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Navratri - then and now. Enjoy!
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To most youngsters today Navratri means nine days of non-stop dandiya. Unaware of the true meaning and flavour of the festival we decided to bring out the old world charm and meaning of this colourful festival. Each state of India has its unique way of celebrating Navratri.
In order to understand the significance of Navratri, shaaditimes spoke to celebs who celebrate the festival in their own traditional way.
Manhar Udhas & Family (Gujarati)
Navratri holds special significance for singer Manhar Udhas and his family. So much so that they wait eagerly for this beautiful festival. "It is a huge occasion for us," he says. "I have three Goddesses in my house- Saraswati, Lakshmi and Ma Kali- in the form of my wife and two daughters. Both my daughters are married and settled in US and they have come to India specially to celebrate the festival with us."
 It is not just the togetherness; the family celebrates the festival traditionally. Manhar says, "We have the mata sthapna from day one and throughout the nine days we observe a fast. We do the poojas ritually and follow all the customs. On the ninth day we invite nine girls for lunch and offer them shagun. We also offer some charity on this day. On the tenth day, which is Dussera, we take the garba and place it in the Lakshmi Narayan temple."
Besides following all the customs and rituals, Navratri means a great time for family bonding as the entire Udhas family gets together to have loads of fun. "Entertainment is surely a part of every festival. I take my daughters for dandiya."
Manhar agrees that the significance of Navratri has changed tremendously. "It is commercialised. Today the youngsters don't follow traditions. For them it is a matter of entertainment. But I still see nothing bad in it. With time, everything changes and even the mood."
Rohini & Jayadev Hattangady (Maharashtrian & Konkani)
Actor Rohini Hattangady cherishes the fond memories of Navratri celebrations as a kid. She remembers the Maharashtrian tradition of bhondla, which she used to enjoy as a child. She reminisces, "At my parents place (Pune), we used to do bhondla. An elephant's image is drawn and we would hold hands and do a merry-go- round around the image. We would sing the customary songs. This used to happen the entire evening. On the first day, one song would be sung.  On the second day, two songs would be sung and so on. There were ten songs. I haven't seen this custom for years now. Never heard of it or saw it since I came to Mumbai."
It's not just bhondla that Rohini misses, the khirapat (prasad) made by her mother was delicious as well. "And not just delicious, there was a fun element too," Rohini adds. "We had to guess what was made as khirapat. Sometimes it was laddoo sometimes something else... each kid would bring the khirapat made by her mother." She agrees that things have changed. The style of fun has transformed as well. "These days, I am not too eager to go to play dandiya, also being a celebrity it is not comfortable at times."
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