`Nine Divine Nights' - Navrathri in Mangalore

By Archana Kamath
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Oct 14, 2008

Navrathri, Vijaya Dashami, Ashtami, Panchami: All I can remember is that all these days spelt "H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S" for me. Nothing else mattered as long as it was a holiday from school. Holiday means, no early mornings, no heavy satchels, no studying…and the best part…only playing. One of the few occasions where you could convince your mom that "All work and no play makes us all very very dull."

Ten years later (sounds like a movie, doesn't it?), now settled in Mangalore, I realised that this place has much more to offer than just a H-O-L-I-D-A-Y. Experiencing Navrathri right here in Mangalore was quite an experience for me. Living most of my life, till now, in Bangalore, I have never seen such a spectacular set up and get up ever before. Breathtaking is an understatement.

The beginning of Navrathri was marked with "Vaga Vesu". This is something I have never seen before. Little boys with painted bodies, dancing the "dabangutha: (isn't that what you call dance steps like that?). I just couldn't believe that those were painted bodies. I was convinced that they were tiger suits rented out from a tent shop or something. Wow, all of them were painted! The painters are sure to give M.F. Hussain a run for his money. I watched each of the dancers steps move in faultless synchronisation with the sounds of the instruments. They had perfect rhythm and grace in their movements. This sight was very new to me and I was awestruck…little did I know that this was just a trailer of what I was going to see on the last day of Navrathri.

Soon the lights started appearing and by the time I could count nine days of Navrathri, the roads were all lit up. The lights arranged on MG Road and Ferry road reminded me of a blockbuster Bollywood wedding…..and I was invited! I would purposely avoid all the short cuts and use these two roads just to experience the thrill of walking under the "stars". Ladyhill circle looked like a ready to ride merry-go-round. Disneyland-right here in Mangalore.

Finally the evening arrived. The crowd was so enthusiastic that even rain did not dampen spirits. The event had finally arrived at our corner. I never knew what to expect until I saw heaven actually descend on Mangalore. The tableaus that paraded down the road were so magnificent that my simple adjectives will not do justice to their grandeur. Each artiste was dressed to perfection. Even the drivers of the huge open vehicles were dressed like Maharajas. I have to mention that I even saw an electrician on standby. He checked all the non functioning tiny light bulbs on the heavily decorated vehicles. This is what I call the heights of perfection!

The nine avatars of the Goddess Sharada which were driven across the town attracted everyone's attention. Some people rushed to get a bit of "Prasad", some piously bowed their heads and folded their hands in pray, while the rest, like me, just gaped and gaped at the magnificent carriages as they drove passed.

This was an out of the world experience for me. Mangalore has not lost its roots of tradition and custom despite the on rush of contemporary lifestyles in the city. Surely, a feather in our cap. A proud page to pull out from our Mangalore files.!