Like many other Hindu festivals, the nine-day festival of victory of good over evil was celebrated with lots of fun and gaiety in India and all over the world wherever Indians live. This year the festival carried a special significance as this was the first major festival before Diwali that was celebrated by people amid lots of restrictions and preconditions, post Covid, especially in India. As we are aware the situation in many countries across the globe is not as safe as here in New Zealand. We, in New Zealand are practically free to move around anywhere and there are no restrictions on gatherings. The situation appears pretty much in control and apparently there is no evidence of any community spread of virus so far in New Zealand. This was quite evident at the venues of nine days Garba dance events organised in different parts of Auckland. Hundreds of people thronged the temples and other venues in their best of fineries to dance in front of Maa Durga to please her.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The nine-day festival ended on tenth day of Dussehra festival. In north India, for nine days Ram Lila or the dramatic folk enactment of the life of Lord Ram is played where different main episodes of Lord Ram’s life are characterised. This tradition is going on in India for many centuries. On the last day of Ram Lila and Navratri the end of demon king Ravana by Lord Ram is celebrated as symbol of victory of good over evil. This festival is celebrated in different parts of India with different names like in West Bengal after worshipping Goddess Durga for nine days on tenth day before immersion of the Goddess most married women play with traditional vermillion red cosmetic powder, colouring each other’s face which is known in Bengal as Sindoor Khela. This last day of festival is known as Vijayadashami as Goddess Durga killed demon Mahishasura on this day. In other states where effigies of demon king Ravana are burnt, its called Dussehra. Auckland’s oldest temple Bharatiya Mandir also celebrated Navratri festival where hundreds of devotees took part in Garba dance which went on till late, every night for nine nights. -TIN Bureau
