Garba dance and Dandiya Raas might have become synonymous with loud Bollywood numbers elsewhere, but Navaratri festivities among the vibrant Gujarati community in Puducherry is a strictly devotional affair. Navaratri, in honour of Goddess Shakti, is a time for fasting for the nearly 500-strong community, and they gather in the evenings to celebrate during the nine days of the festival.
The Pondicherry Gujarati Samaj has been observing Navaratri festivities since 1984, says Nirav Joshi of the association. “Apart from the Gujarati families this year, we had guests from Britain who were visiting a Gujarati family here. They have been attending all the evening programmes. It has been a lovely Navaratri this year like always,” says Mr. Joshi.
The programmes at the Jalaram Temple Hall, Muthialpet, have attracted residents of the area, and Gujarati doctors and students from various medical colleges and hospitals, Ashram and Auroville. This year’s programmes also saw volunteers from the community here practising devotional singing ahead of Navaratri, unlike last year where the association had invited singers from Gujarat. The festivities will conclude on October 21.
The Bengali community of Puducherry also came together to observe Durga Puja festivities, which fall during the last days of Navaratri. The first day of festivities was observed on Monday. The Bangabharati Social and Welfare Association, now in its 24th year of celebrations, is holding aarti and puja in the mornings, apart from competitions during the day and cultural programmes including Rabindra Sangeet at the New Paris Mahal, Karuvadikuppam. The association is hosting the Bengali drama Heeralal Panalal by the group Natya Prayasi Pondicherry, directed by Partha Ghosh, on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. The main Durga idol is immersed on the final day.
