MYSORE DUSSERA
YESHTONDHU SUNDARA
There is a kannada song on mysore dussera enhancing about the dussera festival.
In south of India, Mysore is famous for Dussera. Mysore palace is very beautiful and gorgeous. Palace is enlightened with full of lights. There is a custom followed by Wodeyar family for several generations offering prayers to goddess Durga. Its special during dussera. Durga is worshipped grandly at Chamundi hills for 9 days .
Navaratri is a festival conducted for 9 days. These nine days Goddesses Durga is worshipped in different forms. First three days Goddess durga is worshipped to ward off our negatives, miseries of life and to give strength and courage, next three days Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth prosperity and last three days Goddess Saraswathi is worshipped for knowledge.
Various cultural programs are performed during these nine days of festival. The programs involved are classical music, classical dance, drama, folk song and dance along with sports activities like wrestling, marathon.
Tenth day is called Vijayadashami day On this day the royal family of Mysore take Idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari placed on golden Howda for procession on Elephant . This procession is called aane savari.
Ramayan story is related to dussera that Lord Rama performed navaratri durga pooja and killed Ravana and the victory is celebrated on 10th day which is vijayadashami . The other story is about Mahabharatha where Pandavas did nine days durga pooja and on 10th day they started their journey for the battle fighting against injustice caused to them by Kauravas. These are mythological stories on Navaratri.
Navaratri is also a public festival like Ganesh Chathurthi. Navaratri is celebrated through out India . Especially in West Bengal its called Durga Pooja, North India its Ram lila, South its Navaratri dussera. Every region the names are different but worshipping Goddesses Durga is same and she is also form of Lakshmi and Saraswathi as well.
In South India, Goddess is called in 9 names Durga, Badrakali, Amba or Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika or Chandi, Lalitha, Bhavani and Mookambika.
In North India, West Bengal different names follows:
Goddess Durga is called by various names on each day of the Navaratri festival
Day 1 Shaila Putri
Day 2 Brahmacharini
Day 3 Chandraghanta
Day 4 Kooshmanda
Day 5 Scandamaata
Day 6 Kaatyayini
Day 7 Kaalaraatri
Day 8 Mahagowri
Day 9 Siddhidaatri
The various kinds of Poojas conducted during Navaratri are:
- Sharada Pooja
- Pustaka Pooja
- Lalitapanchami Vrata
- Durga Pooja
- Durgadeeta Namaskara
- Chandika Parayana
- Navadurga Poojane
- Durga Havana
- Chandika Havana
- Laxminarayana Hradaya Parayana
- Kumkumarchane
- Ayudha Pooja
- Yantra Vaahana Pooja
Navaratri Celebrations and Significance :
Navaratri is festival of Dolls (Gombe habba or Bomma Golu). Dolls are arranged in a row and kept in 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 steps. Dolls are arranged on mahalaya amavasya day evening. First step is always with little place for kalasha, ganesha, Goddess
Durga, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswathi. Second step and following steps are arranged with other mythological Gods theme like Rama and family, Dashaavtar, Aandal, Ashtalakshmi, various Krishna forms, Shettrappa and shettramma with shop, Vadya group, Marriage troop and many more. Marapachi bombe is kept which is a pair of bride and groom kept for fertility. Various forms of dolls and toys are arranged . It could be Handmade dolls, soft toys, porcelain toys, wooden dolls, plastic dolls, cloth toys etc. Golu is not complete without park or zoo or lake or temple etc kept beside the Golu steps.
Each house the dolls are arranged in their own style with different theme story. Kids are excited to do the floor job by creating park, zoo, lake, temple area etc.
Starting from the first day to ninth day of navaratri, pooja is performed morning and evening . Prayers are archane of lord Ganesha, durga, lakshmi, saraswathi and lalitha ashtothara. Special prayer is to read Durga chalisa morning and evening for nine days. Naivedyam is done in morning with sweet dish and at evening usli or sundal. Mangalarthi is done at last. Singing God songs at evening. Ladies and children are invited home and given kumkuma tambula with prasada all nine days.
At late evening kempu neer (red water) arthi is done for dolls.
Saraswathi pooja is done on moola nakshatra day by keeping books and pen for knowledge and wisdom.
Durgashtami day which is eighth day of Navaratri is celebrated very auspiciously by reading devi purana and performing pooja for Goddess Durga. On this day eight kanya girls and 1 boy are invited. Praying them in form of Goddess and offering them with Sweet pongal, Sajjige, Boiled black chick peas usli, fruits etc.
Durga is worshipped in the form of Godess Lakshmi on this day.
Navami day is the ninth day of Navaratri which is Ayudha pooja where all the tools are kept for pooja. Apart from this all the electrical appliances and car also is considered as tools. Pooja is done for all these items. This day is for ma durga for tools or weapons.
Vijayadashami is tenth day of Navaratri. This day pooja is performed. Later kalasha is moved little north side, One doll is made slept which means navaratri is celebrated successfully this year and welcoming the dolls next year. Books are read by children and adults as Vidya arambham on vijayadashami day. Anything new can be started on this day as it is very auspicious. Finally the dolls are removed and packed neatly the next day.
Navaratri is celebration of togetherness . Its ladies and children festival. Very few people celebrate and follow. These days most of them are employed and have no time for all these. They all have faith in God but no time to follow in metro cities or abroad. Modern trend of celebration is giving kukum and tambula for any festival.
I celebrate every year. Its very beautiful and peaceful after the prayers. Its fun for kids.
LET MAA DURGA BLESS US ALL
