Navratri Starts......

First day of Navratri and being in Delhi is a different experience. It has been 7 years; I have not seen ‘Navratri Celebrations’ in the northern part of the country J

My mother calls me an ‘Agnostic’. As I do not fast even for a day and am always least interested to visit religious places with her as I do not see God in idols. I do not worship idols BUT I respect them. Yes, visiting religious places help me to connect with myself and seek inner peace BUT chanting mantras in front of idols with a thought to impress God and ask for a wish in life never gets into my head.

I see many people around me who fast all these 9 days of Navratri and organize lavish puja at home followed by buffets as ‘prasadam’ (‘prasadam’ is prepared specifically for God and offered to His deity). This is not being closer to God. Pray, engage your mind in puja BUT rather than serving people at home, why not feed hungry children or spend few hours with old people at old age home. It is not being ‘philanthropist’ but being ‘kind to yourself’.

This Navratri, I want to celebrate few good elements that we are given by God on my blog rather than impressing my family, friends and God.

First day of Navratri starts with a good thought – ‘serve to mankind is service to God’.

Here are few quotes that I share as a part of this post.

”You are never giving, nor can you ever give, enough service.”
– James R. Cook

”You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.”

– Madame Marie Curie

”When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self.”
– Confucius

The more you learn what to do with yourself, and the more you do for others, the more you will learn to enjoy the abundant life.”
– William Boetcker

”To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.”
– Pearl S. Buck

”How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because some day in life you will have been all these.”
– George Washington Carver

Money is not the only means to serve to mankind but a gesture of love, hug, acceptance, patience, help and spending time with people can do wonders.