A Journalist Reveals Creativity, Sustainability and Spirituality – We reveal the unrevealed.
Continuing with yesterday’s post on kumbha worship, some people are beginning the pooja from 21st morning itself. Some people are planning to begin from the 21st evening. Some of them have decided to prepare the kumbha on the 20th itself. Kumbha can be kept on mandasana or a vidhana can be prepared. Otherwise, it can be worshipped as it is. Some people light sesame oil lamps. Some worship with ghee lamps. Some people place both the types of lamps in the worship area. The lamps can be lighted morning and evening. Or a Nandadeepa can be lighted for the entire 9 days. If people decide on the latter, then the lamp has to be taken care of very well. Kuttu Vilakku can be used for worshipping lamps. The lamp is to be worshipped with panchopachara pooja and then only the kumbha and the Devi are to be worshipped.
Nowadays, even South Indians bring one or 2 garbha pots for worship. If this is to be done, then entire green grams are to be sprinkled inside the pots and then the lamp is to be lighted. The garbha pots are to be worshipped with either panchopachara or shodashopachara and an aarti is to be done twice a day. The aarti involves special South Indian style where kum kum is to be dissolved in water poured on a silver or brass plate. In the center, 2 lamps are to be lit. The lamps should be made of brass, silver or mud.
South Indians are also going for another North Indian tradition, i.e. growing jo and placing a kumbha in between. Ladies or girls at home should perform the aarti to the golu, if placed and the Devi. There are separate songs for each of them. They can sing only one song or both.
I have been getting queries if the callers can take the blessings at our homes and then, begin celebrating Navaratri in the South Indian way. However, Mom is very ill and has to undergo a surgery. Even Dad has to undergo several medical tests. I don’t have much time. I am the only one, who can take physical exertion. Even if I try to adjust my time of relaxation to do something at home, something or the other happens. All the 3 of us and our house are in the clutches of black magic. 3 months back I had a bad cut on my finger when I was cooking. The cut had to be stapled and all my work suffered. 4 days back I was helping my Mom for rearranging household things, I cut my toe. All the work again came to a standstill. Also, a distant relative has also been hospitalized in our native place. He is in a critical condition. If something untoward happens, we will have to stop everything.
Thus, we have arranged for Navaratri pooja to be performed at a friend’s place. We did the same last year as well. Hence, we have been throwing out only the stuff kept for social work as mentioned in a previous post. Our Lady of Intolerance and her slaves will be happy about it. If everything is fine, then we will perform the Navaratri pooja at home only from Ashtami onward in a very simple way.
To be continued…
