Skip to main content

Featured Post

Odisha Part 8: The Parasurameshwara Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Parasurameshwara temple is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneshwar, dating back to the early 8 th century CE. It is also one of the more intriguing temples, with a wide variety of very interesting sculptures. This temple has been attributed to the Shailodbhavas , who were Shaivites. The dynasty is named for their founder, Shailodbhava, who is said to have emerged from a rock, by the grace of Lord Shiva, in response to a prayer by a man from Kalinga, to create a man capable of ruling the earth. That this temple is dedicated to Shiva is clear, not only from the Shaiva dwarapalas who guard the entrance, but also from the numerous sculptures depicting Shiva in his many forms. However, what makes this temple very interesting is the presence of multiple images of the goddesses, especially the Saptamatrikas. The presence of different forms of the goddess, a panel depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, as well as an image of Ardhanareeshwara suggest a strong Shakta influence o...
Post a Comment

Navaratri 2015 : Our Home Bommai Kolu



The best part of Navaratri is setting up the Bommai Kolu!



After a hiatus of three years, this year's celebration was much awaited. As usual, though, almost everything got done only at the last moment, which is why this post is so delayed. Anyway, this year was extra special because Samhith helped me set up the kolu even more than usual. For the first time, he helped with the steps, easing my work quite a bit! And we had lots of fun in the process! Take a look at his antics....

And here is what our Kolu looks like...



And without boring you with words, let me show you our Kolu through my photos....

The top steps are for the Gods

The next few steps are about deities too... their figures as well as their worship

The bottom steps are for us, our collections, representing ourselves


This year, I am especially proud of turban I have tied for the marapachi :) 

These stone lamps came all the way from Mysore.....

And this bull from some unknown village in interior Maharashtra...

This camel came all the way from Dubai!!!

These assorted animals.. glass and marble, are from Rajasthan and Gujarat...



This cute family came from Dubai too... when Shankar made a trip some years back...
A Junior Arab, for Samhith, also from Dubai!

This Arab Couple too...

And this one....

And one more... the last couple from Dubai!! They have waited years to take their place here!!
A Houseboat, which came all the way from Kashmir!
Yes, more houseboats! from Kashmir too.... memories of our sole trip there three years ago..




This side golu is Samhith's!

The Krittika Kanyas play in the water with the baby Karthikeyas

His favourite airport set...



where his Lego men play a part too!!


A house in a forest... and a Giant Wheel!
Village Scene
Well with working pulley system to draw water

And our all time favourite - Thomas the Tank Engine!!!

We built a wall around our steps... and a tunnel for Thomas! He enters through this one...

and exits here, opening the door as he does so....


see???


We also have a thirsty crow!

And before I forget, a collection of vehicles...


So, that was our Golu this year.. I will update the post with videos as and when I can.. Meanwhile, looking forward to your comments... and suggestions for next time!! 






Update: For all those people asking me to post a video of the golu and the train going round, here it is.. at last :)



Labels:
Location: Chheda Nagar, Sector 1, Chedda Nagar, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400089, India

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 13, 2015 at 6:57 PM

    Lovely! So glad to know that your golu also has Thomas and vehicles. Now, I have to visit your place for seeing the golu. Please keep my share of chundal ready :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Priya Krishnan DasOctober 14, 2015 at 8:16 PM

    Beautiful! Your son's Kolu also looks interesting..:-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. CharukesiOctober 15, 2015 at 9:18 AM

    Nice golu, Anu - loved the cute Arabs :) - this is one tradition I really miss from my childhood in Madras...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 26, 2015 at 8:45 AM

      Thank you, Charu! The Arabs are the hot favourites this year! Almost everyone commented on them!

      Delete
  4. UnknownOctober 15, 2015 at 11:37 PM

    This is excellent. ..amazing...

    ReplyDelete
  5. UshaOctober 15, 2015 at 11:45 PM

    Love the Arab addition! And the Airport too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 26, 2015 at 9:48 AM

      Thank you Usha! The airport has been used earlier too.

      Delete
  6. sriOctober 16, 2015 at 12:24 PM

    such a visual treat, would love to see the chuchu train go around ;) Thanks so much

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 26, 2015 at 10:19 AM

      Thank you Sri! I have updated the post with a video of the train going around :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw...
10 comments
Read more

Newasa - Encountering an unique form of Vishnu, and Sant Jnaneshwar

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
9 comments
Read more

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.
7 comments
Read more