Kumudiniben (Asian Voice) and Mukundbhai (Gujarat Samachar) wrote about recent Navaratri festival. Kumudiniben draws attention to road side garbas in Harrow; similar to garbas held in cities of Gujarat. Alfresco celebration indicates Aryan roots of festival to propitiate energy, omnipresent in form of elements that generate/ sustain life, mother of creation, Jagad-Amba. Gurus propounded that navaratri garbas were meant as worship of mother energy in spiritual ethos. Pleasure, joy and cheer were not the main agenda but bi-product, in social, family and community atmosphere. Later, celebration was confined to indoor-homes or temples.
This allowed gurus to discipline devotees and keep away unruly folks, who might use the celebratory freedom and immunity to indulge in lascvicious, promiscuous, unsocial or anti-social behavior. Currently festival is cheapened, commercialized and garbas polluted with bollywood tunes and lyrics. Mukund Samani states, we fall short of respecting ladies in spite of grandiose celebrations. Many girls under 18 years of age are married off against their will. He mentions a court verdict against wife who wanted her husband to separate from his parents. Such verdict may encourage supression of newly married women. Instead of merits from godesses we can/ should earn more merit by respecting our womenfolk.
Ramesh Jhalla
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