Another Dusshera again....
Time to burn a Raavan once again!!!
Here I was dressed in my light green color frock, 8 years old, jumping with a group of 10-15 friends. We were just jumping from one house to another. My aim was to cover as many neighbors houses as possible and to give the “sona” to everyone -the green gold( leaves of Apta tree). Not worried that my dress was all muddy, the body was sweaty, hair in a mess, smelling like a pig holding the green gold with dirty hands. But “looks” were not important,”feelings” were.....
I remember holding just 3-4 leaves in my hand and worried about them. And in the time when we moved from one house to another, I would break every single leaf into 4-7 smaller pieces so that I could give it to everyone. And we all would say “Shubh Dusshera” and take blessings from elders.
And while giving the small part of the apta leaf, a silent prayer would go into the universe asking for happiness and prosperity for the family. We were so innocent and so pure. Prayers were purest as they came from every small little square millimeter of our big hearts. The eldest friend was the leader and we the “chillar party” would follow. Amazing Dusshera....and some neighbors would give us sweets in return which was the best part!!!
Dancing around the Devi and playing garba is something that makes my heart and soul dance. Collecting and exchanging oxidised jewelry and getting ghagras and dancing makes me feel alive on this planet. We would dance till we had blisters and till each drop of sweat would trickle down the back, the legs, the face, and the body would feel as if it was placed on a gas stove. Oh!!!
I just knew about the dance and later got to know about the goddess of materialistic possessions(Lakshmi), goddess of knowledge (Saraswati) and goddess of shakti (Durga) were worshipped.
I have a Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Annapurna in me. They all live in me and I just have to tune the radio of my mind to switch to the right channel to get that quality out when needed. Its all in me is what my dad always told me. So I danced and danced and danced to celebrate the goddess within me and to become aware of those qualities in me. “I am that and that is me”.
Another memory is that of seeing the “Raavan burn”. I must have been around 17 years old in a place called Cheharta in Amritsar in a big ground. I thought I was the fortunate one because my sister’s house faced the big huge ground where effigies of “Raavan” were being erected. And I could stand on the terrace to witness the “Raavan Dahan”.There were a sea of people who came in from various places to just see this event happening, some occluding and blocking my view. To top it up, there were neighbors who would come to our terraces and it was all packed. Each one pushing the other just to get the glimpse of the “Dahan”.So so so many of them to just see Raavan get burnt. I would wonder what are they doing and why am I trying to hold my small little place on this terrace to see the Raavan!!!
No one at home in Punjab gave me the answer that I wanted from them about “Raavan Dahan”. And then after asking maybe hundreds of them, I asked my daddy. He said “Raavan is in all of us and Ram is also in all of us. And Raavan actually has ten heads and is a demon. It is stronger but so also is Ram”. I did not understand. But something linked inside as if I was closer to the answer that I wanted.
And later as years passed by, and now my role changes from a daughter to a mom and my son says “Mummy, why do people do Raavan Dahan? Who was Raavan? Who is Ram?” And I give him the same answer- they are in us. And Dusshera signifies victory of good over evil.
We choose whether the evil wins or the good wins. They are in us. Whenever the radio in my head starts – I check if Ram is speaking to me or Raavan is speaking to me. I just need to be aware". Just being aware.....that is all....
Happy Dusshera .....
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