Cherishing Traditions Amidst Navratri &
Dassera
The festive air of Navratri and Dassera had filled Mumbai with
colour, music, and devotion. At Dosti, laughter echoed through the rooms as
cousins and family members reunited after months. Rohan had specially flown
down for the celebrations, eager to meet his sister Priya and cousins Ria and Aditya,
and their spouses Sanjiv, Vignesh, and Rashmi. Even Sandip, Sanjiv’s brother,
joined in, adding to the cheerful chaos.
The living room soon turned into a hub of conversation,
playful banter, and reminiscing of childhood memories of celebrating Navratri
together - decked up for garba nights, eating homemade sweets, and waiting
eagerly for Dassera when elders would bless them.
As the chatter flowed, Geetha mami entered the room with a
small thali. It carried sandalwood paste, kumkum, and rice grains. With
affection shining in her eyes, she applied tilak on each youngster’s
forehead. “This is our way of invoking blessings of strength, wisdom, and
protection,” she explained softly. “The tilak is not just a mark - it is a
reminder of who we are, rooted in traditions that have guided us for
centuries.”
The cousins fell silent for a moment, realising how such
customs, though simple, carried deep meaning. Rohan remarked how rare it was to
see this practice among younger generations today. “In the rush of modern life
and western influences, these rituals fade,” he said, “yet they hold the power
to keep us connected to our roots.”
Aditya added, “I remember how during Navratri, elders
encouraged us to bow before the ghatasthapana - the kalash that
symbolises energy and prosperity. Even lighting the evening diya together was
an act of devotion that brought the family closer.” Rashmi smiled, recalling
how as children they would compete to see who would keep the lamp glowing the
longest.
Ria chimed in, “And Dassera was always about victory of good
over evil. Remember how we collected the apta leaves, exchanging them as
‘gold’ for prosperity? It was such a joyful way of teaching us the value of
righteousness.”
The group laughed at those memories, but each heart was
touched by the wisdom behind these customs. These weren’t just rituals - they
were values wrapped in symbolism, teaching unity, respect, and the eternal
triumph of goodness.
As the night deepened, the cousins joined the hosts for aarti.
In that moment, the younger generation realised that while life may carry them
across cities and countries, these traditions are threads that tie them back to
their heritage.
This Dassera, they pledged silently to carry forward the
legacy - not just for themselves, but for their children - to ensure the flame
of culture, customs, and values never fades.
For all of us the message is simple:
even if we cannot follow every custom, let us at least embrace a few with
sincerity. Lighting a diya or applying a tilak may seem small, but they carry
within them centuries of meaning. And in keeping them alive, we keep our roots
strong, our families united, and our culture glowing for generations to come.
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