Navaratri – A Celebration of Traditions !

Festival of Nine Nights !
A Celebration of Success !
Victory of Good over Evil !
Worship of the Feminine Form of the Supreme !
A Time for Selfless acts and Prayers !

Also known as Dusshera, Navaratri (nine nights) is a major festival in India. It is celebrated for 10 days, from October 8 – 17, this year.
This festival is a tribute to the infinite power of Goddess Durga, the manifestation of Shakti (Energy or Power) Known by various names as Amba, Ma Bhavani, Aparna, she is worshipped in various parts of India, with utmost reverence during this festival.

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In Western India, particularly in the state of Gujarat, it is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya-Ras dance.
The state of West Bengal is synonymous with this festival. During this festival, huge idols of the Goddess alongwith other deities are displayed at various places, and worshipped.
In some parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, many households create elaborate shelf displays of handmade clay dolls, called Bommalu kollu (display of dolls)

In South India, the Goddess is worshipped in three forms. During the first three nights, Durga devi (Shakti or the Powerful Mother), then Lakshmi devi (Goddess of prosperity) on the fourth, fifth and sixth nights, and finally Saraswati devi(Goddess of learning and wisdom) are revered, until the ninth night.

In North India, one of the nine aspects of the Goddess is venerated each day.


Vijayadashami, the triumphant tenth day celebrates the legendary victory of Goddess Durga over the evil demon, Mahisasura. It marks the end of Navaratri alongwith the immersion of the Durga deities, which are worshipped for nine days.
One has to witness the celebrations held in Mysore during this festival, for this is where the victory is said to have occurred. It is famous for the elaborate Dusshera festivities ! Check my post on ‘Palace of Lights – Mysore’

May good, triumph over evil, forever !

World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day was celebrated on September 27th, yesterday, this year. The tourism industry plays an important role in the economy of a country.

This Day recognizes the importance of tourists and the tourism industry across the globe.
The day aims to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. It is a UN observance and it is not a public holiday.
The UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) decided in late September 1979 to institute World Tourism Day, which was first celebrated on September 27, 1980. September 27 was chosen as the date for World Tourism Day because that date coincided with an important milestone in world tourism: the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on September 27, 1970.

Biodiversity is the theme this year and China has been designated as the host country for the 2010 celebrations.

It is interesting to know that The New York Times has listed ‘The 31 Places to Go in 2010’ and amongst these places, Mysore and Mumbai have been included ! For more details check:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10places.html


“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

Mysore Zoo

Established under the royal patronage of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1892, it is one of the oldest zoos in the world ! This zoo is located at a distance of around three kilometres from the city bus stand and two kilometers from the Mysore Palace.

The official name for the zoo is Shri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens.
The Zoological Garden was carved out of a portion of the Summer Palace also known as the Pleasure Palace, which was in the eastern part of the city.

Spread over an area of 250 acres, it houses around 1500 animals including giraffes, gorilla, lion, elephants and vast variety of birds which include parakeets, peacocks, storks, in spacious enclosures. A well equipped veterinary hospital is also present in the premises.
This zoo was also the first in the country to obtain gorilla and penguin’s.
Karanji Lake is a part of this zoo, which attracts about 45 varieties of birds some of which migrate here from far away places.

Note: The Mysore zoo is open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on all days except Tuesdays.

Tallest cathedral in India

St. Philomena's church, built in the honour of St. Philomena was constructed in 1936 using a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. It is the tallest cathedral in India and is located about three kilometers from Mysore city.

A small church at the same location was built in 1843 by Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar which was later rebuilt on a larger scale.
It is also one of the oldest churches in India and is over 200 years old. The twin spires of this structure, soar upto 150 feet into the sky. The interior of this church looks immaculate due to its snowy white walls.
This church was designed by a Frenchman named Daly. The floor plan of the cathedral is in the form of a cross.

We were indeed awestruck by this imposing structure !

After spending some time admiring this beautiful church we proceeded towards Chamundeshwari temple.

Palace of lights – Mysore

Festivity is synonymous with Mysore Dasshera, during which the city celebrates this festival for 10 days. One has to witness this mega festival of lights, dance and music and experience the grandeur of the royal palaces, the spectacular silks, the fragrance of sandalwood and the mouthwatering delicacies. According to the legend this festival is celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari of Chamundi Hill over the evil demon Mahishasura.

We were lucky to visit this grand city during Dussehra in September 2009.

The Amba Vilas Palace, which is the home to the Wodeyars was built in 1912. Marking the festive celebration, this palace is illuminated every evening, with 96,200 bulbs, which is indeed a visual treat ! The entire city too is brightly lit with numerous bulbs during this season.

This palace is considered one of the grandest palaces in the world and perhaps houses the most number of light bulbs too !

We visited this palace including the marriage pavilion (thrown open to public only during Dusshera) and were amazed and astounded by the grandeur of this magnificent abode.

Mysore city is rich in culture and heritage is famous for many other specialities too. Thus, Geographical Indicator (GI) status have been conferred on Mysore Silk, Mysore Agarbathi, Mysore beetle leaves, Mysore Sandal Oil, Mysore Sandal Soap, Mysore inlay work, Mysore paintings.

In the evening, we proceeded to visit the famous Brindavan gardens with grand memories of the royal city.

For more information visit: http://mysoretourism.org/
To be contd………