Know your Golu-Day 1

01 Oct Know your Golu-Day 1

How are you everyone? 

About Ultimate blog Challenge!

Today, we begin our #UltimateBlogChallenge2019. I wish every participant a very happy Challenge ahead. For every other person who doesn’t know what the challenge is, this is a blog marathon. You get to meet people from a different world and get to know their perspectives on lifestyle, of religion, of culture, of food, of clothing and many other such things called life. We make friends by sitting comfortably on our own couch and share ideas. We agree, we disagree with others on the platform and moreover we get up everyday for the next 30 days to read each others’ mind and blogs. We appreciate each other and are happy to put in the efforts to show up every single day. So let us start the blog marathon. For now, I haven’t decided the theme for 30 days. I am for the next few days continuing the series of blog posts I have been writing for a while. 

What is Navratri and Golu?(For UBC community)

There are various ways of celebrating the festival in India. As you know, India is a country of various cultures, of different religions, of people with multiple beliefs. Let me take you to the way we celebrate the festival in South India.

Navratri is an Indian festival spread across the nine days and a commemoration of the victory of good over the bad. Goddess Durga had to fight a fierce battle with the demon Mahishasura for these nine days. That is why she is also called as Mahishasuramardini. On the tenth day, she stood victorious and is worshiped by us, Indians. The tenth day we celebrate Dashehra.

South Indian Style called Golu:

In South India, various households arrange what is called Golu dolls. It is a ritual to create thematic display of various clay dolls based upon the Indian mythological stories in a step by step arrangement. Now this step by step arrangement can be explained with the help of Maslow’s hierarchical model. 

Step wise Golu arrangement & the meaning behind it:

1.The lowest 2-3 steps of Golu are reserved for animals, human beings and birds.Work is indeed a worship. And the people on these steps are recognized by their professions like we all are. We get to see the cobblers,the farmers, the office goers and many others.

2. The steps further are graced bystua human beings who have attained self-actualization like the various saints, the tapasvis/ or the scholars, the legends in human form who became immortals through their devotion towards the Ultimate truth.

3. And the final steps are mostly the stories from the epics of Mahabharatam, Ramayanam, Krishna Janmam(Birth story of Lord Krishna) and many others like this.  

Step wise arrangement of dolls is to point out that with pure devotion and dedication towards the Almighty, one can become one with HIM.

You will now ask, “ Why display when we can read about mythology? Well, it is also a medium to help the local artisans financially for their great work. Yes, the meticulous work which goes into creating stories through clay, wood or any other eco-friendly material makes it an aesthetic celebration. Having said that I bring to you a small exercise of #KnowYourGolu.

#Know your Golu

#Navratri2019

#Golu2019

# LordBrahma #Lord Vishnu # Lord Shiva

Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are the trinity deities. These three are believed to create the life, to nurture life and to destroy life. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are seated on the Mount Kailash (Abode of Shiva) with their children Lord Kartikeyan and Lord Ganesha. Lord Shiva is a hermit. With the river Ganges held in his hair and the crescent of the moon, he is generally the calmest and the softest of Gods to please. He holds a drum in one hand and the trident in the other. The peculiar third eye which opens when he gets angry(rarely but does) or when he wants to destroy something evil. He has a Vrishabha Vahanam/ Nandi/ the animal bull as his vehicle. The third eye is often synonymously used for spiritual awakening of human beings.

Refer to our previous blogs for other styles of celebrating the festival here

https://www.the5ammommy.com/navratrigolu-the-inward-journey-in-9-steps/