Navratri and Nine forms of Goddess Durga

After writing a post on the festival of Navratri, As it is fast approaching, I feel like dedicating another post to Gddesss Durga describing all her nine forms. Navratri means 9 nights and 9 forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped during this period. Each day a different form of Goddess is worshipped. Each form has a beautiful story of how she got that name and how she is worshipped. Ofcourse this is just a gist of it.

1.  Shailputri: Shailputri means the daughter of the mountain, Himalaya. In this form we see the divine Mother holding a trident in her right hand and a lotus on her left. She is seen seated on an ox.

2. Brahmacharini: Brahmacharini or Tapasyacharini is Goddess’s second form. The name holds the meaning of true penance and meditation. This form depicts her holding a rosary beads in the right hand and a Kamandalu, a pot containing holy water in her left. 

3.Chandraghanta:Chandraghanta or Shakti. Chandra means moon and Ghanta is the bell. This name finds its explanation in the half-circular moon on the temple of the Goddess that resembles a bell. She is three eyed with ten hands. Each hand holds ten different weapons. She is seated on a lion and is worshipped on the third day of the Navratri . Her hue is golden and her appearance always spreads a calm and eternal peace all round. She is unprecedented image of bravery. 

4. Kushmanda: Kush means happiness and she created the universe with a smile. She is radiant as the Sun and rides a lion. She is Ashtabhuja or eight handed. Her seven hands hold the holy pot, Kamandul, a bow, an arrow, a lotus, a pot containing wine, a disc and a club. The eighth hand holds a string of rosary beads that is believed to provide success and prudence.

5.  Skanda : Lord Kartik or Karthikeyan is also known as Skanda. As Goddess Durga is his mother, she is referred to as Skanda Mata. She is a deity of fire with four arms. She holds her son Skanda with the top right hand and lotus in her lower hand. The top left hand is positioned in a blessing gesture or Abhaya Mudra. She is fair complexioned, seated on a lotus and so also referred to as Padmasana.

6.  Katyayani : Sage Katyaayan was the son of the great sage Kat. He observed rigorous penance and worship of Bhagavati Paramba with a desire to get Paramba as his daughter. His wish was granted. The daughter born was named Katyayani. She has four hands. The top right hand is positioned in a gesture of providing courage while the other hand is positioned in a gesture of rendering a boon. The top left hand holds a sword and the other a lotus. The goddess rides a lion and worshiped on the sixth day of Navratri.

7.  Kalratri : Ratri means night so her complexion is as dark as the night. She has long, unmated hair with her three eyes that are shiny and bright. She has four arms and is seen mounted on a Shav/Shava or dead body. Her right hand holds a sword, while her lower hand is in a blessing stance. The left hand holds a burning torch and the lower left hand is in fearless position. She is known as Shubhamkari or the auspicious one. Her form encourages her devotees to be fearless.

8.  Maha Gauri : It is said that when the body of Goddess Gauri got dirty due to dust and earth while she was observing penance to attain Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva cleansed her with the holy waters of Ganges. Her body transformed into bright and luminous like lightening and so her eighth form is known as Maha Gauri. Her clothes and ornaments are also white. Her visage is calm and peaceful and she is three eyed. She rides on a bull. Her four hands denote different meanings, like the left hand is in the fearless gesture and the lower one holds a trident. The above right hand has tambourine and lower right hand is in blessing form.

9. Siddhidatri : The ninth form is Siddhidatri. There are eight Siddhis (Special powers which can only be attained from severe penance and meditation)-Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Iishitva & Vashitva. Maha Shakti gives all these Siddhies. 

May Goddess always bless everyone! Happy Navratri.

Friends for life!

A friend says, "I'll be there when you say you need me" but a true friend's heart says, "I'll be there... whether you need me or not."

A true friend sees the first tear... catches the second... and stops the third.

Everyone hears what you say,

Friends listen to what you say,

Best friends listen to what you don't say.

While I write this post on friendship I think of some of the best friends that I have had over the years and yes they remain - F.R.I.E.N.D.S for life! These are also the people who understand even my silence forget the spoken words. I have had great memories with each one of them, can't put everything on paper but memories that I cherish.

Srividya is he first of such friends, we met in class 3rd in Cochin, Kerala. We became good friends gradually, and realised that we were great friends when we are in the 5th grade I guess. Many years later she tells me that in the 3rd grade our class was participating in a group dance competition and I didn't take her. God it embarrasses me but you see we weren't that thick friends in the 3rd grade and at that age, only friends can be groups! It sure makes me laugh now.

By the time we were in the 7th grade even our parents had become friends and we have shared that bond over the years. Srividya and I sat on the same bench in the class, got punished together and all the 'firsts' in our lives we more or less experienced together. We had a little gang of girls, about 10 of us in school and those were the best days of our lives. After 12th I came to Mumbai for my studies and then settled here. She did her college in Cochin, got married and moved to the US.  Her parents are close to me and we share an amazing bond. It was such a pleasure when they came for my marriage to Mumbai and gave me away along with my parents, for us in India that's really a valuable and emotional gesture.We may not talk over the phone often but whenever we do it just picks up from the last conversation. Now the internet has brought things closer yet a bit distant too. Social media is used for chatting that has replaced the phone calls. Yes we are in touch through the media. I come from the North of India and she is a South Indian but our love is that of  true friendship!

Then came my college buddies, After completing 12th standard came to Mumbai for higher studies and my friend was Archana, again we remain great friends. We connected right from the day one and we would hang out with a small group of friends. She was almost the same as Srividya. She was a Mumbai girl and helped me settle in the city. Hostel life was fun because of her. We also made weekend trips to her place and her family became my own. All festivals would be at her place if the vacation was too short for me to make a trip to Cochin. Three years of college were memorable ones because of her, Harsh, Gaurav and Arati. Archana too moved to the US for her PG and then settled down there. We meet when she visits India. Again a few phone calls here and there and in touch through emails and now ofcourse the social media.

Snehal was a room mate in college hostel and she was such an amazing person, we kind of complemented each other. I was quite a forgetful person, I still am! She was such a cleanliness freak and kept things in order. Would collect my laundry and at times do the ironing too. I was good at draping saree and making designer bindies, that's what I did for the hostel girls for all the favours that came from them. Kanika was a fun friend and Kavita was the serious one who loved poetry, she was my roommate. We cherish this friendship of almost 20 years now. After college all these girls left Mumbai, Kanika went to Delhi, Kavita to Ludhiana and Snehal went back to Pune . We have been in touch first through letters, phone calls and now of course through social media... this is getting hilarious .. the social media! but for my generation this has been the connecting platform.

At work place, on my first job we were 4 of us who joined the department at the same time... so became friends, Farzana, Arti, Devika and Anjali. Work was more fun than work, we would make mistakes get pulled up at times but when we met we would laugh it off. Lunch breaks used to be good fun with the seniors Anagha, Anamika and Roopa. Lunch breaks have never been the same again! We worked together for almost 4 years then I moved to another organisation. We lost touch but reconnected through what else? ......the social media!

At my second job met Meera and she was a family to me, like an elder sister. She was always protective about me and took care of me. I got married and she helped me through even in settling in with my new family. She took care of me during my pregnancy. Infact I stayed with her for more than a month as there was a long commute between my home and workplace. She is and will remain an elder sister that I never had. She moved to Kuwait city to join her husband there. Again I see her through.... what else? Social media is the answer!

Changed job and moved closer home after my elder son was born and the person who turned a great friend from being a colleague was Ujwala. She has been my confidante. I was a new mother when we started working together. There were always some issues or the other that I'd have, just like any other young mother and career woman. She made me cope with all that so well. Whatever issues personal or professional I had would share with her. She always would be logical and would have fabulous solutions. She has a great level of maturity... though she is only 4 years elder to me! if years bring maturity that is... luckily she still is around, I don't see her in the office though but we are close by and use use the social media to connect further... 

There are also friends who are very special and they all know it. The paper is small and I can't bore my readers to mention each one of them here but yes the heart is big and everyone is quite safe there :). Infact Rajesh became a friend before taking up the role of being my husband. This friendship is the icing on the cake. I don't need to tell him anything, he understands, he can read my mind and thoughts.

Have been lucky to have met these amazing people and I am sure they feel the same about me (on a lighter note!), I know I can always count on them, they are not blood relations but people who are an extended part of my life. Cheers to all my friends! Cheers to friendship!

Thanks Indiblogeshwaris for making me think about these friends that I cherish, it has been a real walk down the memory lane and inspires me to connect with each one of them soon... on phone or the social media.

This post is written for, http://indiblogeshwaris.com/2013/10/that-tuesday-thingy-f-r-i-e-n-d-s/

Colours of Navratri 2013

The festival of Navratri is here and can see all are gearing 
up for the 9 days of festivities. This year Navratri will be celebrated all over the country from  5th to the 13th of October 2013. It's the time for fasting and feasting and pleasing Goddess Durga and seeking her blessings! 


The mantras generally chanted during the Navratras are:

Devi Mantra 1

Sarva Mangal Mangalye
Shive Sarvartha Sadhike

Sharanye Tryambake Gauri

Narayani Namostute

Meaning of the Mantra:

Oh Mother, you are the source of auspiciousness.
And the support of Shiva.
Possessing the third eye of enlightenment,
O Gauri, O Narayani, I surrender to you.

Devi Mantra 2

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Maa rupena samsthita 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Shakti rupena samsthita 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Buddhi rupena samsthita 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Laxmi rupena samsthita 

Namestasyai  Namestasyai  Namestasyai Namo Namah 

Meaning of the Mantra:

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of universal mother

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of energy

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of intelligence

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of true wealth

We bow to her, we bow to her,  we bow to her

This year the Colours for Navratri are:

Pratipada - October 5, 2013 (Saturday) - Grey
Dwitiya - October 6, 2013 (Sunday) - Orange 
Tritiya - October 7, 2013 (Monday) - White
Chaturthi - October 8, 2013 (Tuesday) -Red 
Panchami - October 9 (Wednesday) - Blue 
Sashti - October 10 (Thursday)  -  Yellow
Saptami - October 11 (Friday) - Green
Ashtami - October 12 (Saturday) - Peacock Green
Navami / Vijayadasami - October 13 (Sunday) - Purple

So everyone, Enjoy the festivity and celebrate the spirit of the festival with these colours. Be seen in clothes that have the mentioned colour of the day... to office, to college or to the dandiya grounds. . In Mumbai its a festival of harmony not just the festival of Hindus but a festival of the city.. roads are converted into dance floors in the evenings for the 9 days. The dancing goes on till the wee hours on certain days. So if you are not in Gujarat which is known for its Navratri celebrations with Garba and dandiya during the festival be sure to enjoy the Dandiya in Mumbai.

Happy Navratri to All! 

To know about the significance of the festival and ways to worship Goddess Durga, please read my earlier post http://laxmitodiwan.blogspot.in/2012/10/colours-of-navratri.html

Annamrita - Food as pure as nectar.

I met Rupali Goswami, the lady associated with Annamrita and what an afternoon I had! one of the best conversations I've had recently, the lady was so driven with her passion. I could see the twinkle in her eye and the fire in her belly. A postgraduate in social work from Shanti Niketan, she has given up her corporate job to finally answer her true calling. She had so much of compassion and the cause was very close to her heart, could see that. She spoke with so much pride that she came from the institution where Rabindranath Tagore and Amratya Sen were alumni. It is noteworthy that the institution also has received two Nobel prizes, in its prestigious existence.

She came across as a typical Mumbai professional working for an NGO. We started chatting and she got me interested in her project, Annamrita - ISKON Food Relief foundation. She was here to make a presentation to our students. When she was talking to me in my office I found myself picking up my diary and taking notes, told her that I would love to attend the session. There I was sitting through her presentation with my students.

I really don't know what makes me write this but yes it did strike a chord with me somewhere. Infact one of the students attending the session, asked her why should others look after these kids, when its the responsibility of their parents. This is what even I thought when I was that age but over the years have observed that in the lower strata of the society they don't have the privilege of having a solid family foundation and bonding. The system is not able to sustain itself and may disintegrate as a family unit and then everyone is left  to fend for themselves including the little children. More than financial help they need opportunities, opportunities to make their life, have a future. These children also have dreams like others and given the right platform and opportunity they can shine too. 

Learnt a few things about Annamrita. Here are my notes from the session, Food for thought!

• There are millions of NGOs around the globe, for every 400 individuals there's an NGO.
• ISKCON Food Relief Foundation (IFRF) is a not-for-profit, non-religious, non-sectarian public charitable trust formed on April 23, 2004 and registered under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950.
• IFRF believes in providing children with the right nutrition to support their education. This program is based on the belief that ‘you are what you eat’.
• The Midday Meal Scheme of Govt of India is being implemented by IFRF under the name of ‘Annamrita’. A majority of the population in India is still unable to get even one complete square meal for the day. The khichdi (a rice preparation with lentils) prepared nourishes the mind, body and soul alike.
• One can help every child in India get an education, if he/ she donates that one wholesome meal. 
• Annamrita caters over 12,00,000 meals everyday from  20 kitchen across 8 states.
• The mid day meal motivated students to come to school, before the scheme the attendance was 18 to 20, it  went up to 200 once the meals were served in school, says one of the school teachers in Mumbai. . The reason being children would quit school to earn a livelihood for them. Education broadens one's thinking and prospective in life.
• In India, among the underprivileged, one nutritious meal a day brings thousands of children to school.
• The khichdi is prepared with the highest standards of hygiene and quality ingredients that meet the nutritional requirements of growing children. Different varieties of khichdi are made.
• The meals are prepared at the central kitchen, there are two in Mumbai in Tardeo and Mira Road respectively. The preparations start as early as 2.30 am and the first dispatch happens in the van at 7.30 am and the last one is at 11.30 am.
• The lunchtime is the same in every school so the meal has to reach on time every time. All care is taken to ensure that, traffic jams or vehicle failure are kept into account and ample leeway is given.
• The schools have 220 working days in a year. The cost of each meal is about Rs. 4.50 per day per child, that makes Rs. 900 per child for the entire year.
• The foundation prepares meals for 300000 children everyday  and the food  is dispatched through 99 vehicles across 1602 schools in Maharashtra. Just imagine when these figures are multiplied into  8 different states, Annnamrita is reaching out to 1200000 children everyday.
• The kitchens are ISO 22000: 2005 certified, they prepare nutritious Satvik food in a hygienic environment.

Rupali also informed us that the operating cost of the kitchens is 3.5 crores Each day, the deficit cost of feeding 1200000 children  is about 22- 23 lakhs. There is a need for them to generate funds on a regular basis to manage the same. A lot of it comes from the corporates and individual donors. She has been taking this project to the educational institutions across Mumbai. She says more than getting the funds its creating awareness and a sense of responsibility towards the less privileged.

If you wish to know more about Annamrita please write to Rupali at rupali@annamrita.org and follow the link:http://annamrita.org/

My meeting Rupali was followed by my Colleague Chef Manoj Patkar visiting the Annamrita on a culinary journey, he has a beautiful account of the same narrated on his blog, http://patkarmanoj.blogspot.in/2013/09/iskcons-annamrita-so-true-to-its.html