Nav Durga, Dura Pooja or better known as Navratri, is a sacred 9-day festival welcoming the devi to shower her blessings on her worshippers. The deity is welcomed with great pomp & purity in the house & is served as a special guest. Now as the saying goes in our culture, ‘atithi devo bhava’, this particular guest who is a goddess for real cannot & should not be disappointed with our skills as a host & what other way is better than to impress a visitor by making our own house feel like home to them.
Durga Puja is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu Calendar and particularly celebrated in Bengal, Eastern Indian states. Durga Puja celebrates the victory of the great Goddess Durga over the Asura King Mahishasura. It starts on the same day as Navaratri, nine-night festivals celebrating the divine Goddess.
It is that time of the year when nobody needs to find excuses to celebrate because festivals have got you covered. The beautiful time which immerses the country into colors of yellow, orange, red & pink, & makes even the tiniest of allies bustle with happiness all around. Where the world celebrates autumn in the form of Halloween, we Indians celebrate the whole season of fall in the form of festivals.
Diya Decorations
Diyas & deepaks are the most prominently used decorative item in India since ages. When lit up, they manage to light the whole place up with not only brightness but also acknowledgeable beauty. Hence, try taking the traditional route & enhance the beauty of your house by decorating it with deepaks. Keep them not only in the temple but also the lowly lit areas of your dwelling.
Flower decoration
The delicacy & purity of flowers is unmatchable. They always add that oomph to the decor whenever used. Use flower garlands to decorate the walls or floating flower petals in a copper tub or any other utensil of your choice. A background of flowers will definitely give the space a holy look. If you want to do something different than the usual kind of flower decorations, you can make a carpet of flower petals for the idol. You can also use the scent of the flowers to fill the air & there you have it.
Decorations with Lanterns
An ongoing trend, this method of decoration is not going anywhere anytime soon. Simple yet pretty, lanterns will not only add color to the space but will also do the job of enlightening the aura of your lovely house. Hang a few strings of lanterns on the roof or let them loose on the entrance of the temple or on the back wall where the idol is kept. With just one click your doorstep will shine up.
Decoration with Fairy Lights
We all are aware of the wonders they can do in dazzling up the place. Make use of these bead-like lights to radiate your place of worship, in the background, on the roof & places around. You can also use that infamous trick of putting them in a glass bottle & put them up like lanterns. Or make a chandelier of these lights. You can find ample of DIY videos online to help you with the process & also provide you with more creative ideas.
Earth pots
An underrated material for decor, earth pots, mud vessels or other clay made things can look as eccentric as you please only if you use them in the right way. Earth or mud pots can be used as containers for floating candles, floating flower petals, like lanterns, & what not. Hand paint them with intricate designs, fill them with flowers, coloured water, lentils or utilise them to store the stuff required during puja. You can also utilise them as incense stands or candle/lamp holders.
