The Beautiful Autumn Sky - Fall In Love!

I love autumns. In fact I wait for this time of the year when the autumn gust of strong wind blows, wiping away the yellow-orange crispy brown leaves with it. A farewell to greenery

Thankfully the place I live in is still surrounded by some tress. So as I look out of my window, I admire the crisp copper leaves falling off the trees, swaying gently in the autumn wind. The clouds overlap each other making the sky a gloomy gray. After a long time I’m having a hot cocoa chocolate drink that I've been clutching in my hands to keep it warm. The chill of the wind reddens my face like a seasoned apple. I close my eyes and deep breathe the beautiful season. But as I deep breathe; my thoughts are shadowed by 'his' face. Go bathe in the autumn sun.

Have you ever taken a perfect autumn walk? I haven taken it today and as I was taking the walk my thoughts drifted a bit thinking of the years that have passed, the years I have left by. Strangely I feel happy again. Something that I haven’t felt in a long time.

In the bygone childhood days it was this autumn season when mom would first make those delicious gajar ka halwa for the entire family. And even today I can close my eyes and smell the sweet scent of the halwa being cooked in our old rented house.

Autumn will always hold a special place in my heart because it was this time of the year when I first felt the signals of the heart. I fell in love.

Autumn  evenings are even more spectacular. The chill winds races through the avenues and your freshly manicured lawns are once more dumped by those yellow-orangy-browny leaves. Crunch, crackle, stamp on them like you did as a kid and let out a smile at this thought.

Oh what a joy autumn is… is it not?

Golden and red trees
Nod to the soft breeze,
As it whispers, "Winter is near;"
And the brown nuts fall
At the wind's loud call,
For this is the Fall of the year.

                                                                    Akal Bodhon

 Akal bodhon    Out of Season(Akal) Bodhon (Worship)

The god and the goddesses wake when the sun faces the uttarayan kaal and sleep during the Dakshinayan kaal. Uttarayan kaal is the first season of the Hindu year. During this season the god and goddesses are worshipped. So the year starts with worshipping goddess Saraswati which is now known as the Saraswati puja. How the Durga puja started during the ashwin season that falls in the Dakshinayan kaal or the out of season worshipping period is the story we wil tell you now.

When prince Ram was serving his exile period, his wife Sita was kidnapped by the king of demons Ravana. With the help from the king of monkeys Sugriva and his army, Ram builts a bridge over the ocean to reach the land of Lanka. After that starts the big battle between the army of Ram and Ravana. But even after endless efforts, Prince Ram couldn’t kill the demon king, Ravana. Ravana starts worshipping goddess Ambika for more power who in return tells him that she herself will be helping the demon king in all situations and circumstances.  With the help of goddess Ambika, Ravana resumes back is battle with Ram. Seeing Ravana battling with all force and power, all gods think will Ram never be able to defeat Ravana? Seeing the critical circumstances, lord Indra went to Lord Brahma to ask a way to defeat Ravana. Its then, lord Brahma told lord Vishnu that Ravana can only be defeated if and only if Ram worships goddess Durga in this Dakshinayan kaal or the out of season period. When prince Ram got to know the only way to defeat Ravana, he started preparations to worship goddess Durga in the autumnal season. Even after worshipping Goddess Durga during Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, Ram couldn’t hear from the goddess and was on the verge of breaking down. It was then king Vivhishan suggests Ram that if he offers 108 blue lotuses to Durga, the goddesss will definitely be pleased and readily help out Ram. Hearing this Hanuman leaves to collect the 108 lotuses and returns collecting them soon enough. But to test Ram, goddess Durga hides one amongst the 108 blue lotuses. Falling short of one blue lotus, everyone thought that Durga will not be satisfied and Ravana could never be defeated. Not knowing what else to do, Ram says that his eyes are like blue lotus and he would offer one of his eye to the goddess to satisfy her and defeat Ravana.

When Ram is prepared to take out one of his eyes with an arrow, goddess Durga appears and stops Ram from doing so. The goddess says that she is very satisfied with his worshipping her in the akal-bodhon. Durga tells Ram that now he will be easily be able to defeat Ravana in the battle. Getting his aid from goddess Durga, he resumes the battle with the demon king. Then in the battlefield, Ram arrows Ravana to death.

It is from then, that this autumnal ritual of Durga Puja is being celebrated. When the fields are filled with kaash flowers and the clouds play in abundance in the clear blue sky, the tunes of Ago moni are played. It starts from Mahalaya which is then followed by the nine days of the Durga Puja. Finally comes Dashami when we bid adieu to goddess Durga in wait for the next year’s Akal bodhon.