Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Eid-e-Milad, Karwa Chauth, Laxmi Puja, Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Chhat Puja- Festivals come knocking all through October and it can undoubtedly be termed as the ‘festival month’. I certainly feel something different in the air; a distinct pleasant fragrance, the weather starts getting cooler and everything is extra cheery.
With a series of events around the corner and the ongoing Navratri and Durga Puja, our neighbourhoods have got a makeover with colourful bulbs, fairy lights, canopies and flower decorations in temples. Such times also warrant home decoration, rituals, traditional clothing and feasting. In line with our surroundings, we also glamour up for various occasions by wearing new traditional attires. Whether it’s Maha-Ashtami Puja, Dandiya night at the community centre, Deepavali prayers or Chhat ceremonies, we come together to celebrate despite our cultural and religious diversities. What we wear during festivities holds a significant value about a festival. Our dresses serve more than just protection and warmth. They communicate our collective and individual identity, reflect our love and respect for our traditional values and sometimes come in effect as a sacred uniform. With the joy and happiness that festive occasions bring, many like to wear clean and new clothes. It is a tradition for the ladies to wear different coloured dresses on each day of Navratri. On the other hand, men wear different types of kurta pyjamas of attractive colours and designs, sherwanis and dhotis. During Dandiya Raas, women wear a three-piece traditional attire called ‘chaniya choli’ paired with ankle bracelets and necklaces, while men wear sherwani or kurta pyjama as they dance with colourfully painted bamboo sticks- ‘dandiya’. For Chhat puja, women dress up in pink, red and yellow sarees. The festival of lights calls for dazzling outfits while red and yellow colour dresses get the likes of both men and women during Laxmi Puja. The younger generation, however, likes fusion wear and likes to portray an individualistic sense of style.
This festive season I encourage the readers of Samvada to spread love, extend help to those in need, and share sweets and delicacies while celebrating unity in diversity. Happy festival-ling!
