managers would depend on her to accomplish the most difficult tasks. Among the many anecdotes she has shared, I remember her telling me about a ledger book which she tallied. This ledger book lay untallied for years and was considered to be task which was almost impossible to be accomplished but she had sat down patiently for days and months and finally tallied it to the branch Manager's and everyone else's surprise. Stories about senior citizens coming to the bank to see her smile and pleasant behavior were common.
At home too her devoted care for her paralyzed mother-in-law, subsequently her ailing father-in-law and her differently abled brother-in-law
are something unparalleled. Most people including me wonder how she silently managed all that.
My mother also found repose in her quiet strengths and loved being with her. For me she is like a Gibraltar rock, solid and steady, no wonder I chose to go to her place for my son's delivery when she and my brother-in-law mothered me like their child. My son, Vishnuchittan was named by her and has a special place in her life. She certainly has the special quality of befriending everyone form a child to adult. Her conversational skills can put everyone at ease.
She is sixty today and our close knit family with our nonagenarian father had gathered to have a simple and homely celebration. Over satvik food and affable conversations, endearing songs and funny jokes we rediscovered solace and joy. As we departed our ways at the airport, my mind was in flashback, reminiscent of every single moment we had shared in our life.
Christina Rossetti has said, " For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands."
Thank you Malathi, with a sister like you, I know this is true....

Navratri : of Nine nights and turning into a new leaf....

Navaratri : from nine nights to turning a new leaf.....

Navratri, is the celebration of goddesses , of Maa Shakti, the divine power whether, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ambe Mata. It sets in with Ghatastapana and continues for nine days till Dashera.
Festivals in India have their own charm but the charm, splendour, vigour and vitality associated with the Navratri festival makes it altogether different. It is celebrated all over India in different ways.
The Durga Pooja of Bengal is well known to most of us. I vividly remember the grand celebrations by the Bengali Association at the Bhusawal railway colony where we stayed in our childhood. As a child, I would wait most eagerly for the delicious bhog comprising of "begoon bhaajaa", "paayesh" and other delicious prasad.
At our own home, Navratri meant "Golu", also known as "Bommai Golu", the display of idols of Gods, Goddesses, dolls, on odd numbered steps, either three, five, seven and so on. Setting up the steps , putting up the Idols and dolls and decorating the area would be a fun-filled activity for me and my siblings. This would be followed by visiting each others homes, singing and eating sundal, boiled lentils.
I continued to follow this tradition with my mother-in-law after my marriage . Her sudden demise in 2001 left a void and disrupted it. Four years later, intuitively I had a desire to restart the tradition and we restarted keeping Golu. That was fifteen years ago, there has been no looking back since then.
Of course the festival has been lucky for us in more than one way. We regained our joys of meeting up with family and friends and celebrating Navratri together. However the biggest blessing was the birth of our son, Vishnuchittan. He is fourteen now and this is the fifteenth year of Navratri Golu at our place. Each year thereafter has been special and magical with camaraderie and much joie de vivre.
Most families in South India celebrate Navratri Bommai Golu, with vettalai paaku, haldi kumkum along with "sundal", boiled lentils and sing devotional songs.
The festival has a vibrant dimension in Gujarat with the famous Garba and Dandiya. The Garba or Garbi is a decorated earthen pot which symbolizes life and Maa Shakti. It is worshipped on all the nine days of the festival. Dandiya are colorful sticks used in rhythm while dancing giving it a zesty fervour.
Navratri Raas Dandiyas in Ahmedabad and Mumbai are the most happening places to hang out on all nine days.
So from Durga Pooja in the east to Garba in the west, from Golu in the south to Navratri in the north , the whole country is immersed in revelry till Dashera.
Navratri also signifies Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura, of good over evil.
Ram Lila and the burning of the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad on Dashera also signifies the victory of the good over evil.
Goddess Saraswati worshipped on Saraswati Pooja day epitomises knowledge and learning for students and also includes worshipping of the instruments by those using it as Aayudh Pooja.
Navratri could also mean "new" night. It could be the beginning of our transformation, our desire to do something new or give up our grudges.
Like the burning of Ravana we could burn our negative thoughts and fill our minds with positivity. We could pledge to give up our bad habits and adapt better living. We could pledge giving up on plastic and propagate protection of the environment. We could plant new trees and nurture them.
This Navratri let us resolve to do our bit for our Matrubhumi,  our planet, mother earth and for our country.
May it be a new beginning not only for greater glory and prosperity but also for peace and serenity. May it be the beginning of a new era.
Happy Navratri.....