Tradition wins -- hands down

Be it ritual or fashion, the mood of the moment is retro. T. KRITHIKA REDDY takes a look at the Navarathri celebrations and writes...

The quest for the new has an uncanny knack of kindling nostalgia and adding vibrancy to the past. Be it spirituality or fashion, reminiscing and reviving have become the trend today. In recent times, we have witnessed a pronounced interest in the ancient art of yoga as a panacea to stress-saturated modern lives. We have also seen how the traditional ghagra has been refurbished from homespun to super chic.

Solid virtues of parivar and parampara and classic Southern styles of bottus and buttis are being celebrated like never before. Images of Lou Bega's Sandra and Jessica in lingerie- inspired(!) couture have invaded our drawing rooms. And today's upwardly mobile urbanite has the option of having a Continental power breakfast, Chinese lunch and Thai or Tandoori dinner. Media and travel have brought down barriers...but talk about festivities, and tradition still wins — hands down, even among post-liberalisation yuppies. The reason? Well... its the packaging.

``I am fully aware of the significance of Navarathri celebrations. What really draws me to it is the quintessence of friendship and bonding — that comes with a dose of fun,'' says Ashwin Mehta, a Commerce student in a city college ``That's missing in our race towards academic/professional goals.'' Ashwin and his friends are regulars at the dandiya raas programmes. "Never mind the time and the inevitable crater in our pockets, we still make it — and that too in traditional kurta-pyjama or dhoti."

G. Malabika, a computer programmer with a private firm hardly misses the Durga pujas. ``Having moved to Chennai from Bengal five years ago with my family, these functions help us integrate with our roots."

That the ethnic winds are blowing on the kolu circuit too is palpable during visits to teeming exhibitions of dolls in the city. Shopping at Poompuhar, Sruthi Kannan, a nattily dressed entrepreneur, says, ``The youth are often accused of being superficial, fun-seeking and trendy. The truth remains that we know what we want from life and yet, give tradition its due.'' Despite a frenetic schedule, Sruthi has an edited form of kolu — three padis to please her four-year old daughter. Navarathri is a rare combination of religion, culture, couture and cuisine. Going by the itinerary of various groups, it is evident that most of them have struck a smart balance between rituals and entertainment. Catch up with the office-bearers of the Navrang Cultural Trust, which has been organising the biggest-ever dandiya programmes for five years, and they explain how youngsters participate in the preliminary religious rituals with a fervour that matches their desire for dance. The music troupes are always brought from Mumbai and traditional instruments like the dhol and shehnai are used, besides modern electronic ones. Initially, it was only the Gujarati and Marwari communities. But gradually, the extravaganza attracted people from other communities as well."

The Sri Gujarati Samaj, has over 175 families from T. Nagar and its vicinity, participating. ``Being a religious event, the purity — in terms of rituals and dance is maintained. `Once More', a troupe from Mumbai will play traditional tunes this time, and we don't incorporate disco beats in dandiya to pull in the crowd,'' says Prahalad Bhai Patel of the Samaj.

The mood is spirited among the over 10,000 Bengali families too. Dipankar Basu of the 70-odd year-old Bengali Association, gives elaborate details of the five-day Durga puja that begins on October 22.``It's as meticulous as the celebrations back home. In fact, though we painstakingly stick to the puja formalities here, the accent is now shifting to decoration and extravaganza in Kolkata,'' he smiles. ``Artisans to make the idols and even priests are specially brought to Chennai from West Bengal. Being a major event for us, most of the Bengalis come together during the festivities. It's like one big family."

The Indira Nagar-based South Madras Cultural Association, besides a few other forums too bring together the Bengali populace during Durga puja. ``We have seen it all in Kolkata. But our children haven't. It's their only link to their roots. The response is overwhelming among them. Can you imagine, they start practising for the programmes even two months in advance? Their passion for culture is unabated,'' says Urmi Basu of the Association.

That's not all. If you thought the tradition of Navarathri kolu had taken a beating in the hustle and bustle of modern life, you're mistaken. Creative ideas and religious significances have helped foster the nine-day festivities as Lakshmi Jayaram, V.V. Ramani and Anandhi Venkatraman recount. Lakshmi Jayaram of Chamiers Road, comes up with fresh themes every year. This year, "It's maitrakam,''she discloses.``Friendship is the need of the hour.'' An ardent lover of literature, some of her themes have been inspired by literary classics. One of her kolus reflected universal themes from Shakespeare. Having a good collection of dismantable Gowri dolls enables me to come up with thematic variations."

According to V.V. Ramani, decor designer, ``There was a lull in the recent past. But now, the interest is really building up. Kolu is a social opportunity — elders and children welcome the virtues of traditional hospitality and bonding that come with it.'' Ramani gives vent to his inventive flair within the trappings of tradition. ``To me, its not important to play on innovation and scatter a sprinkling of dolls. It's more challenging to work within the conventional steps structure.'' This year too Ramani retains the structure — but in a surprisingly new medium (threads). I love improvising."

Space constraints — in terms of display and storage and lack of time might force some families to call it off. But coming to their rescue is the new concept of ``community kolu'' by religious forums. The Sri Rama Samaj has been organising Navarathri kolu since 1996. According to a committee member, ``Apart from the regular dolls, thematic depictions of the epics are also executed by its school Sri Sitarama Vidyalaya. This year, the attractions are the Tirumala Hills and Sabarimala, besides Kailash. Volunteers swing into action around Navarathri putting things together...''

Endeavours such as this have indeed helped working mothers like Anandhi Venkatraman. ``It enables my children to get a feel of tradition,'' she beams. Schools like Abacus and Chettinad Vidyashram too have come up with kolus (with dolls contributed by students) and time-pressed mothers are only too happy.

And now to the style beat. What's in during Navarathri? Pat comes the reply... ghagras for garba/dandiya and pavadai-dhavanis for kolu. Yes, thanks to the silver screen, ghagras are back with a bang. And who said its pattikadu to wear pavadai-dhavani? Saunter round the clothes showrooms and see for yourself. The silk junction at Panagal Park, Radha Silk Emporium or small boutiques like VIBA... each has conjured up a refreshing collection. VIBA, for instance, has come with a haute range of dhavanis in traditional woven cottons with zari borders and thread work (see pics). Ahimsa silk saris, ethnic blouses and ghagras are also a big draw here. Ramani, who was one of those instrumental in reviving the trend four years ago at Rasi, says,``It's time even the plush lifestyle stores start displaying them.''

Swathi Shah, a regular at dandiyas recalls how even traditional tattoos ("only, we use sketches") and jewellery to go with the traditional attire are revived by girls like her in a special way.

Clothing provides a snapshot of changing tastes and social values. Hemlines may rise and fall...Be it the short kurtis or the swirling ghagras, clothes touch our lives directly and reflect the mood of the moment. And that's retro. Indeed.

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