LAVANYA’S

INTERVIEWS
CELEBRATION ASKED: NAVRATRI
INTERVIEWER: Lavanya INTERVIEW 1
INTERVIEWEE: Sneha Gaikwad
RELATION: Friend

1) As you know, people celebrate Durga pooja in Bengal, have

you ever been able to visit the place? Do you have any idea
how people celebrate Durga pooja in Bengal?
This day is celebrated as Vijaya Dashmi and the married women
across Kolkata smear 'sindoor' on each other. To witness this
grand celebration, the state tourism runs special boats.
Bengalis greet each other with sweets on this day and the
women perform Matri Baran after the immersion of Durga Idol
in the evening

2) Can you brief us about Durga pooja? How is it celebrated

differently in Bengal than in other states?
People Usually call it Navratri(nine nights) in other states.
People play dandiya and Garba(a dance form) everyday.
Everybody dresses as per the color code, you can see people
dressed in vibrant colors. They pray to Goddess Durga who is
also known as Lakshmi or Kaali mata
INTERVIEWER: Lavanya INTERVIEW 1
INTERVIEWEE: Sneha Gaikwad
RELATION: Friend

3)So as we're talking about bengal here, do people make any

special dishes during navratri or durga pooja?
In Bengal a sweetened rice dish is prepared using Atop rice,
saffron, rose water and nuts and spices. It's really delicious.

4)Do you enjoy spending time with your family and friends
during this period?
She enjoys the festival of Navratri with her friends and family.
They treat each other with sweet dishes. Dressing up is her
favorite part of the festival

5)Where are you exactly from? How do you celebrate navratri

there?
She is from Maharashtra, people play garba and dandiya there.
People are usually seen in the same color. She said it's a really
good time to spend with your loved ones. She also adds that it's
one of her favourite festivals of India.
 INTERVIEWER: Lavanya INTERVIEW 2
INTERVIEWEE: Pearl Shah
RELATION: Friend

1)So in this interview I'll be asking you about navratri,

everybody celebrates navratri in a different way, how do you
celebrate navratri?
She celebrates navratri like every other person in her
neighborhood. They all play garba in the evenings, She gets to
eat a lot of sweets, it's fun.
Navratri dishes
2)With you being from Gujrat, can you tell me how do people
celebrate Navratri in Gujrat? Do they do anything special?
She says that people in Gujrat are really enthusiastic about
navratri. People make delicious treats, they are homemade.
Some of which are spicy and some are sweet.
Khandvi
3)Is there a dish that people specifically make during navratri?
People make khandhvi, it is like a roll made up of gram flour;
dhokla, it is like a spongy dish which is very tasty.
 INTERVIEWER: Lavanya INTERVIEW 2
INTERVIEWEE: Pearl Shah
RELATION: Friend

4)Gujrat is known for the navratri celebrations, have you ever Gujrat while
witnessed it yourself? Navratri
She has been to gujrat during navratri, and she says it was celebrations
an an amazing trip! People arrange garba and dandiya nights
at arenas. The crowd is unbelievable. They dance non stop
until midnight.

5)Have you ever witnessed or played dandiya? Can you give a

brief about it?
She says its her favorite part of Navratri. She plays dandiya a
lot, with her friends. It has always been fun for her
Dandiya
celebrations
 INTERVIEWER: Lavanya INTERVIEW 3
INTERVIEWEE: Seema Bhogle
RELATION: Grandmother

1)Can you describe the navratri attire people usually wear?

Like when they're going for dandiya or garba? Navratri Attire
She said that Women and girls usually wear ghagra choli when
they're going to a dandiya or garba event. Ghagra is a long
skirt and choli is the crop top. The dress has many colors,
mirror decor, glitter and pompom balls. Women drape a
dupatta around their waists which gives a cultural look.

2)Do you enjoy playing garba with your family and friends?
She says that she enjoys playing garba and dandiya with my
family and friends, it's a really good time.

Do you have a different way in which you celebrate navratri?

Do you do anything special?
She makes a big rangoli, which most people don't do but she Some of her own
likes being occupied in her free time. She also makes some rangolis
sweets at home, she finds it way more healthier and tastes
better.
 INTERVIEWER: Lavanya INTERVIEW 3
INTERVIEWEE: Seema Bhogle
RELATION: Grandmother

4)Can you brief us about why is Navratri

celebrated?
She said that Navratri is mainly celebrated to
celebrate the victory of good over the evil.

5)Where exactly are you from? And how do

people celebrate Navratri there?
She is from Maharashtra, people there celebrate
Navratri with great excitement. People love to
dress up and munch onto treats.
People are so excited
about the festival that
they celebrated
following the covid
protocols!!!
 INTERVIEWER: Lavanya
INTERVIEWEE: Bhavana Devda
INTERVIEW 4
RELATION: Family relative
Where are you exactly from? How do you celebrate Navratri there?
She is from Gujrat, but presently residing in Navi Mumbai. She said
they celebrate Navratri there, in Mumbai itself. They book a hall and
all come together to play Navratri.

Do you enjoy spending time with your family and friends during
this period?
She really enjoys playing Navratri with her family and friends. She Hindu calendar
says its very amazing to see all her relatives come together and portraying the dates
spend time of Navratri

When is Navratri celebrated?

Navratri is celebrated during autumn season. That's around
September to November.
Children enjoying
Do you think the celebration has an effect on the young children? the celebrations of
She says that, young children are definitely affected by the Navratri
celebration. They're influenced, they learn more about their culture
and heritage. They learn more of the history behind the festival. It's
really good for the younger generation.