The month of October’24 started with the pious Sharad Navratri and culminated with Diwali the festival of lights. As per Crescent tradition, evening Devi bhajans were organized each day for 9 days at residents’ homes, with a day of “Matarani-ki-Chauki” followed by bhandara on 04 October for all residents in the central park, which was graced by the presence of Shri Jitender and party. Society reverberated with positive vibes and spirituality as ladies dressed in the daily colours of Devi spread the reverent aura with devotional songs and arti. Another routine that ladies followed during Navratris was Dandiya and Garba dance practice during night hours. The Garba songs could be heard till late night along with giggles and chatters, as they practiced the steps of dances for the Dusshera night.
Dusshera was celebrated on 12 Oct amidst confusion on day of festival, which has become very common these days due to uncertainty on interpretation of Hindu Tithi system. As the Ravana effigy was put up at the central park, residents started coming down for a “click with Ravana” which continued till the final “Ravana Dahan”. There was a pooja of the Ravana by senior citizens Asha Mathur (D102), Mrs Sharma (C504) and Madhuri Sharma (D404). The burning of effigy was accompanied by shouts of Jai Shri Ram. Meanwhile the beats of Dandiya were heard in the entire society as ladies matched their steps, claps and dandiya sticks in the central park. The park was so full of festivities that even the moon stood still for some time, peeping from between the Towers A and B, to absorb the zeal and cheerfulness in the Crescent.
The vibrations of festivities continued with Karva Chauth on 20 Oct. The ladies had a fun time with Tambola in club house in morning. The evening rituals were followed by moonsighting and Karva traditions. As ladies fasted, the hubbies were on lookout for the moon; with immediate transmission of information on the visibility of moon, the couples headed to society terraces for the ceremonial observances.
The Diwali party held on 27 Oct had a Rajasthani theme. The organizing committee comprising cultural committee along with Lata Sharma (D404) and Praful Srivastava (B104) ensured the décor, music, food and attire were all in vibrant colours of Rajasthan. Rajasthani safa/pagdi (with Pagdiwala to assist residents) and mehendi girls added to the fun experience as the park got slowly filled with residents in orange-coloured turbans and tie-n-dye and leheria ensembles. There were games for children and adults like musical chairs, Jai-Veeru Jodi and couple games, which were thoroughly enjoyed by all residents. The snacks followed by dinner were all with Rajasthani menu.
The festivities culminated with a bang as residents celebrated Diwali on 31 October amidst lighting and fireworks as everyone greeted each other and celebrated the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, as a symbol of victory of good over evil. As our texts say “दीपस्य प्रकाशः न केवलं भवतः गृहम् उज्ज्वालयतु जीवनम् अपि” meaning “May the light of diya illuminate not just your home but your life too” — that’s the wish for all residents who profusely thanked the management and cultural committee of Crescent for their endeavor in making all events memorable for all.
