Significance of Golu

Hello friends it is good to have you back here. This motivates me into not just writing but to explore newer dimensions into seemingly mundane activities.

Come navaratri each part of India and everyone of Indian origin celebrates this festival in pomp and splendor by following their traditions and customs. But many a times people fall into the trap of doing things without understanding why we do what we do.

Today in this blog, I am going to talk about the significance of golu which is followed in most Tamil homes. The moment you think of a navaratri in a tamil home what comes to mind are the various types of Sundal and Golu. Women invite other women to their homes to give the vethalai paaku and sundal is distributed to young and old alike.

The Golu is a step like arrangement in which dolls (golu bommai) are stacked. The dolls sometimes narrate stories from epics and puranas. Like rama jananam, dasavatharam

Golu is considered to be arranged for aesthetic appeasement of the senses. It is also believed that we devotees are sending in a battalion to help the Goddess defeat the demons. To feed the battalion food grains and water is placed in the golu. 

Golu bommai arrangements are done in such a way that lower rung beings like animals are at lower steps and below it on the floor a garden is arranged with saplings and then as one goes to higher steps it progresses to humans and then mystics and again higher up are the incarnations(avatars) of various deities and finally up is the deity or Goddess herself.

If we look at Maslow's need hierarchy theory of motivation the needs of a man (what motivates him) progress from food and safety to transcendence.

Embedded in this model is the path to mystic realisation. In order to progress to the higher self lower order needs need to be addressed. The yogic path to self realisation that is samadhi begins with satisfaction or overcoming  of physiological aspects that have the power to pull you down. Indian classical dance sees this as correcting the gross to connect with the inner deeper subtle.

Golu symbolises this spiritual progression of man that culminates into union with the cosmic reality. To go higher spiritually he steps on the lower steps meaning he sheds various inhibitors in the lower levels and progresses to the higher self.  He eventually sheds his ego, his sense of self and achieves transcendental experiences.