Devi Mahagauri

Devi Mahagauri: According to Hindu mythologies, the Goddess Shailputri at the age of sixteen was extremely beautiful and blessed with a fair complexion. Due to her extremely fair complexion, she was known as Goddess Mahagauri.

Day of worship: 8th day of Navratri

Governing planet: Rahu

Mantra: Om Devi MahagauryaiNamah ॐदेवीमहागौर्यैनम

Iconography: She rides the bull, just like Goddess Shailputri. She has four arms, holding a Trishul in one of her right hands and depicts the Abhayamudra with the other right hand. She carries a Damaru in one left hand and depicts the Varadamudra in her other left hand.

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Poster of the film

Film Review: Mirzya

Date: October 07 2016

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Cast: Harshvardhan Kapoor, Saiyami Kher, Anuj Choudhry, Om Puri, Art Malik, K. K. Raina, Anjali Patil

Rating: 3.5 stars

You can say this is one more legendary romance the kind of stuff Shirin Farhad, Heer Ranjha or Romeo Juliet were made of and yet Mirzya is not like any of them. What makes it different is the story telling, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra packages two different stories from two different eras in one film.

The first is a folklore narrated to us by our forefathers and read about in story books, the saga of Mirza Sahibaan. The second, a contemporary tale of separated childhood friends Munish and Suchitra rediscovering each other in a metropolis.

The first story painted in duo tones is abstract and intriguing. The characters stand tall and erect amidst Blue Mountains, grey clouds and white sand as arrows fly, horses ride and there is deathly silence! The second story burns in golden sand as dusky women sing and dance around orange flames. There are sprawling mansions, luxurious cars, racing bikes, piercing bullets and brewing tension.

And both these stories move simultaneously, it is almost as if director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra walks you through veils and travels you into different eras to tell you different stories and does it seamlessly.

What doesn’t work about the film is the stale premise and predictable story. The content is complex and the end open to interpretations. What works is the novel narrative, the imaginative structure, the stunning visuals, the scale, the form, the breathtaking photography, sensual choreography and original music. Every song is poetry and every poem connotes pathos…

Except for Om Puri, KK Raina and Art Malik all the actors are debutantes and all performances praiseworthy. It is difficult to believe that this is Anjali Patil, Anuj Choudhary’s debut film. Leading lady Saiyami Kher is equally at ease with Sahibaan and Suchitra, looks majestic in both the roles and stands tall with an erect torso.

Hero Harshvardhan Kapoor does justice to both Mirzya and Munish though we would have preferred to see him clean shaven in one role atleast. Unlike other star sons who make sure to sing/ dance/ emote/orate and fight in their debut film, Harsh flies arrows, rides horses and emotes with his eyes!

There are three reasons why you must watch Mirzya. The first, music: Composers Shankar Ehsaan Loy combined with lyricist Gulzar present an immortal score. Second, it marks the return of Gulzar as a screenplay writer after Hututu(1990) which is 16 long years. Third, the most important, this is filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s leap as a visionary. Mehra deliberately does not hand hold his audience and takes it for granted that they share his creative space.

Some films touch your heart, some, stimulate your mind. Mirzya falls in the latter. After all, every film does not have to tell a riveting story, some have to be watched for the craft and Mirzya is a cinematic experience.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

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Devi Kaalratri

Devi Kaalratri: Devi Kalaratri – This is the fiercest and the most ferocious form of the Mother Goddess, in which she manifests to destroy the demons, Sumbha and Nisumbha.

Day of worship: 7th day of Navratri

Governing planet: Saturn

Mantra: Om Devi Kalaratryai Namah ॐदेवीकालरात्र्यैनम

Iconography: Her complexion is dark black and she rides on a donkey. She is depicted with four hands. Her right hands are in Abhayamudra and Varadamudra. She carries a sword and deadly iron hook in her left hands.

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(to be continued tomorrow)

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Devi Katyayini

Devi Katyayini: Her mission was to destroy demon Mahishasura, the Mother Goddess manifested as Goddess Katyayani. This is one of the more violent forms of the Mother Goddess in which she manifests as a Warrior Goddess.

Day of worship: 6th day of Navratri

Governing planet: Jupiter

Mantra: Om Devi Katyayanyai Namah ॐदेवीकात्यायन्यैनम

Iconography: Goddess Katyayani rides on a magnificent lion and is depicted with four hands. She carries a lotus flower and sword in her left hands respectively and keeps her right hands in Abhayamudra and Varadamudras.

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(to be continued tomorrow)

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Devi Skandamata

Devi Skandamata : In her form as mother of the God of War, Lord Skanda(also known as Kartikeya), she is known as Goddess Skandamata.

Day of worship: 5th day of Navratri

Governing planet: Mercury

Mantra: Om Devi

SkandamatayaiNamahॐदेवीस्कन्दमातायैनम

Iconography: Goddess Skandamata mounts the ferocious lion. She carries baby Skanda in her lap. Lord Skanda(also known as Kartikeya or Lord Murugan) is the brother of Ganesha. Goddess Skandamata is depicted with four hands. She carries lotus flowers in her upper two hands. She holds baby Skanda in one of her right hands and keeps the other right hand inAbhayamudra. She sits on a lotus flower and because of that, is also known as Goddess Padmasana.

Special powers: Devotees who worship this form of the Mother Goddess get the added benefit of blessings of Lord Skanda, the God of War(also known as Kartikeya).

(To be continued tomorrow)
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Devi Kushmanda

Devi Kushmanda : After taking the form of Siddhidatri, the Mother Goddess started living within the Sun thereby liberating the Sun’s energy to the universe. Since then, this form of the Goddess has been known as Kushmanda, namely for her power and capability to live inside the Sun. The glow and radiance of her body is as luminous as that of the Sun.

Day of worship: 4th day of Navratri

Governing planet: Sun

Mantra: Om Devi KushmandayaiNamah ॐदेवीकूष्माण्डायैनम

Iconography: Rides on a lioness and has eight hands. She holds a kamandalu, Dhanush, Bada and Kamal in her right hands. Her left hands hold Amrit Kalash(pot of nectar), japamala(prayer beads), Gada and Chakra – in that order.

Specific power: She created the universe in the flash of her smile and is believed to bestow siddhis(supernatural powers) and niddhis(wealth) to her devotees.

(to be continued tomorrow)

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In the Hindu mythology Durga is the Mother Goddess and is known by a variety of names – including Devi, Shakti, Adi Parashakti and Parvati. The Navdurgas are the different forms of Devi.

The Navdurgas are the manifestations of the Mother recognized by the governing planet, iconography(in the form of a mount, number of hands and items held), mantra for invocation (usually repeated 108 times at each sitting during the period of Navratri), dedicated day of Navratri worship and respective prayers (pratharna, stuti, dyan):

Shailaputri Devi

Devi Shailaputri: It is believed that after self-immolation in her form as Sati, the Mother Goddess took birth as the daughter of Lord Himalaya. In Sanskrit, Shail means “the mountain”, due to which this form is known as Shailputri, the daughter of the mountain.

Day of worship: 1st day of Navratri

Governing planet: Moon

Mantra: Om Devi Shailaputryai Namahॐदेवीशैलपुत्र्यैनम

Iconography: She rides a bull, carrying a Trishul (trident) in her right hand and a lotus flower in her left hand.

Brahmacharini Devi

Devi Brahmacharini : After the Kushmanda form, the Mother Goddess took birth at the home of Daksha Prajapati, as his daughter, Sati, who was born to marry Shiva. This unmarried form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped is called Devi Brahmacharini.

Day of worship: 2nd day of Navratri

Governing planet: Mars

Mantra: Om Devi Brahmacharinyai Namah ॐदेवीब्रह्मचारिण्यैनम

Iconography: Walks on bare feet, carrying a japa mala in her right hand and a kamandalu in her left hand.

Chandraghanta Devi

Devi Chandraghanta: Is the married form of the Mother Goddess following on from Devi Shailputri and Mahagauri. After getting married to Shiva, Goddess Mahagauri started adorning her forehead with a half-moon(Chandra) shaped like a bell(Ghanta) due to which, she became known as Goddess Chandraghanta.

Day of worship: 3rd day of Navratri

Governing planet: Venus

Mantra: Om Devi Chandraghantayai Namah ॐदेवीचन्द्रघण्टायैनम

Iconography: Goddess Chandraghanta mounts the tigress. She wears the semi-circular moon(Chandra) on her forehead. The half-moon on her forehead looks like the bell (Ghanta) and hence, her name. She is depicted with ten hands. Goddess Chandraghanta carries Trishul, Gada, sword and kamandalu in her four left hands and keeps the fifth left hand in Varadamudra. She carries a lotus flower, arrow, Dhanush and Japa Mala in her four right hands and keeps the fifth right hand in Abhaya Mudra.

Special powers: This form of the Mother Goddess is ready for war with all her weapons, to protect the peace and welfare of her devotees.It is believed that the sound of the moon-bell on her forehead drives all types of spirits away from her devotees.

(to be continued tomorrow)

@bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

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