By Sau. Navya Bhadhri and Sau. Neyaah Bhadhri
We are Neyaah and Navyaa, and Navaratri has always been one of our favourite festivals! This year’s celebration was especially memorable for us. Neyaah had finally completed her PSLE examinations, bringing a great sense of relief and happiness to the entire family. With the examinations behind us, we could wholeheartedly look forward to celebrating Navaratri. Adding to our excitement was our very first Srirangam 365-themed Golu, dedicated to our beloved Sri Ranganathar of Srirangam, one of the 108 Divya Desams!
Our home was buzzing with excitement as we set up the Golu. We adorned the steps with pristine white cloth, decorated the house with beautiful flowers and created a magnificent three-dimensional model of the Theppotsavam float, with blue cloth representing the sacred River Kaveri. Our display brought alive the divine splendour of Srirangam and the grandeur of Sri Ranganathar’s utsavams.
We thoroughly enjoyed researching and preparing our presentation on Theppotsavam. Learning about the beautiful traditions and festivities of Srirangam helped us appreciate our rich Sri Vaishnava sampradayam. It was especially exciting to share these aspects of our heritage with our guests. Meanwhile, our parents lovingly decorated the house and prepared delicious prasadam for everyone.
Every evening, we eagerly awaited our guests. We welcomed them warmly, offered refreshments and prasadam, and together presented our Golu. We particularly enjoyed sharing what we had learnt and receiving valuable feedback and encouragement.
The nine days passed in a beautiful blend of devotion, music, food, laughter and togetherness. We also enjoyed visiting other Golus, learning about different utsavams and admiring the creativity and devotion behind each display.
For us, Navaratri is much more than a festival. It is an opportunity to celebrate our beautiful Sri Vaishnava heritage, remember the glories of Sriman Narayana and cherish the traditions passed down through generations. Our Srirangam-themed Golu made this year’s celebration especially meaningful, bringing us closer to our beloved Perumal and His divine abode.
With the divine anugraham of Sri Ranganathar, Sri Ranganayaki Thayar, Sri Sita-Ramar and our Acharyas, we hope to celebrate many more Navaratris filled with bhakti, happiness and togetherness.
Jai Sri Ram! Namo Narayana!
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