The anticipation for the Navratri festival, beginning on October 3, is palpable. No sooner had the Ganesh Chaturthi concluded the Shops in Mumbai’s Matunga and several other places started preparing for this much-awaited event, which falls on the next day of Amavasya.
Navratri is a profoundly significant festival for Indians. The South Indians follow an exciting tradition of the ‘Golu’ arrangement, a cherished part of the annual Dasara-Vijayadasami festival on the tenth day after Navratri.
Arranging the ‘Golu’
In South Indian households, young girls and women display (doll) figurines, along with the divine presence of the goddesses Maha Saraswati, Maha Parvati, and Maha Lakshmi during Navratri—the nine nights—fostering a strong cultural connection.
The Golu is arranged in step form, generally 3, 5, or 7 steps; dolls of Gods and Goddesses are arranged on social and cultural themes like marriage, dance, social events, and musical instruments displayed alongside the figurines.
The most important dolls in Golu are “Marapachi Bommais,” also known as Rakta wooden bommies. They are carved from rosewood, sandalwood, or redwood, well decorated, and visually depict a husband and wife. These dolls symbolise prosperity and fertility, and their presence in the Golu is believed to bring good fortune to the household. They are always kept in pairs to represent the balance and harmony in married life.
A temple in Matunga Sri Sankara Mattham keeps the idol of Devi and conducts Homams on all nine days. These Homams are elaborate fire rituals performed by vedic priests from Tamil Nadu to ensure the authenticity of the pujas. Each day of the festival has its unique significance, and the Homams are conducted accordingly.
3000 dolls for the festival
A shop in Matunga gets new dolls from Tamil Nadu, mainly from Chengalpattu, every year and displays them in several areas where they have shops. This year, more than 3000 dolls have already arrived by road, and more were expected before the festivals, adding to the stocks of more than 2000 dolls from last year, said Rekha Giri, owner of the shops at Nerul, Goregaon, Mulund, Dombivli, and Chembur.
Singing, dancing and much merriment
Many other communities, especially the Gujaratis, bring the Navratri festival to life with their vibrant Dandiya and Garba dances. These energetic performances in open grounds involve hundreds of people, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere during the nine days.
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