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Themostdistinctivefeatureasociety,ofitspeopleisitsculture.Itisthatfoundationupon
whichthesocietyisbuilt.Therecantbeasocietyoraracewithoutitssetofvalues,ritesand
rituals.Itisthecollectiveknowledge,sharedbeliefsandheritageallpartsofwhatcomprises
culturethatfunctionslikearootholdingthetreeontothegroundthusbindingpeopletoone
anotherformingasociety.Everynationandeveryracehasitsowncultureandthisinitselfhas
beenthesourceofattractionformanyanoutsider.Andwhilespeakingofmultiplecultures,
thereisnootherlandcradlingculturaldiversitythanIndia.Onecanfindmanyaforeigner
heredelightedandenchantedwiththeculture,thecustomsandthereligiousfestivalsobserved
here.
Navaratrithefestivalofninedays
VAI SU
Speakingofreligiousfestivals,thereisonethatcomestomindinstantlyformanyofus,the
navaratriasitiscustomarilycalledintheSouthortheDussehra/DurgaPujaascelebratedin
theNorth.ComeNavaratriandonecanfindallthetemplesabuzzwithavarietyofpujasand
devoteescomepouringtoofferprayersandtakepartintherituals.Thefestivalheraldsthe
beginningofautumnandalsotheharvestseasonandprayersareofferedtothefemaletrinity
Durga,LakshmiandSaraswatiwhilededicatingthreewholedaysofworshiptoeach.
TheStorybehindVijayadashami
TranslatedSlokasandMantras
StotrasforIshtaDevatas
PrayerstoLordGanesha
BhagavadGitainEnglish
PrayerstoLordHanuman
PrayerstoLordSubramaniya
PrayerstoLordAyyappa
GayatriMantra
SudarshanaAshtakam
GarbhaRakshaStotram
ThisfestivaliscelebratedacrossIndiabeitintheNorthortheSouth.IntheNorth,thefestival
culminatesintheRamLeelawhileintheSouththefestivalsendismarkedbytheauspicious
Vijayadasami.LegendhasitthatLordRamdefeatedandbeheadedthetenheadeddemon
RavanandthusrescuedhisbelovedwifeSitaDevionthisday.Onthisday,theRamLeelais
hostedinalmostallpartsinNorthernIndia,wheretheeffigyofthedemonkingRavan,hisson
PrinceIndrajeetandbrotherKingKumbhakarnareburnttocelebrateLordRamsvictory.
AnotherlegendheraldstheDussheraortheVijayadasamiastheepicdaywhenGoddessDurga
annihilatedthekingofdemonsMahishasur.
IntheSouth,thisdaymarkstheendoftheKoluwhereinthereisahugearrayofvariousdolls
arrangedinvariousimaginativepatternsinmanyofthehousestocelebratethefestival.The
KoluisextremelypopularinTamilNaduandtypicallyishousedinBrahminhomes.Thereisa
Kalasamthatisdecoratedandpujasareperformedandprayersareofferedtoitdaily.Itis
believedthattheGoddessworshippedonanythatparticulardayresidesinsidetheKalasam
andhencetherituals.FoodisanothermajorattractionofNavaratri!Also,variouskindsof
foodsareofferedtovisitorsafterofferingthemtotheGoddesses.Lipsmackingsundalsand
payasamsarepreparedandthekidsvisithousestoenjoythesemouthwateringsnacksasmuch
astoseetheKolu.
VidyarambamandVijayadasami
InKerala,wheretheliteracyrateisthehighestinIndia,Vijayadasamiistheauspiciousday
whereintheyoungonesareintroducedtoeducation.Thekidsaretaughtbyelderstowrite
theirnamesinatrayfilledwithrawrice.ThisisknownasVidyarambamwhichliterallymeans
thebeginningofeducation.
InWestBengal,whereDurgaPujaiscelebratedwithmuchgusto,theDussheramarkstheday
whereintheidolsofGoddessDurgaareimmersedintheseatobeginhervoyagetowards
Kailash,theabodeofLordShiva.Inyetanotherlore,itisbelievedthatthePandavaswonthe
KurukshetrawaragainsttheKauravasonthisdayafterwagingatoughbattleformany
arduousdaysandthusglorifiesthevictoryofgoodoverevil.
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