OH17 - Harmony Premier league and much more

It has been quiet a long time since I have come back to the blog. It was sheer laziness and nothing more to it.

My last post was in Sept 17, almost seven months ago. Much has happened in OH. With so many human beings living together, the life is bound to be colourful. 😁. It's a perfect place to study human behaviour and psychology.

The latest happening in OH is the organisation of "Orchid Harmony Premier League".

I observed a sudden  hyper activity on the cricket pitch, which is just under my balcony. Though, the cricket pitch usually comes alive mostly on weekends or on holidays as most of the offices were closed. But  since a month or two, the cricket has become a anthem in OH. The mornings become lively with all the commotion at the pitch. Everyday, the cricket tribe was increasing. There was no age restrictions as I can see players from the 8-9 years old to senior citizens. With so many enthusiasts, it's natural to organise a competition.

The OHPL has used "Auction League Software" for player selection and team captains had to bid for each player. E-auctions were held and all the captains can see  the details of all the players on the screen.

Each team was allotted 500000 points to bid for 8 players. One by one , the players' information is shown on the laptops and teams' captains  can bid for the players of their choice. Highest bidder gets the player to his team. The whole process of selection was made transparent and many enthusiastic society dwellers were out there in the cricket pitch to have a "dekho" at the process. Six teams were formed. T-shirts were also designed for each team.

Have a look at the teams -

The glimpses of the matches from my 7th floor balcony.

I loved all the hustle and bustle. Some food counters were also set up for the sports enthusiasts, who were down to cheer their favourite teams. I am not a cricket fan, so I just had a look from my balcony. I am too lazy to go out for something which do not interest me. 

Another cricket league for under 19 is also in the pipeline... I am not a cricket fan. Ugh...😔 

With summers setting in may enterprising ladies have planned many interesting workshops for the benefit of  residents, mainly children and ladies. Some were fun workshops for children having fun activities like dancing, yoga, story telling sessions etc and baking workshops for children.

With such hot weather and temperature running up to 46 C, OH is still keeping it's spirits high , which is quiet a feat in dry Gujarat. 😀😀😀

The weather is killing at 46 C. The only workout which is easy to manage is swimming. I had been a regular to the society pool since last month and a half. But routines bore me. So, now it's sometimes morning walk or sometimes yoga at my terrace for me to keep fit. I have recently added  late night walks to my armour of "keeping fit". 

Not very long ago, Ahmedabad was blessed with nice cool breeze in the morning and evening even in peak summers. Unlike north India, where hot months have hot mornings and evenings, Ahmedabadites used to have a respite from heat in the mornings and evenings. But just like the changes in weather around the globe, it's changing here too. Now the cool breeze returns late at night around 10 pm. That's the time I have chosen for my late night after dinner walk. 

That's all for now folks!!! 

OH 6 : NAVRATRI CELEBRATIONS in OH

Navratri celebration  OH started with a bang with participation of sizable number of residents in pooja aarti of "MATAJI". The whole garden was well decorated and shining with lights. After the aarti and prasaad was done, it was time for garba. Enthusiasts had great time dancing to the folk songs' beats.  

Ab thoda sa gyan! 

Navratri, Navaratri or Navarathri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रम्; Marathi: नवरात्र; Gujarati: નવરાત્રી; Hindi: नवरात्रि)  is a Hindu festival of worship of Shakti and dance & festivities. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti or Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami  or Dussehra.

Each day of the nine-day festival are dedicated to the worship of different forms of Goddess Durga, which unfolds the religious importance of the occasion. 

Navaratri is celebrated four times a year: 

1.Vasanta Navaratri, 

2. Ashadha Navaratri, 

3. Sharada Navaratri, 

4. Paush/Magha Navaratri. 

Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Puratashi (Sept - Oct) and the Vasanta Navaratri of the Vasanta kala  ( March - April) are very important.

This is the time for sharada navratri.  It is also called Maha Navratri (the Great Navratri) and is celebrated in the month of Ashvina. It is celebrated at the beginning of winter .

Navaratri this year starts from October 13 and ends on October 21 with Vijayadashami  on October 22. 

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India.

In North India, all  Navratris are celebrated with much fervour by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Mother Goddess in her different forms. The Chaitra Navratri culminates in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navratri ends in Durga Puja and Dussehra. 

The Dussehra of Kulu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North. 

Navratri festival  is one of the main festivals of Gujarat. Garba is done after the Durga Pooja with the groups and live orchestra or devotional songs. Since the past few years, the Government Of Gujarat has been organising the "Navratri Festival Celebrations" on a regular basis for the nine days of Navratri Festival in Gujarat. People from all over Gujarat and even abroad come to participate in the nine days celebrations. It is also popular throughout India and among Indian communities around the world including the UK and USA.

The last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the state of West Bengal in East India where it is celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

In Goa, zatra begins during Navratri, entire Antruz (Ponda) is highly ornated. The Saraswat Brahmin temples are beautifully decorated and the idols are taken out for worship. The idols are dressed and adorned with flowers, sandalwood paste, turmeric and kumkum.  The Dasha Maitrikas (the 10 sisters of Goa) of the Saraswat Brahmins are taken out to worship - namely, Shantadurga, Aryadurga, Mahalasa, Katyayani, Mahamaya, Kamakshi, Vijayadurga, Bhumika, Mahalakshmi and Navadurga.

In South India, people set up steps and place idols on them. This is known as golu.

In Kerala, three days: Ashtami, Navami, and Vijaya Dashami of Sharad Navaratri are celebrated as Sarasvati Puja in which books are worshipped.  On Vijaya Dashami day, the books are ceremoniously taken out for reading and writing after worshipping Sarasvati. Vijaya Dashami day is considered auspicious for initiating the children into writing and reading, which is called  Vidyarambham. Tens of thousands of children are initiated into the world of letters on this day in Kerala. 

First three days

The first three days of Navratri are devoted to the worship of the Goddess Durga. This is the period, when her energy and power are worshipped. Each day is dedicated to a different appearance of Durga.

First day: Kumari, which signifies the girl child. 

Second day: Goddess Parvati, who is the embodiment of a young woman.

Third Day:   Goddess Kali is worshipped, who represents the woman who has reached the stage of maturity. The destructive aspects of Goddess Durga symbolise the commitment to acquire triumph over all the evil tendencies.