On Navaratri (Part XVII)

This Dussehra, Mohurrum also arrived this time. Some people performed the visarjan of the worship area the next day. Even we are secular people. Thus, we also performed the visarjan the next day.

People, who had grown jow, either leave the plants below banyan tree or under a pipal tree near a temple. Some people consign the pot with the plants to running water. Some drop only the plants into the running water. Some even place these plants near their own Tulasi plants and grow them. The seeds that come out of these plants are used for the next Navaratri. We also used to do the same. But, this time we performed only the Ashtami, Navami and Dussehra poojas, which was very simple and thus did not grow jow.

I happened to remember an incident of when we were staying elsewhere near Dolly’s place. In the same building lived a Muslim girl called Anisha. There is a photograph of Devi Durga with us where it looks like the Devi is moving toward us on a lion. This girl Anisha loved this photograph so much that she would keep looking at the Devi. She would also say that the Devi smiled at her. These kinds of miracles happen when people have pure hearts.

To be continued…