Glimpses Of World Religions

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Navbharat Sahitya Mandir

Page 37

24
Glimpses of World Religions
of) Lord Ganesh is done with great pomp and pleasure. People in countless nember throng at the river-side, near the lake or at a beach of the sea and the idols of Ganesh are made to have dip in deep waters and thus a wonderful pompous farewell is accorded with great respect and glory.
To present obscene or romantic songs or dances is an insult to the God - a lack of worship. The prayer as to the descent of these virtues may take place in our life, is the only true worship. Durga Pooja (or worship of the Goddess Durga) - Navaratri and Dashera Navaratri :
The festival which is being celebrated from the first day to tenth of month Aswin is very much well-known in this country as well as in foreign countries. Each and every day of the first nine days is called “Norta'. All the nine days of this, the men and women, clad in gorgeous, multi-coloured clothes dance around (garbas) taking multi-coloured earthen jars having holes all over, and having a lamp lit with ghee or oil; and they go on singing devotional songs, especially ‘Aarati’. The first ever (Ādya) mother Goddess wielding awe-inspiring power and light is supposed to have nine names and nine ‘figures' or forms. The great Power-Incarnate Nav-Durga the mohter Goddess venquished the terrible demon Mahishasur, possessing great terror, after continuous fighting for nine days. The ferocious demon was killed by her and thus all the three worlds were freed and were bereft of fear. The divine power of the Goddess was victorious. Thus, we have bowed down and welcomed this victory of the Goddess power over the evil power, in the form of the 'Garabas'. Along with the worship of power-incarnate, the Goddess, femaledances and male-dances, (Garaba-Garabi) Dandiya-ras, dramas, etc. are planned.