Bathukamma to Vidyarambham: How south India celebrates Navaratri

Navaratri is the longest Hindu festival, lasting nine nights, each of them dedicated to one of the three goddesses Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswati.
A woman arranges dolls for Golu at her house
A woman arranges dolls for Golu at her house
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Navaratri is distinctive in many ways. It is the only festival that is celebrated in different parts of the country, in different names and manners. It is also the longest Hindu festival, lasting nine nights, each night dedicated to three goddesses: Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswati. During these nine nights, the Supreme Goddess is worshipped and invoked in her many manifestations. On the first three days of the festival, the powerful form, Durga, is worshipped. For the next three days, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is revered. The last three days are devoted to Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom.

In south India, each state has its own special tradition. Golu (Kolu), which means an assembly of dolls, is an interesting feature of Navaratri celebrations in the south. Referred to as Bommala Koluvu in Telugu, Gombe Habba in Kannada, and Bommai Kolu in Tamil, the doll festival is celebrated in several regions of the south, with families putting on a display of their extensive doll collection at their home, usually themed around a specific mythological plot. Navaratri is also a time for devotees to dress up and visit temples and each other’s houses, to admire their Golu decorations.

Telangana

In Telangana, Navaratri is celebrated as Bathukamma Panduga, which means ‘Come alive, Mother Goddess’. The nine days are dedicated to Maha Gauri. Celebrated with much fanfare as a floral festival, starting from the Mahalaya Amavasya, women craft wondrous flower stacks of brilliant hues, arrange them in seven concentric layers, and partake in festivities around the flowers. This floral arrangement, called Bathukamma, is worshipped as a goddess. 


Women celebrating Bathukamma Panduga. Pic: Picxy.com/sreerangasane

Made by the women of the house on a brass plate, a Bathukamma consists of flowers of different colours, arranged on top of each other in a conical arrangement. Atop the mound is a small cone of turmeric, representing goddess Gowri. The arrangement, which is akin to a temple gopuram, is then placed before the family goddess, and prayers are offered for nine days.

In the evening, the women congregate at one point and encircle it. It is a treat to watch them, donned in their best attire, singing, dancing, clapping their hands in unison, and praying around the Bathukamma in the courtyard. On the last day of Navaratri, Bathukamma is taken out in a procession to the accompaniment of drums and music, before they are set afloat in a nearby waterbody.

Kerala

Keralites have their own special tradition for Navaratri. In Kerala, known for its high literacy rate, the festival is known as Vidyarambham (beginning of education). Here, the major celebrations happen on the last three days of Navaratri, when the Poojavappu ritual is conducted, putting on hold any kind of ‘study or work’. Books and tools are instead kept in front of the goddess Saraswati. 

On the last day of the festivities, Vijayadashami, the people take out the books for reading. Children are made to write letters on plates of rice or sand with the help of elders of the family. Words symbolising the name of god are written on the tongue of a child, with a golden ring. This practice is meant to initiate them into the world of knowledge and letters. 

Tamil Nadu

Golu, a darbar of dolls, is an integral part of the Navaratri festivities in Tamil Nadu. A unique tradition here is the celebrations at the Mutharamman Temple in Kulasekarapattinam, a coastal town in the Tuticorin district. To celebrate the festival, devotees visit the temple in an avatar of their choice – as kings or beggars, monkeys or demons, or the more popular forms of the goddess – and beg for alms to sustain themselves.


Golu dolls displayed for sale in a shop. Pic: Susheela Nair

Karnataka

For Kannadigas, Dasara is not just a family festival. It is a nada habba (festival of the land), celebrated together as a community, in a place where royalty and aristocracy have lived on despite the social changes during the intervening years. For Mysuru, Dasara is more than just another celebration in front of the palace; it is a cultural extravaganza in which the whole city participates, besides serving as a series of spectacular events for tourists. The golden throne of the Wodeyar rulers is exhibited for public viewing during Dasara. The golden howdah, on which goddess Chamundeshwari is placed and carried on an elephant in the procession, is another highlight of the festival.


Elephants carrying the Chamundeswari deity. Pic: Viswanath


The fabled Golden Throne readied for Khas Durbar. Pic: Varchusvin SS Raje Urs

One has to be in Mysuru to witness the pomp and pageantry of the Dasara festival. This festival commemorates the victory of the goddess Chamundi over the demon Mahishasura. Pageants, parades, and music create a kaleidoscope of colour and gaiety. Each evening during the ten-day Dasara celebrations, crowds head to the glittering palace, which is adorned with thousands of light bulbs.

On the last day, a colourful procession of soldiers in ceremonial dress, cavalry, infantry, caparisoned elephants, and tableaux proceeds from the palace gates to Banni Mantap, where the torchlight parade and a magnificent display of horsemanship mark the grand finale.


The magnificent Mysuru Palace decked up for Dasara. Pic: Susheela Nair

Dasara in Madikeri is held with a procession of beautifully lit temple cars, and a prize is given for the best decorated temple car. Though not as opulent as the Mysuru Dasara, the Madikeri Dasara has enjoyed patronage from the Kodagu kings, and evolved into a glorious tradition. A tableaux procession of beautiful temple chariots is taken out at midnight. Almost all demonstrate the triumph of good over evil. Large, glittering figures portray goddess Chamundeshwari slaying the demon. The symbolic Karaga is also part of the festival. The festivities conclude with a traditional offering at the Banni Mantap in Mahadevpet. The Mangaluru Dasara, organised by the Gokarnatheshwara Temple in Kudroli, is equally impressive.

Susheela Nair is an independent food, travel and lifestyle writer and photographer contributing articles, content and images to several national publications besides organising seminars and photo exhibitions. Her writings span a wide spectrum which also includes travel portals and guide books, brochures and coffee table books.

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