Be it wearing traditional and colourful dresses, dancing with dandiya sticks or enjoying special delicacies, Navratri is all here to celebrate it with excitement, fun and devotion. And everyone has their own way of celebration, similarly TV actors also talked about the way they would like to observe it in a distinct and memorable way.
‘Kumkum Bhagya’s Aparna Mishra loves gorging on some special food that are prepared during fasts which includes sabudana vada (deep fried fritter made with tapioca pearls and boiled potatoes), sabudana khichdi and also prasad of chana puri.
She said: “I celebrate Navratri every year and it is one of my favourite festivals too. I have actually come to love fasting and relish the delicious sabudana vada, khichdi, and Chana puri which is prepared around this time of the year. In fact, I wait for Navratri so that I can have all these ‘Falhari’ dishes.”
But the actress is a little disappointed as she won’t be able to keep fast this year because of her shoots and busy work schedule.
“However, this year I won’t be able to fast-during Navratri because of a hectic shoot schedule, but will be doing the aarti and attending garba events in the city,” she added.
On the other hand, stand-up comedian Gaurav Dubey is fond of performing Garba with family and friends and this year too he is going to do the same.
“Navratri is one of my favourite festivals that I eagerly await. It brings my family together as we all meet, exchange sweets and gifts, and spend nights playing garba. For me Garba is the highlight of the festival.”
“The whole festival has a different vibe to it which makes it special for everyone. This year as well, I plan to celebrate it with my family and if time permits, then I will definitely play Garba with my loved ones,” revealed the 28-year-old comedian.
For actress Shubhaavi Choksey, any festival is all about togetherness and making some memories with families and friends.
She said: “Festivals are always a means to bring everyone together and have a good time celebrating with our dear and near ones. For me, Navratri has always been about celebrating the festival with family and friends with much enthusiasm and focusing on ‘shakti'(divine energy).
While elaborating more about the reason to celebrate Navratri, she explained: “The festival is celebrated for different reasons in different parts of India, but the main theme remains the same – the victory of good over evil. There is also that aspect of different colours being assigned to different days and I try to follow up with that trend and colour coordinate.”
Actress Neha Joshi also explained the meaning of the first day of Navratri and its importance.
“On the first day of Navratri, Devi Shailputri, also known as Devi Parvati, is worshipped. Revered as the daughter of the Himalayas, She is believed to bring about the highest state of consciousness, enthusiasm, success, and happiness in an individual. She is the absolute form of mother nature.”
“People wear yellow-coloured clothes to please the Goddess and in my hometown, we offer pure ghee to her. It is believed that by offering pure ghee, the devotees are blessed with a life free of diseases and illness,” she concluded.