Hello Readers! This post is going to be a little
bit in sync with the festive spirit that's going on here in India! We had Navratri
in the past week, which is a Hindu festival celebrated for nine nights to
worship Goddesses. Here's a little commute story on that!
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There are so many festivals celebrated
in India & the frequency is really high, so there's always
something or the other coming up! Like, how in USA, the span from Thanksgiving
to New Year is, it is like that in India throughout the year, I suppose! Crazy,
right!? So, we had Navratri from 21st September to 29th September this year.
The amazing thing about this festival is that on every day, there is a colour
decided, so if you have that colour of clothes or anything else & you want to be in an
all-festive mood, then you can get on with it & MANY people do it.
Especially women!
So,
one of the days, the colour was red & it was so ... I don't even have a
word for it! I stepped into the train compartment & 90% of the ladies were
in RED! Be it formals, dresses or even sarees! It felt like I belonged
in the group & that I was a part of something. At one point I even thought
that it was like a flash mob situation & everyone would get up & start
singing & dancing. Because, I was that excited with that blood red!
On one
of the other days, I was in train & it was decorated from the inside. There
were garlands & those sparkly wires we use in birthday celebrations tied up
on the walls & ceiling. There were a few posters with the photo of a
Goddess with the text, "Happy Navratri." In the hustle &
bustle of everyday commute, who would have even done that? And who would have
thought of it in the first place!? It really baffled me how people can go
overboard for festivals!
And
lastly, how can I forget about yesterday! There are many places in the city
where there are stages placed & an idol of goddess is there for people to
pray. While I was returning from work at night, I saw this one place. The
entire street was decorated with colourful lights hung from trees. There was a
band playing as well. I saw the idol of Goddess there & it was really
beautiful. Even though it was around 11 PM, I just stopped for a while &
waited there to pray. And again, in that moment, as I was looking at the Goddess,
there were people in some distance praying, there was devotional music playing
& in that moment, again, I felt that sense of belonging.
I might not be as devoted as others when it comes to festivals.
I might not follow everything religiously all times.
I might not know all the words to the prayers.
But, I do know what it means to believe in something & I'm
grateful for that.
Source: Suruchi Kulkarni
Source: Suruchi Kulkarni
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