"You often hear it said - "Time is on our side". Well ... This is Time. She is On My Side." The Sixth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as KaalRatri - the Blackest Night, the Night of Death, The Iron Night, The 'Stillness' of Time - and the 'Destroyer of Darkness', the Annihilator: … Continue reading KaalRatri – The Seventh Night of NavRatri; The Seventh of the NavaDurgas
Katyayani – The 6th NavaDurga, The Sixth Night Of NavRatri
The Sixth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Katyayani - Mahishasura Mardini Herself, the Devastator of the Demon. And, not at all coincidentally, one of my favourite of the NavaDurga Forms. In many ways, the tale of Ma Katyayani may be considered emblematic of so much of the Durgan mythic corpus - insofar … Continue reading Katyayani – The 6th NavaDurga, The Sixth Night Of NavRatri
SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri
The Fifth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as SkandaMata - the Mother of Skanda (Kartikeya), one of the foremost of our War Gods. He takes after His Mother in that regard 😀 Of course, before situating SkandaMata within the overarching context of the NavaRatri Cycle, it is necessary to briefly introduce Lord Skanda, … Continue reading SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri
Kushmanda – 4th Navadurga, The 4th Night of NavRatri
The Fourth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Kushmanda - the Power of the Sun. Now, this is my own somewhat figurative rendering of the name; with a more direct translation working out something like "Warmth of the Cosmic Egg". And while it might be tempting, I suppose, to think of the Sun … Continue reading Kushmanda – 4th Navadurga, The 4th Night of NavRatri
ChandraGhanta – Third of the NavaDurgas, The Third Night of NavRatri
The Third Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as ChandraGhanta - She Who Is Crowned With The Half-Moon In The Shape Of A Bell, to render it somewhat figuratively. Now, before going further (and for that matter, picking up the narrative thread where we left off with last night's Brahmacharini post), it is necessary … Continue reading ChandraGhanta – Third of the NavaDurgas, The Third Night of NavRatri
Brahmacharini – The Second of the NavaDurgas, The Second Night of NavRatri
The Second Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Brahmacharini - the Seeker of the Absolute. This is a rather direct rendering of Her theonym, as can be seen from the constituent parts: Brahman, and Charya (Charini is the feminine form of this noun). But what is actually meant by these terms, and what … Continue reading Brahmacharini – The Second of the NavaDurgas, The Second Night of NavRatri
Shailaputri – First of the NavaDurga
The first night of NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Shailaputri - the Daughter of the Mountain. As noted in the introductory piece, the Mountain in question refers to King Himavat - the Lord of the Himalayas, and the father of Parvati ['[Daughter] Of the Mountain'] in this particular cycle of Her incarnation. However, I … Continue reading Shailaputri – First of the NavaDurga
Navratri – The Nine Nights of Goddess Durga
Tonight marks the start of NavRatri - the Nine Nights of Goddess Durga. In North Indian tradition, we mark each one of the Nine as being dedicated to a particular NavaDurga Aspect of MataDI; whereas in South India, it is more common to regard it as three sets of three days apiece - one for … Continue reading Navratri – The Nine Nights of Goddess Durga
Pitru Paksha – The Fortnight of the Ancestors
Today marks the commencement of Pitru Paksha - the Fortnight of the Ancestors. This is an ancient Hindu custom whose core elements will be immediately familiar to you. Partially due to the existence of somewhat comparable observances in Western European cultures such as the Celts and the Romans (such as the strikingly similar annual 'Parentalia' … Continue reading Pitru Paksha – The Fortnight of the Ancestors
“Cyclone Mahavatya Rudra” Jai
I've seen a bit of chatter on here about the naming conventions for cyclones/hurricanes in the US/Caribbean - and, in particular, how these may possibly be both sexist AND ineffectual, on grounds that the average American apparently finds storms with female names less threatening [thus leading to reduced readiness, and often a higher death toll … Continue reading “Cyclone Mahavatya Rudra” Jai
arya-akasha 