Devotee performs the ritual of aarti during the days of Navaratra
“Having lived in Pune for the past 20 years, the whole community comes together during Puja. Manoj Pillai, vice-president of Ayyappa Temple Trust in Dhanori and Pune Malayali Association, said the festivities follow the Malayali calendar, where Dasara falls on Oct 21. “There are around 14 Ayyappa temples in Pune.
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The celebrations here are more community-oriented,” he said. It brings the whole community together,” Sathiyanarayanan said. Monjeeta Borooa, a member of Assamese Association and Vimannagar Bangiya Sansaad, said the festivities begin with Mahalaya, marking the start of the Durga Puja and a time to pay tribute to ancestors. My son and his friends are equally active in the proceedings,” she said. The children help distribute the bhog and the other dishes prepared for the puja,” Borooa said. Each temple has a different Goddess who is worshipped during the nine days leading up to Vijayadashami,” he said. Children are initiated into the pursuit of knowledge and education,” Pillai said. They are more spiritual than we give them credit for,” he said.
House adorned with various ‘Golu’ figures, usually depicted in a theme Devotee performs the ritual of aarti during the days of Navaratra House adorned with various ‘Golu’ figures, usually depicted in a theme Devotee performs the ritual of aarti during the days of Navaratra Pune: Festivals have a way of bringing people together, sometimes within a community and, at other times, across cultural boundaries. In the city, Navaratra is as much a celebration of devotion as it is of the city’s diversity, with communities preserving their traditional rituals while embracing the customs of others. For many who have made the city their home, the nine days of festivities have become an opportunity to keep their cultural roots alive while forging new bonds with people from different backgrounds. L Sathiyanarayanan, a member of Tamil Sangam and vice-principal of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University’s Poona College of Pharmacy, explained how he has adopted local customs. “Back in Tamil Nadu, we had a different way of celebrating Dasara . We would wear new clothes and visit temples, but here people prefer visiting one another. “People have Golu or spiritual dolls and figurines displayed in their house for the nine days of Navaratra. These displays have various themes ranging from mythological stories to culture. People visit their friends and neighbours every evening, participate in the pujas at their homes and have prasadam. He believes much of this cultural exchange is being driven by the younger generation. “My daughter who studies here has several Marathi friends. It has helped the family understand and embrace local traditions and celebrate them in a similar manner, be it Ganeshotsav, Dasara or Diwali,” he added. For the Assamese and Bengali communities in Pune, too, Navaratra and Durga Puja are occasions to reconnect with their roots, even as they adapt to celebrating away from home. My husband, who works in Mumbai, comes home to help with the programmes. “Although it is difficult to retain the exact way we celebrate the festival back in Assam, we ensure most of the traditions are retained. A group of us women prepare the authentic bhog offered to the Goddess, and the men help us with it. The celebrations extend beyond rituals and food. The eighth, ninth and tenth days see community members visit Durga Puja pandals, where cultural programmes bring together performers from Bengal and Assam, as well as poribashi Bengalis — those who have settled away from their native region. For the Malayali community, the nine days offer another distinct set of customs, culminating in Vijayadashami and rituals associated with learning and education. “On the day of Vijayadashami, an initiation ceremony is held. Gurus visit the temples, where devotees offer prayers to Goddess Saraswati. He added that customs had evolved over time. The youth are at the forefront of this change. In a city shaped by people from different parts of the country, Navaratra is more than a festival observed in separate homes and community spaces. It is a shared experience, bringing Pune’s diverse communities a little closer each year. Download the TOI App.
“Earlier, Ravan Dahan was largely restricted to North Indian communities, but South Indian communities have also adopted the practice.