Skip to main content

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

Enough! No more rape!

The recent horrifying, stomach-churning incident in Kolkata is not a one-time aberration. It keeps occuring in our country. And we women are also responsible for this stinking rot in society. Ask yourself these uncomfortable questions. How many of you protest when a girl wearing "revealing clothes" is cat-called?  Did you show your support for our wrestlers protesting against a habitual offender? Did your blood boil when you saw pictures of our sisters in Manipur paraded naked?  When rapists are released from prison or routinely escape punishment, do you raise your voice? How many of you have tolerated violence or even casual sexism in your own home? Do you turn the other way when transgenders are leered at? Do you grin and bear it when the men in your family crack obscene jokes? Do Kathua and Hathras ring a bell? And lastly, how many of you thronged cinema halls to make misogynistic horrors like Animal and Kabir Singh blockbusters? I have asked myself and am distinctly feeli...
Post a Comment
Read more

All We Imagine as Light- Lyricism on Celluloid

When an Indian film makes it the prestigious Cannes film festival, the world sits up and takes notice! And the lovely ladies swinging on the stage is a recent memory that brings a sense of pride. I had the good fortune to catch this film on screen recently. A review of such work is unnecessary, but still am bursting to say a few words. Right from the scintillating background score, to the events that unfold like pages fluttering in an open book, to the effortless performances, it's a masterpiece all right! The first half romances Mumbai- in the rains, at night, in the bazaars, in dingy rooms, in the local trains. Image source: Wikipedia  The second half shows what light truly is, brilliant sunshine, crashing waves and salty air in a small coastal village in Maharashtra. You can feel the taste of salt, the breeze in your hair and the touch of sand under your feet, the cinematography is so real. Payal Kapadia masters the art of holding back, of showing beauty in the mundane. The hosp...
Post a Comment
Read more

Laapataa Ladies - the Unfortunate Story of Lost Women

Laapataa Ladies is a deceptively simple, yet extremely thought-provoking satire couched in a simple story of exchanged brides. Image Source: IMdB This is the unfortunate story of countless ordinary women living under the veil, in the shadow of uncaring men. Who can't remember any details of their husband or the sasural they are married into. Who are trained only to obey their husband, do their duty in the kitchen, and follow orders of in-laws. Who don't have the liberty to study or do something for their own betterment. What can we expect for such women, except a lifetime of slavery? If the husband happens to be good, then there's some ray of hope. If he's a rascal, then God save her. Thanks to Kiran Rao for addressing the woes of 80% of Indian women living in nameless villages. And thanks for calling out the "greatest fraud" - the fraud of getting ready for marriage and domesticity. Where you can make the perfect kalakand, but you can't find your way...
Post a Comment
Read more