Navratri 2011 Begins with Zeal

Navratri the festival dedicated to the Goddess Durga started from today with absolute devotion and bliss. With the sthapana starts the nine days of fasting and prayers dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess of Power.

The temples have been preparing for this festival from last so many days and today at the auspicious time ‘mahurat’ ghat sthapana took place and wheat seeds were kept for germination. These germinated seeds will be immersed in the water at the end of the festival. However, different communities practice different rituals to offer their tribute to Maa Shakti.

On one hand religious people adhere to strict rules, regular visit to temples and austere life during these days; the youth on the other hand remains busy with preparation of garba-dandiya in the day and enjoying it at night.

The most beautiful Navratri celebration of Udaipur at Sutharwara has also observed a grand beginning of the 9 day festival. It started with a magnificent dance performance by artists of Jasol village of Barmer which has enthralled the spectators.

A large number of firecrackers were busted just before the Maha Aarti took place on the 50 feet high stage where the idol of Goddess Amba is placed. “Nearly 5000 devotees visit this place every day,” says Tulsiram Mali, President of Sutharwara Mitra Mandal.

Since early this morning, large number of devotees visited various temples of Udaipur including, Neemuch Mata, Ambamata, Karni Mata, Avri Mata and Sukhdevi Mata Temples.

Groups of youth were seen preparing the arena where Garba and Dandiya raas is going to take place. With the dandiya starts the festive season which will culminate with Bhaiya Dhuj that falls two days after Diwali.

We wish you all a merry time ahead with festivals and celebrations all around. May Maa Durga showers her blessings on all!

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Navratri SMS, Durga Chalisa and Mata Ki Bhente

Duga Chalisa

Namo Namo Durge Sukh karani,
Namo Namo ambe Dukh harani.

Nirakar hai jyoti tumhari,
Tihun lok pheli ujayari.

Shashi lalat mukh mahavishala,
Netra lal bhrikutee vikarala.

Roop Matu ko adhika suhave,
Daras karat jan ati sukh pave.

Tum sansar shakti laya kina,
Palan hetu anna dhan dina.

Annapurna hui jag pala,
Tumhi adi sundari Bala.

Pralaya kala sab nashan hari,
Tum gauri Shiv-Shankar pyari.

Shiv yogi tumhre guna gaven,
Brahma Vishnu tumhen nit dhyaven.

Roop Saraswati ko tum dhara,
De subuddhi rishi munina ubara.

Dharyo roop Narsimha ko amba,
Pragat bhayin phar kar khamba.

Raksha kari Prahlaad bachayo,
Hiranakush ko swarga pathayo.

Lakshmi roop dharo jag mahin,
Shree Narayan anga samihahin.

Ksheer sindhu men karat vilasa,
Daya Sindhu, deeje man asa.

Hingalaja men tumhin Bhavani,
Mahima amit na jet bakhani.

Matangi Dhoomavati Mata,
Bhuvneshwari bagala sukhdata.

Shree Bhairav lara jog tarani,
Chhinna Bhala bhav dukh nivarani.

Kehari Vahan soh Bhavani,
Langur Veer Chalat agavani.

Kar men khappar khadag viraje,
Jako dekh kal dan bhaje.

Sohe astra aur trishoola,
Jase uthata shatru hiya shoola.

Nagarkot men tumhi virajat,
Tihun lok men danka bajat.

Shumbhu Nishumbhu Danuja tum mare,
Rakta-beeja shankhan samhare.

Mahishasur nripa ati abhimani,
Jehi agha bhar mahi akulani.

Roop karal Kalika dhara,
Sen Sahita tum tin samhara.

Pan garha Santan par jab jab,
Bhayi sahaya Matu tum tab tab.

Amarpuni aru basava loka,
Tava Mahirna sab rahen asoka.

Jwala men hai jyoti tumhari,
Tumhen sada poojen nar nari.

Prem bhakti se Jo yash gave,
Dukh-daridra nikat nahin ave.

Dhyave tumhen jo nar man laee,
Janam-maran tako chuti jaee.

Jogi sur-muni kahat pukari,
Jog na ho bin shakti tumhari.

Shankar Aacharaj tap keenhon,
Kam, krodha jeet sab leenhon.

Nisidin dhyan dharo Shankar ko,
Kahu kal nahini sumiro tum ko.

Shakti roop ko maran na payo,
Shakti gayi tab man pachitayo.

Sharnagat hui keerti bakhani,
Jai jai jai Jagdamb Bhavani.

Bhayi prasanna Aadi Jagdamba,
Dayi shakti nahin keen vilamba.

Mokon Matu kashta ati ghero,
Tum bin kaun hare dukh mero.

Aasha trishna nipat sataven,
Moh madadik sab binsaven.

Shatru nash keeje Maharani,
Sumiron ekachita tumhen Bhavani.

Karo kripa Hey Matu dayala,
Riddhi-Siddhi de karahu nihala.

Jab lagi jiyoon daya phal paoon,
Tumhro yash men sada sunaoon.

Durga Chalisa jo gave,
Sab sukh bhog parampad pave.

Navratri SMS

Maa Durge,
Maa Ambe,
Maa Jagdambe,
Maa Bhawani,
Maa Sheetla,
Maa Vaishnao,
Maa Chandi,
Mata Rani meri aur apki manokamna puri karey..
JAI MATA DI.

PYAR KA TARANA UPHAR HO,KHUSHIYO KA NAZRANA BESHUMAR HO,
NA RAHE KOI GAM KA
EHSAS; AISA Navratra UTSAV IS saal ho, , . .
HAPPY NAVRATRA.

Bajre ki roti,
aam ka achar,
suraj ki kirne, khushiyo ki bahar,
chanda ki chandni, apano ka pyar,
mubarak ho aapko
“NAVRATRI”
ka tyohar.

May the festival of Navratri bring joy and prosperity
in your life,
Happy
Navratri!

This Navratri light the lamp of happiness,
prosperity and knowledge,
Happy
Navratri!

May your life be filled with happiness on this pious festival
of Navratri,
Happy Navratri!

Aapi shako to aapni dosti magu chu,
dil thi dil no sahkar magu chu,
fikar na karo dosti per jaan lutavi dais,
rokdo vyavhar che kya, udhar mangu chu…
HAPPY NAVRATRI!

Lakshmi ka Hath ho,Saraswati ka Sath ho,Ganesh ka niwas ho,
aur maa durga ke
ashirwad se Aapke jeevan mai prakash hi prakash ho….
“HAPPY NAVRATRI”

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Corporates like Sony, MTS, Bharti Airtel, Nikon and others eye big bucks on Durga Puja

From virtual puja platforms to attractive promotional offers to eye-catching advertisements, corporates are going all out to rake in the moolah during Durga Puja.

Banking on the puja shopping spree, many companies - be it Cola majors or consumer electronic giants - have come up with new products and innovative marketing plans to woo consumers.

Thums Up, a leading Cola brand in India, is big on Durga Puja. The brand has introduced a new TV commercial for West Bengal with a heavy GRP (gross rating point) plan across leading Bengali channels for a period of three weeks.

The company said for on-ground advertisement, it has tied up with 150 community pujas in the state, including over 100 in the city. Street banners have been put up on roads leading to the canopies and there will be retail outlets to sell the chilled cola. In total, there will be 23,000 outlets.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony has introduced innovative consumer promotions across categories, including TV, Cyber-shot, Handycam and Home Theatre System in this festive season.

The company will provide a digital photo frame, clock radio or pen drive on purchases of LCD/LED TV. It has targeted a sale of Rs.2,000 crore this festive season (September-October) in the country which accounts for 35 percent growth over corresponding period last year. The company is investing Rs.100 crore in promotions during this time which will include television and print commercials, cinema and shop front.

Mobile service provider MTS Kolkata-West Bengal circle has rolled out a unique virtual Puja campaign, christened 'Sarbojonin Durgotshob'. The company claimed that this campaign is a first of its kind initiative that explores the virtual space at a whole new level.

The company in India has over 13 million wireless subscribers and under the MBlaze brand it provides mobile broadband services to more than 1,000,000 customers in over 200 cities across the country.

In the virtual campaign, the entire look and feel of the puja ambience has been recreated online on a webpage - www.mtspujo.com, complete with an online 3-D thematic canopy and a walk through to it with the virtual replica of the six gods and goddesses, their five vahanas and Mahish Asura. The website is being popularised through Facebook.

It said even the puja rituals will be conducted online.

Keshhav Tiwary, chief operating officer, Kolkata and West Bengal circle, MTS India, said, "The basic objective of the campaign is to integrate the Bengali community living in India or abroad on the occasion of their biggest festival, Durga Puja. It will provide them with an online platform where they can interact with each other and share their puja experiences, upload photos and videos.

"So Bengalis, be it in Maddox Square (a popular marquee and meeting place in South Kolkata during the festival days) or Manhattan (in New York) will get to experience the best of both worlds," he added.

Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications company, has announced 3G services in Siliguri and Malda in West Bengal just before puja. The company had earlier rolled out the service in Kolkata, Durgapur, Asansol, Burdawan, Chittaranjan, Kulti and Raniganj.

Camera maker Nikon has also intensified its advertising and marketing plans before Durga Puja.

"A new TV advertisement has recently been started. Print media campaign has been intensified along with Radio. We have taken an all-round approach to promote our products during the puja," Nikon India general manager (Imaging) Sajjan Kumar told IANS.

The company is targeting to double its sales volume this festive season through an increased presence. The festive season contributes 30 percent of the company's total sales during a year.

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Durga Puja 2011 special recipes

There is perhaps no better time than Durga Puja to try out the delicacies that the Bengali palate has to offer.

Lights, colours, decorations and the high spirits are all incomplete without good food, especially the lip-smacking delicacies prepared during these days.

So if one is planning for the exact menu s/he can choose this year to make the season really exciting one then here are few tips that on can follow.

Mahasasthi: The festival commences with Mahashashti as pandals get the last minute touches to welcome visitors. While the organisers decorate the pandals with the colours that they consider to be the most exclusive one, in your home you can cook something really special to herald the festive mood right from the lunchtime.

So to start the day one may prefer to prepare some fulko luchi (a special Bengali fluffy bread) and along with it you may choose alur dam (potato curry), begun bhaja (friend brinjal) or easy looking cholar dal with a topping of coconut to make it really irresistible.

You may prefer to have this menu either for your lunch or your morning heavy breakfast. Even you cannot negate the importance of a beautifully decorated plate of luchi-alur dam for dinner, as it is the true choice of any Bengali person.

Mahasaptami: Bengalis are known for their association with rice. And during Puja one cannot think the menu to be complete without a proper preparation of rice. A Bengali mother will always be seen cooking some delicious Bangali Polau with Dal Pancharatna (pulse), Pabda macher jhol (Butter Fish Curry) and a plate full of chingrir malai curry (prawns).

Mahaashtami: On the day of Ashtami, Bengalis visit the pandal to offer anjali (special prayer) to the goddess. Traditionally on this day every Bengali household prepares vegetarian dishes.

Khichuri, mixed vegetable curry and Koraisutir (peas) chop, and spicy cauliflour slowly and silently finds a place in the plate of a Bengali on Ashatami.

Mahanabami: Nabami or the ninth day of the festival arrives with a mood of melancholy, as it is the last day before Dashami or the final day of the festival.  Nabami is marked by delicious foods and some mouth-watering preparations to make the day really interesting.

If you are really tired of having Bengali dishes all these days, it will not be a big mistake if you choose to change your option and prefer to add some Moglai preparations on your menu.

Mutton Biriyani, Chingri (prawns), Khasir Kasha Mangsho (mutton curry) and Pineapple chutney may feature your dinner before you leave with your family for a whole night 'trip' in various corners and pandals of Kolkata and return back late on Dasami morning.

Mahadasami: Dasami or the tenth day of the festival arrives with a mood of gloom and sadness as it is time for the Mother Goddess to leave earth and return back to her house in Kailash mountains. So after you return from the bishorjon (immersion of Godess at Ganges) you may select Chicken Fried Rice, Narikel Mocha, Rui macher Ganga - Jomuna (fish curry) to finish the day.

Sweets play an important part in any Bengali festival and Durga Puja being the most important event. Rasogolla, Khirer Chop, Sandesh, Kheer kwamola (citrus kheer), payesh and Kheer are always there to make your festival days more sweet and spicy.

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