Seek heavenly blessings, swing to dance of joy
A couple having Navratri fun. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP
It is time to honour the Mother Goddess in all her manifestations including Durga, Lakhshmi and Saraswati and to celebrate Navratri; the nine nights of worship and dance that culminates into Dushera on the tenth which symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
Navratri the revered festivity of joy commenced last Thursday. The dusk to dawn prayers, hymns glorifying the various attributes of the Goddess and dancing is being held at temples, social halls and cultural sites throughout the country.
The revellers start with holy Pooja seeking divine blessings and then later in the evening swing into the traditional dance routine Dandiya Raas and Garba. This is a special feature of the celebration and is known for setting in the festive mood.
Men and women in traditional attire normally dance in rhythmic manner and in two circles, one clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. The traditional musicians and singers provide the essential beat and songs to mesmerise the dancers and those watching the spectacle.
After the nine day dancing spree the faithful are all set to go in for Dushera or Vijayadashmi. The highlight of the festivity is the performance of Ramlila (a short version of the epic Ramayana) symbolising the victory of virtuous Lord Rama over the evils of demon King Ravana. Amid bonfires and firework displays effigy of Ravana is set alight.
In Nairobi, this ritual and celebration is usually observed at SSD Temple grounds in Lower Kabete on. The activities of the festival are being broadcast live by East Fm. This year’s season of joy also brings us Parshwanath Upadhye an award winning classical dance icon and his Punyah dancers all the way from India.
The dance maestro’s Bangalore based company is scheduled to perform at Oshwal Centre Auditorium stage on Saturday 7th October at 8.30 pm. Book yourself at Shah Chemists Sarit Centre and enjoy heavenly boons of the festive season.
For pictures, visit the arts and culture section on www.nation.co.ke Allaudin Qureshi allaudin_qures
