It was 1984 when my sister Indra demanded that we should also keep Gollu in our home. The previous year, my Amma had gone through surgery, and one of our aunts asked us to leave the home my father built for his beloved parents. So we moved to a rented home in Coimbatore. (My mother did not hate them, nor did she make us hate them, as we only took care of our grandmother when she got old.)
My sister desired that we should start keeping gollu like we do in our grandparents’ homes. So, my father bought this statue of Lord Shiva and Parvathi where Lord Murugan stands, wondering how Lord Ganesha came around parents and got the mango, but he who came around the whole world could not. So he gets angry and goes to Palani Hills. Palani Murugan is my appa’s favourite God and our family deity. Later, when we moved to Pollachi, we started buying new statues of gods and goddesses, and it increased.
Statues are beautifully made 30 years back. See the video I made to believe me.
My sister went to Germany to do her Ph.D., later got married, and currently lives in the US. Even when my parents go to the US to visit my sister, I continue to keep at least one statue and do pooja. Once I remember keeping all these statues all alone and doing pooja myself. The reason I showcase our Navratri Gollu is not because it’s beautiful. It’s a normal Gollu. I have observed in newspapers and on TV that people continue to participate in the Gollu competition, which I find odd. The question is, “Will your next generation be able to continue the tradition? Will they have time for it?”
But following one’s customs and tradition for over 40 years takes lots of effort. My aunt passed away in 2021. Surprisingly, the year before, he painted few statues. He even made a wooden plank to keep small statues. So, I assumed that my Appa wants us to continue the tradition of keeping Gollu in our home. Amma sometimes is not well. She feels dizzy. But with the support of our housemaid Shanta Ka and neighboring aunties, Padma Aunty, Sowmiya Aunty, and a few others who come to sing in the evening, our Gollu tradition is still alive.
I won’t be at home when my mom’s friends come for singing sacred mantras. At 7., I usually go to the Saibaba temple in Coimbatore, as I love sweeping the main hall of the temple. So I come back only at 9.30. Somehow, this year’s gollu happened successfully by grace of Sai and Mother Adhiparashakti.
I desired to invite any of my Sai friends to my home during gollu but most of them are outside Coimbatore. So, my desire has never come true.
Om Sai Ram
Venkat
