Navratri in Goa witnesses a unique celebration where the devotees gather for each of the nine evenings to pay their respects to the Goddess of the temple. This year the festival is from September 26 to October 4 and culminates in the celebration of Dussehra on October 5.
The Goddess is draped in a different
colour sari on each of the nine nights. Initially, deities draped in green sari
used to be prominent, now however, as people have become more knowledgeable and
seen the various deities being celebrated, the colour too varies depending on
the avatar of the deity. The ornaments and floral decorations also reflect the
designated colour. Goans worship the Goddess, an embodiment of shakti, placed
in the makhar, a square-shaped box hung from chains moved by the devotees till
midnight as the puja progresses. The name of the Goddess varies depending on
the region. In Fatorpa and Curtorim, she is known as Shantadurga, Kamaxidevi in
Shiroda, Santoshimaa in Curchorem, Lairaie in Shirgao, Mahalsa in Mardol,
Navadurga in Borim, etc. Each day, she attains a new avatar, as on the first
day, she is Goddess Shailputri, Goddess Brahmacharini on the second day, the
third day she is Goddess Chandraghanta and Goddess Kushmanda, Goddess Skandamata
, Gddess Katyayani, Goddess Kaalratri, Goddess Mahagauri and Goddess
Siddhidatri on the subsequent days.
The colours of Navratri depend on the day
that it commences though the sequence of colours is the same. In 2021, Navratri
began on a Thursday and hence commenced with a yellow colour. This year, it
began on the notes of purity with white colour that is assigned to Monday. The
colours of Navratri are white, red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey and orange.
On the eighth and ninth day, which become a part of the second week, a
variation of peacock green, pink and purple is seen.
Navratri stems from Sanskrit term which means ‘nine nights’. The
festival focuses on the triumph of the deity over the Rakshasa. It is
auspicious to incorporate the designated colour into our lives and hence due to
the emergence of social media documenting every moment of our lives, we see the
trend of colour-coordinated attire during these nine days.
Educational institutes and various workplaces buzz with energy
as each employee steps in a colour-coordinated outfit. India is truly a diverse
country where students and employees craft intricate toran and matooli contests
on the onset of Ganesh Chaturthi, participate in colourful rangoli contests
during Diwali and serenade carols in December. Celebration of the myriad of
festivals even in the corporate life adds a dash of fun and a sense of
belongingness and it definitely offers a much needed respite from routine work.
The trend is most evident in schools and colleges where the faculty
members have been donning colour-coordinated outfits and have been clicking
captivating photos that have surfaced on most social media platforms. Gauravi
Keni Khaunte, assistant professor at Government College of Arts, Science and
Commerce, Quepem, shared how Navratri usually meant beautiful nights,
celebrating in well-lit temples amidst a crowd that is buzzing with excitement.
Off late, however, she finds that the days too are equally exciting. “Wearing
the specified colours is something the teachers and students look forward to in
the college. For me, this has been a great opportunity to bond with other staff
members and students. I’ve recently joined an institution and the Navratri
dress code has helped to bond with colleagues over photos and to have warm
memories with a beautiful bunch of students as well,” she said.
Some offices take the celebration a step further by cooking
dishes that are colour specific as is the case at a government office. “My
colleagues and I purchased the same type of saris and we have brought in each
day with the preparation of sweets depending on the colour. On the first day of
Navratri, we prepared Shavia kheer which is white in colour,” recalls Sharada
Varik, an employee at a government office.
Corporate companies through the enthusiastic efforts of the HR
department encourage team-building activities centred on various festivals.
Harish Volvoikar who works as a Project Lead at Persistent Systems Ltd.,
reminisces of how exciting the colour-coordinated outfits, the team-bonding
activities and the photographs that ensued were in the past few years. “This
year, however, as the trend of ‘work from home’ is still available to many of
the employees, the celebration is not as colourful as it used to be” he states.
Private business such as parlours and boutiques have been
actively participating in this celebration. Velina Antao who owns the JanNez
Beauty Salons located in South Goa has been following the colours for the past
three years along with her team. “Seeing my team follow these vibrant Navratri
colours, allows the clients to attain a positive vibe at the salon. The team
looks forward to expressing their various fashion styles based on the colour
pallets of the day,” she expresses.
Colleges are seen as a sea of yellow or whichever the colour of
the day is as a majority of the student population has enthusiastically
immersed themselves in this celebration. Zealous initiatives taken by the
student councils in promoting attires of various colours too are to be
applauded. “Though it is quite a tedious task to find outfits that match the
colour of the day, the excitement of taking pictures with teachers and friends
makes it worth it. An entire campus dressed in the shades of one colour, truly
strengthens the feeling of belonging,” exclaims Aastha Modak, a student of
Carmel College for Women, Nuvem. For most students Navratri has gifted them
with delightful and memorable moments that will be cherished forever.
However, Navratri celebrations have not always been dominated by
colour-coordinated outfits and this trend has been growing in the past few
years due to the social media boom. Navratri usually was about the pujas and
decoration at home in the devaro and the temple visits. “It is a delight to see
the integrated efforts by teachers of various faiths who come together to
celebrate the festival,” says Suneela Naik, a senior teacher at Guardian Angel
Higher Secondary School, Curchorem. “The nine days of celebration both at home
and the temples that culminate in the festival Dussehra is truly very dear to
us”, she states.
Though not an imposed rule, the employees, as well as students,
voluntary participate in these celebrations, bringing in the cheer of the
festival to the daytime as well. Social media such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook
stories provide the perfect platform to flaunt the chic and colour coordinated
styles. However, in workplaces where uniforms are in place the celebration is
not as prominent. However, Navratri is a time to overcome the negativity that
is prevalent in life. “No matter how much evil is out there and around you,
there always will come a time when the positivity inside of you will prevail
over it and push the negative energy away from you,” states Daulat Valvaikar,
Training and Development Head at Maruti Suzuki Arena, Chowgule Industries.
While
enjoying the dominant colour that surfaces at workplaces as well as on social
media, let us remember that this festival is all about the victory of good over
evil. These celebrations definitely help employees to bond with each other over
the festivities as well the many, many photographs that are captured.