Life Size Legends and Festivities

 

On 26th of October, we celebrated the very beautiful festival of lights Diwali.

Last year, if you remember, this day became all the more special for us all due to a very endearing reason.

The date: 7th of Nov.The day: Sunday.

Our lives changed forever when our little brother Shadow literally walked into our home and decided to adopt us, bringing with him so much love and warmth.

(In case you’d missed it, you can read his story HERE n HERE)

It was a simple affair this time. Mummy was just back from the hospital and not strong enough to potter around arranging for an elaborate event.

We put up our lights and lamps,went out with Daddy and got back some of Mummy’s favourite sweets for her. Daddy played chef and cooked up a lovely dinner. Afterwards, we settled down for a Johnny Depp movie.

Except for the loud crackers and fireworks part, we love everything about this festival, especially the myriad sweets and savouries. You’ll be glad to know that Ginger wasn’t as scared or as badly affected this time by the terribly loud crackers. She went for her walk readily, ate her dinner - albeit tentatively, and slept well.

The Diwali spirit must be rubbing off on her!

 

The city of Delhi literally comes to life on Diwali. Food, colourful lights, sweets, flowers - you name it and it is just everywhere. The enthusiasm is catching.

But this time we couldn’t really venture out due to Mummy’s surgery. So there aren’t many Diwali pictures to share. But we hope you will like a few others we are sharing today -  some beautiful moods of the festivities preceding Diwali.

We talked of the legends associated with Diwali in an earlier post.

Today we are posting pictures bringing to life the legends associated with a few other festivals linked to this special festival of lights.

Diwali is not a date linked event but one that is celebrated on the darkest night of the lunar cycle, on the 20th day after Dussehra.

Dussehra is the last day of Navratri and falls on the 10th day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October)

Dussehra also celebrated as Vijaya Dasami is the culmination of a 10 day long festival that marks the victory of good over evil.

Some parts of India celebrate it as Durga Puja to symbolise the fight and ultimate triumph of the warrior Goddess Durga over the Buffalo-demon Mahishasura.

 

(The powerful Warrior Goddess Durga bearing 10 types of weapons in 5 pairs of hands!)

 

 

 

Others celebrate it as Navaratri - 10 days of fast, colourful rituals and festivities. Yet others indulge in Ram Lila- a theatrical enactment of the life of Lord Rama who slays the ten-headed Demon King Ravana. This stretches over nine days preceding Dussehra.

On the tenth day, larger than life effigies of King Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhakarna are set to fire.

 

 

 

 

 

(The Effigies in Production! The X-large hulls are of dried bamboo so they light up easily. The hollow insides are stuffed with firecrackers!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The Unsung Artisans)

 

Whatever the legend, they all talk about the victory of good over evil and inspire people to choose Right over Wrong in their everyday lives.

 

The message to be taken is to conquer the inner demon and lead a simpler, gentler life.

 

 

GRANT US PEACE

Ginger, Buddy and Shadow

 

Pee Ess: We only just bumped into Mimi’s Peace Meme. And though we are late, we are joining in. Better Late than Never, Huh?

Pee Pee Ess: THANKS Heaps for all your Good wishes for Mummy. She is mending well and feeling much better too.

 

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