There is more to Navaratri than fasting, feasting, and prayer... it is also about celebration, camaraderie and cheer. Here is a list of things to do in the city during the penultimate days of the festival embraced by communities that have made the city home.

Dolls’ days out

Navaratri evenings are filled with colour, music, dance and food at the Sri Sarada Sankara Kalyana Mandapam in Mattancherry. For the past 25 years, members of the Brahmin Ladies Welfare Association put up a bomma kolu (an arrangement of dolls), which constitutes an important part of Navaratri celebrations among the Tamil Brahmin community. 

A bommakolu on display at the Gramajana Samooham Hall, Ernakulam, in connection with Navarathri celebrations | Photo Credit: H VIBHU

Some of the dolls displayed here are from the women’s own personal collections and some are from the Brahmin Welfare Association’s collection. Dedicated to the Goddess, every evening, a puja is performed and prasadam, usually sundal (a chickpea or lentil stir fry) and payasam, is distributed. Visitors are also encouraged to sing or dance. “It is an opportunity for families from the community to come together. There is a sense of togetherness. Those who want to pray to the Goddess can do that; those who want to showcase their talents find a space to do that as well,” says Murali S, secretary of the Brahmin Welfare Association.  

The kolu, which is a staggered arrangement of dolls, is usually based on a theme from the scriptures or inspired by everyday life. The BWA’s kolu at the Sri Sarada Sankara Kalyana  Mandapam is open to all from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

A touch of sweet

Navaratri is a time when people observe fasts, consume satwik foods and practise austerity. But it is also the time to feast and indulge in sweets. With Deepavali too around the corner, traditional sweet shops are bustling with orders. 

Kaju Katli

Sri Annapurna Sweets has brought out a range of dry fruit sweets in addition to its evergreen milk sweets. And this new range of dry fruit sweets seem to be the draw this year, says Milan Joshi, owner of Sri Annapurna Sweets. “Many of the dry fruit sweets, especially those made of dates, have no added sugar and they have found quite a fan base,” he says. Started by Milan’s grandfather in Mattancherry in 1944, Annapurna has been serving traditional Gujarati and Jain sweets and savouries. It has over a 100 varieties of sweets on the menu today. The store moved to Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road in 2015.

At Shantilal S Mithaiwala, another legacy sweet shop set up in Mattancherry in 1953, the showstoppers are the kaju katli (a cashew sweet) and the milk sweets. Among the best-selling sweets are the kalakand (Indian milk cake) and the Ajmeri barfi (a milk-based sweet).

Let’s do the dandiya

What is Navaratri without garba raas and dandiya? If you want an experience of the festivities head to Sri Cochin Gujarati Vidyalaya after 10.30am when the ‘party’ begins. “We have been having these for the past 75-odd years at least,” says Nikhil N Asher. By 12.30am the participants call it a day, those who want more dandiya/garba can then head to the Mattancherry fruit market area, where the celebrations go on till 3.30am on some days. Though the events are primarily intended for the members of the 5000 plus strong Gujarati community, anyone interested can pop in. Nikhil, however, makes an appeal for decorum in terms of behaviour and dressing. The food stalls are basic with tea, coffee and some traditional food like puttu-kadala or idlis.

Dandiya | Photo Credit: GIRI KVS

Mamangam School of Dance is conducting a vidyarambham for those keen to learn dance at Layam Koothambalam, Tripunithura on October 13. After the event, a dance circle will be organised; garba will be performed to Bollywood numbers. It is open to all, from 10am-1pm. For those looking for more of a party feel, head to Forum Kochi, which will host Dandiya 2024 at Forum Courtyard from 8pm onwards.  Early birds can grab a workshop at 5pm. For details call 7204 551593

Pandal hopping

The cultural show by the KBSS | Photo Credit: RK Nithin

Keral Banga Samskrithi Sangha’s (KBSS) Sarvajanin Durgotsav will be open till October 12. The pandal at Lion’s Club Hall, Kadavanthra has an idol of the goddess, installed by sculpture-makers from Bengal. As part of the run up to Mahanavami, a number of cultural programmes are held in the evenings, from 8pm onwards. The sandhya aarti is after 7pm. In the mornings, the pandal is up for viewing from 9.30am-11.30am when pushpanjali is performed; bhog (offering) is open from 1.30am-2.30am, till Friday, when food is served. “It is open to all, anyone can come. While we make typical Bengali food the first two days, on the third day (October 11) it will be pulao, paneer curry, chutney and payasam,” says Sujit Ghosh of vice president of the KBSS.

The other pandal is at Panampilly Nagar, put together by the Vishwakarma Cultural Association Durga Puja Mandap, opposite South Indian Bank. The programmes are similar to the KBSS events with puja, aarti and cultural events.