Celebrations spread over nine auspicious nights to mark the victory of good over evil also known as Navarathri begin today.
In Tamil Nadu Navarathri is celebrated by setting up a gallery of handcrafted dolls representing major deities, scenes from everyday life, thematic doll sets representing mythological events or even modern day happenings and so on. Arrangements of dolls are always in odd numbered levels and are accompanied by home grown ragi and other handcrafted themes on the side. A golden glow of sesame oil lit lamps graces the kolu in the evening and a simple puja is performed. Women visit each others homes to see the kolu. It’s a norm to be asked to sing especially if one is young – the knowledge of music was once upon a time considered indispensable for a “nalla ponnu” (good girl). In essence Navarathri is all about creativity and socializing – there is no ritual apart from the ritual of being expected to be creative.
Neiveidyam or Prasaadam is Sundal – each day a dry bean/legume is cooked with mustard seeds and coconut. Guests are seen off with offerings of chandanam (sandalwood paste), Kumkumam and Tambulam (Betel Leaves with Coconut Mustard and Arecanuts).
In another more detailed post we’ll give you glimpse of a real kolu and share recipes we prepare for Navarathri, for now we start our celebrations with a tiny kolu we put together for sharing with our readers.
Navarathri wishes to all our readers!!
I am interested in keeping a golu and visiting golus.It is a pleasure to keep and watch golu…Very much keen to see the golu of urs..:))Thanx lakshmi!
lakshmi and latha,
dassera wishes to ur family and friends and to u both 🙂
Dear Latha and Lakshmi
Wish you all a very happy navratri celebration. I miss this festival at home, as my mom keeps kalash devi for all the nine days 🙂 Missing badly all the festive atmosphere in India…here everything is so blant!
Awaiting to see more pictures on your “Bommala Kollu”
Padma
Happy Dasara to all of you. Bombe habba, I remember vaguely. It must lot of fun there at this time. You have a good collection!:))
Have a great weekend, hugs to you.
A very happy Dasara to you and your family…Enjoy…Have a blast……Wish I were in India now….I am feeling very nostalgic……..home-sick…booo……hooo…..
I bet this golu pic is just the trailor..the real action is yet to come right… Waiting to see ur golu pics..
Happy Navarathiri wishes to both of you. The different poses of vinayakas look so cute. Will wait for your next pic of bomma kollu.
Happy Navrathri wishes to you and your family too
Happy Navarathri wishes to you…Bommala koluvu looks pretty n those little Ganeshas are cute..
Kolu looks beautiful..Wish u happy navarathri.
this reminds me of my grandmom who keep kolu at home. she used to have a huge collection of toys and dolls. I was a little girl and used to accompany her to all the mami’s houses to have sundal and watch their kolu. I sometimes feel all those traditions are slowly vanishing. thanks for the nice post.
happy navarathiri lathamma…cute n lovley golu..i’m feeling nostalgic…..grandma keeps golu wid atleast ten steps…n lots of variety prasdhams….hmmm feeling homesick
Best wishes for the festival season!
Lakshmi,
Navarathri wishes to you and your family! The golu looks very nice…waiting to see the entire set of dolls…
appa..only now my browser loaded properly…the new layout rocks da…looks very appealing and yummy!!..:))..now this looks more like The Yum Blog …blogging about yum things in life…
Navarathri wishes to you and ur family ma :)..
Event thane…partcipate pannanuma venamannu kozhappathulathan irukken…ippo than mail pannen…550 pixels resize pannappo image suthama nalla illa..pakka sahikkala..LOL..seri summa participation avvalode first event illaya..:)
kasu thane…pinne…I always pester suganya with doubts regarding photography and photo editing…romba pesuna nan mattikkuven…enge en panam nnu kettiduvange madam..:)
event le neengala..looking forward!!(nalla yosiyunge…golu ellam vachuttu aathula mutte kitte ellam vonuma nnu..:) :))just joking…really looking forward ma..:)
Awesome pics lakshmi… My mom used to put these “dolls” for Sankranthi instead of Dussehra…. When I was a child, I always wondered what should I for dussehra apart from durga pooja.. hehe.. :)…
The pics in the header ( esp the theertam pic) is awesome da.. looks so divine..
and Wishing you and Lathaamma a very happy Dussehra..:D
Happy Dasara, Lakshmi and Latha..
photo looks lovely…
Hi Latha!
Thanks for the lovely post.I was not regular on blog hopping these days as i was very busy with other things.But I was thinking abt you whether u kept kolu or not as dussera already started and I wanted to ask you to share your kolu pics.Thanks Latha!You fulfilled my wish and this certainly was an eye candy for me.Plz share more pics if possible
Madhavi
Good triumphing over evil? That is cause for celebration! Thank you. You are teaching me so much about South India. Emily
Lakshmi…
The link for the brownies you have given and made for “the bloggers lunch out” is not working..
is it the same you posted recently..(eggless microwave brownies…if my memory is right??)..
Ladies! I love, love, love the new look of your blog!
Thanks Cynthia :D, will retain for a longer time now.
Happy Navaratri… miss the golu. 🙂
Thanks Lathaamma for dropping by… Glad you liked my post on Egg.. Just out of sheer enthu, I sent my entry to CLICK.:)
My job hunt is going good and will let you first know when something clicks.. 😀
Happy Navrathri LathaN. Hope your mother is doing well. Viji
Oh this is veryyyy pretty
You are cordially invited to Navaratri and Dussehra websites
I am set to launch a website on Vijaya Dasami य Dussehra.
I learnt from net this greeting of you on Dussehra.
You yourself can put more news/greeting on the upcoming site to be launched at 20.10.2007 / 6 PM IST i.e. 16 Hours from now or tell me more what you think about Dussehra / Viajaya Dasami so I may put it in the site on Dussehra on your behalf.
The site name will be announced via http://www.ChhattisgarhNews.info.
You can learn more about my website series there.
Cute collection of dolls.
I would have enjoyed if in India.
Wearing pattu paavadai and inviting everyone for the gollu is really fun (while in childhood).
I managed to prepare sundal alone.
Hai
Can some one help me how to keep golu at home , what are the pujas to be carried out and how, I am Chitra married recently . south Indian but my mum has not done these rituals before at home , But I would like to carry out our tradtion .
Pls let me know.
Thanking you in advance and my Navarathri wishes to you and your family.
hai
i like to keep golu in our house
can u please explain the procedures to keep golu and the ritules to be done
pls reply
Nice post. I came to your blog from google searching ‘why to put golu in navarathri’? Not sure I found the answer of why.. do you know…
but I like your descriptions. Nice Kolu photo.. we are readying to put up this year’s Kolu. Happy navarathri.
Dear jennifer,
All our festivals are for celebrating prosperity. Like we have parties these days.
Golu is a festival for socialising and the women find a way to exhibit their talents.
In tamizh Goluvirunthal means to sit in a place. The dolls of three goddesses, Mahalakshmi, Durga and Saraswathi are displayed in the golu. The main pooja during the navarathiri festival is for the three goddesses. Lalitha sahasranamam is recited daily during the festival.
I will write more details about the pooja vidaanam for different poojas very soon.
pls still it is not clear as to why they keep toys display : bommala koluvu during dussera festival what is its sugnificance???