In Navaratri days, I feel myself a very lucky person that people in my hometown gives me and my family such extraordinary respect. When I was a boy, I could remember all those things that had happened in our village. Population in my hometown is a consist of around one thousand. The village has only two Durga temples, but a hundred years ago it was only one. That first old temple had broken down into the pieces and took his Lord Durga (Maa) at his house and set up a new temple in the yard.
After some period of time, my dad rebuilt the broken temple and placed new goddess Durga. This reconstructed temple just in right near the bus stop in front of the main road. That time I was a child, doing my schooling. I could remember all the things that had happened at that time. Whenever Navaratri used to come, my school friends and I all used to give a helping hand in the temple during the festival. Lot of fun we used to have, especially on the last day of the festival Visarjan time. All-day we used to wait for a dance. The crazy and wild steps that everyone could remember.
Since I left my village and started staying in Pune for my further education, I could not attain Navaratri every year. This time I had decided to go to my hometown and attain it. I have spent almost 8 days in this Navaratri and felt delighted and blessed. I took a lot of time to think over my past and a bit on future planning.
My dad is a great devotee of Maa Durga and people respect him a lot. In below pics, my dad carrying Ghat to the River after all the prayers. This time it has got late and the bad thing took place- black magic must have done by someone. As per my dad, he told me that, the Ghat Visarjan should be done before 12 pm or after 3 pm. Otherwise, the bad thing may happen particularly with the person who carries the Ghat (pujas over the head) and today the same thing had happened with my dad due to delay in Visarjan. Their heart was blocked attacking by an evil, it was last longer for 1 min.
In the Visarjan, around 500 people include boys and girls takes part in the celebration. Sometimes 70% of people in the village. Nowadays, a screw run entire festival, the entire village contributes Cereals, Wheat, Oil and all other required things for Mahaprasad. And before one day of Dashera, all villagers have Mahaprasad, the entire village come down to the temple for dinner.
Whenever, you get a chance, never miss it. It’s quite holy Prasad… Jai Ambeeee! Jai Durgeeee!
