Have You Invoked Your Inner Shakti this Puja?

-
Yes, its that time of the year. 
Kaash phool (Image Source: WB Tourism Facebook Site)

Flowers like Shiuli (Night-flowering Jasmine) and Chhatim (Alstonia scholaris)  have scented the autumn air. with a heady touch. The rains are retreating, and fluffy clouds fly in a clear, blue sky. Kaash phool (kans grass) dot the countryside in eastern India. 


Time has come for Okaal Bodhon of Ma Durga. 

People all over India are preparing for Navratri and Durga Pujo - the worship of the Mother Goddess (Shakti/Durga)

The Mother Goddess - Shakti/Durga/Amba

As a woman, this time has special significance for me. I feel quite privileged to be a woman, to share Ma's gender, her status as mother and wife, and most importantly as a self-sufficient woman.

So, here's how I plan to assert my inner Shakti:

👉 I will reserve time for myself, my recuperation, my well-being. In short, prioritize my mental and physical well-being. Which means cutting down on cooking, cleaning, washing, chores, worries, tension. I deserve a holiday like the holy Mother too!

👉 I will say no. - to unnecessary conflicts, unwelcome guests, undesired associations. I will not be a people pleaser. Ma Durga/Parvati/Sati married the love of her life in the face of all opposition, didn't she? Then settled down for a life of hardship with her ascetic husband in Kailasa. She was confident, she wanted and chose her life.

👌 I will spend time in looking good. Things like buying new clothes (mostly saris), accessories, grooming myself, prioritizing eating and sleeping properly. Have to match the Goddess' vibe, no?

👎 I will not mistreat or abuse anyone. If the demon exists in the mind, I will invoke my noble inner being to show me the right way.

✋ I will walk alone when required. If Ma can fight the demon single-handedly, do tapasya for marrying Shiva, traverse the journey from  Mt. Kailasa to earth on her own, then I can deal with my troubles confidently as well. Without anyone's crutches.

👏 I will celebrate my success, my achievements, my learnings, even my failures. Whatever has happened has taught me something, so it needs to be lauded. I will refrain from self-criticism and guilt. Devi Durga cared two hoots about the naysayers and the doubters.


With these resolutions, I will prepare for Pujo/Navratri 2023.

Give me the strength of conviction to be your shadow, Ohh Mother. 🙏


#DurgaPuja

#Navratri

#MaAshche

#MaDurga

#PujaVibes

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Self-Supported Publishing - Boon or Scam?

-
Image
When I started writing stories, I felt some people would find solace in my words. The purpose wasn't to earn money through selling books, but yes, money would be welcome when it came. The idea was to provide readers with something they could connect with. As it is, the process of writing involves immense churning within, and exhaustive editing and finishing after you have finally written what you want to. Any creator will tell you it is almost like birthing a child. Self-doubt assails you, you get nervous and unsure about your work, you aren't sure the denouement is looking apt, or the characters are relatable.  Then comes the commercial aspect of it all - as a new writer, you have to keep an eye on the reader's liking, avoid esoteric words and concepts, and make your content readable and catchy. Finally, what starts is the toughest part. Yes. Finding a publisher for your work.  Common Publishing Models For the uninitiated, there are basically two types of publishing models
Read more

The Unbearable Weight of Appearing Happy and Successful 24/7

-
Image
Smile, and the world smiles with you. Really? For how long? I mean, how long does one go on smiling? Till the cheeks hurt? Our virtual lives are all about posturing, aren't they? Open any social media app and all you see are smiling, glowing pictures of happy, successful people. Enjoying dinner at The Taj/Oberoi/Grand Living it up in Maldives/Paris/Bangkok/Singapore Soaking Vitamin Sea in Goa Killing it at so-and-so conference/meet/seminar Delivering the key-note address at that so-important meet Conducting a Ted-Ex talk  Achieved the top salesman/person of the year award  Proud mother/parent of an achiever progeny Cooking up a Michelin-star chef type meal Running the full/half marathon You get my drift? Success, achievement, conquest, living it up, enjoying, indulging....that's all Facebook and Instagram profiles are for. What about the bad days? When you sit staring out of the window, wondering who will take care of you in your old age? When you feel life has passed you by? W
Read more

The Otherisation of Bengalis in Present-day India

-
Image
"What Bengal thinks today, the rest of India thinks tomorrow." At one time, Bengal had shown the way to the rest of India. All kinds of progressive action, along with social reform originated here.  Raja Rammohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramkrishna, Vidyasagar, Aurobindo, Tagore were stalwarts who could teach the western world a thing or two about humanity, ethics and social change. Freedom was wrestled from the British by the Bengal tigers - Netaji, Khudiram, Master Da, Rash Behari, Bagha Jatin and Binoy, Badal, Dinesh.  Education and literature owed several path-breaking work to this community. Jagadish Bose, and Prafulla Chandra Ray spearheaded scientific thought in our country.  Image for representative purpose only But why am I raking the past and digging up history about Bengali forerunners all of a sudden? Ahh, typical Bengali sentimentality and nostalgia, right? Wrong. Its because in today's Bharat, the Bengali is being pushed aside - both literally as well as
Read more