Navratr begins

 This year the Navratr festival has begun properly on a Monday. Given the kind of people most human beings these days are, it must have been "Monday blues" for the Devi, too! 

Sure, this is anthropomorphism. Yet, inevitable, I suppose, these days! Even otherwise, our gods and goddesses are made to behave like us, right? Vithoba takes rest from the Devshyani Ashadhi Ekadashi (there is a bolster/pillow put behind his nape) to the Kartiki Ekadashi. During the Pitru Paksha, Tulja Bhavani literally goes to her "shayanagar". 

Now, till Dasara, lovely puja, simply beautiful is the decoration/dekko, of Kolhapur Amba Bai, Pandharpur Vithoba-Rakhumai and Tuljapur Bhavani would continue. On Zee Marathi, they used to show daily the entire process. Aai used to watch it without fail. Believe me, it is quite some art!

 Beyond all the seasonal symbolism (tough to negotiate this year, given the mad rains) and all the usual rituals, including the feminist interpretations, what does this festival mean? For the Gen Z, et al, for you know, it might mean just the 'garba' get-together's! May be, in Bengal, it might be pandal hopping!

The "Chandi Kavach", from the 'Varah Purana' and composed by Harihar Rishi, narrates the nine names of the goddess, such as Shailputri, Bramhacharini, et al. Each name has an attendant myth to it, the overarching one being the Sati-Shiv story. For sure, it is the celebration of the triad, Saraswati-Lakshmi-Kali. For all you know, the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, where all these three images are in one cave-like temple, might be on in full force. Of course, the Himalayan rains are a proper terror!

As per the 'tantra' sect, the Devi is Shakti that actually enunciates the universe, and without whom, even the Shiva principle is incomplete. Hence the 'Ardh-Nari-Nateshwra' form, so central to 'Natyashastra', and all the performing arts, especially dance and drama.

Now let me see if I can interpret the triune form in my own way. I would like to maintain that 'Kali' is the "id", the instinctive aspect of psyche, operating at the unconscious level as per the Freudian interpretation of the human mind.

 'Lakshmi' would be the "ego", the organised, rational, realistic part of the mind, necessary for worldly success, and mediating between the 'id' and the 'superego', the institutional demands the human psyche adjusts to as well as the ethical principles, whom Saraswati "re-presents". I think, such an interpretation suits the Maslow pyramid of human needs as well. In brief, new meanings, novel interpretations thus emerge when we re-read the primordial principles through the modern modes!

Pratima@ Nowhere in the ancient texts, it is written that on the first day of the Navratra, wear white; on the second day, red, on the third, blue, et al. In my opinion, it is 'media'ted consumer oriented shopping spree advertising!