Mangalore...2011
Today is the Last Day of Dasera! That means Immersion of Goddess Sharada which was installed in the Venkatraman Temple in car street 6 days ago. dandiya dance at the Gujarati school,ayudh Pooja in mills, factories,and business establishments, HUli Vesha, or Vaga vesu, Siddi Veshas, Nava Durgas in Kudroli temple.. are some of the high lights of now famous Mangalore Dasera of nine days. The whole city lit for the festivities, and the festive spirit is so much in the air but still I never get in to this festive mood that much. Instead think about my child hood and how and what Dasera meant to me then.
Being in the south all my child hood, one thing surely I feel is , festival of any kind, the intensity and festivity is more in south India than here, south Canara. Dasera like any other festivals, people there celebrate with lot of festive spirit, from cleaning the houses, to good food and new clothes, but what I want to share here is, what fascinated me as a kid in this festival celebrated by Telugu people “The Bommala koluvu”. Bommala Koluvu means displaying the dolls in the order of odd number steps done , and kept for all nine days of Navarathri. From Clay to wooden, to porcelain whatever doll collection they have they display, and invite neighbours, friends and distribute goodies with joy. So toys are passed on from generation to generation, and in a way it is to show the house wife’s or growing up girls talents and imaginations i guess. So from Ramayana, Mahabharata, to Dashavtaras come on to this KoLuvu just as Village scenes, town fares, or animal kingdoms take shape. As kids we were so fascinated by these Koluvus, we were adamant to have one. Some how convinced our Parents to have a koluvu in our house so that we can invite and share this joyous occasion with our friends. WE had no big toy collection,( forget about Barbee dolls, or Ninja turtles) but my talented sisters came up innovative Ideas , so much so that our Bommala koluvu became quite famous in our areas. Where one sister created Eskimos with finger dolls and Igloo with a coconut shell, then another came up with a park ( bridge with Ice candy sticks) and Zoo with little animals we use to get with our Camlin stationary. I lost touch with Andhra Pradesh and Telugu Community, once I came to Mangalore after my marriage so Bommala KOluvu is just a nostalgic feeling I am left with. But My sisters in USA tell me they get to see amazing Koluvus in Telugu houses even now, one better than the other, in that foreign land! All said and done festivals which make mark in our lives are important for us to divert our mundane lives so I too decide to take part in the festivities today, ha..of course not by going to see the crowded procession of Tablo's and deities, which take the whole evening till early morning,..but at least watching it on my local TV channel..what say? Long live the festive spirit!!
Today is the Last Day of Dasera! That means Immersion of Goddess Sharada which was installed in the Venkatraman Temple in car street 6 days ago. dandiya dance at the Gujarati school,ayudh Pooja in mills, factories,and business establishments, HUli Vesha, or Vaga vesu, Siddi Veshas, Nava Durgas in Kudroli temple.. are some of the high lights of now famous Mangalore Dasera of nine days. The whole city lit for the festivities, and the festive spirit is so much in the air but still I never get in to this festive mood that much. Instead think about my child hood and how and what Dasera meant to me then.
Being in the south all my child hood, one thing surely I feel is , festival of any kind, the intensity and festivity is more in south India than here, south Canara. Dasera like any other festivals, people there celebrate with lot of festive spirit, from cleaning the houses, to good food and new clothes, but what I want to share here is, what fascinated me as a kid in this festival celebrated by Telugu people “The Bommala koluvu”. Bommala Koluvu means displaying the dolls in the order of odd number steps done , and kept for all nine days of Navarathri. From Clay to wooden, to porcelain whatever doll collection they have they display, and invite neighbours, friends and distribute goodies with joy. So toys are passed on from generation to generation, and in a way it is to show the house wife’s or growing up girls talents and imaginations i guess. So from Ramayana, Mahabharata, to Dashavtaras come on to this KoLuvu just as Village scenes, town fares, or animal kingdoms take shape. As kids we were so fascinated by these Koluvus, we were adamant to have one. Some how convinced our Parents to have a koluvu in our house so that we can invite and share this joyous occasion with our friends. WE had no big toy collection,( forget about Barbee dolls, or Ninja turtles) but my talented sisters came up innovative Ideas , so much so that our Bommala koluvu became quite famous in our areas. Where one sister created Eskimos with finger dolls and Igloo with a coconut shell, then another came up with a park ( bridge with Ice candy sticks) and Zoo with little animals we use to get with our Camlin stationary. I lost touch with Andhra Pradesh and Telugu Community, once I came to Mangalore after my marriage so Bommala KOluvu is just a nostalgic feeling I am left with. But My sisters in USA tell me they get to see amazing Koluvus in Telugu houses even now, one better than the other, in that foreign land! All said and done festivals which make mark in our lives are important for us to divert our mundane lives so I too decide to take part in the festivities today, ha..of course not by going to see the crowded procession of Tablo's and deities, which take the whole evening till early morning,..but at least watching it on my local TV channel..what say? Long live the festive spirit!!
No comments:
Post a Comment