Talking Dolls - The End of the Festival

Dolls, remind me of festival called Dusserah! Yeah! We've a custom of arranging "Dolls" (mostly made of mud) in odd number steps. 

Dusserah a.k.a Navratri is a festival celebrated for 9 days marking the victory of Lord Rama over the Rakshasa Mr. Ravaneshwara! Its the festival of Trinity Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswathi! In Northern part of India it is celebrated in a very grand manner as "Durga Pooja". Now do you get the hang of it???

I am from southern part of India. (No, I don't want any geographical differences here :P. Just that I wanna tell you guys how we celeb here :) ) We have a custom of arranging dolls in the odd number steps. Dolls will be deities, or a theme, or a particular part from Mahabaratha or Ramayana or Shivapuranam et al. Believe me, it is one of the exciting festivals in my place. We prepare Sundal , we've Kutcheris (Concerts), people visiting to see the arrangement of dolls in our home, Kids dressed up like Lord Krishna, Gopikas also come home and make it a joy filled festival.

Now, since I am employed and am out of home for 15 hours, this year I didn't participate actively in the festival. Everything was arranged by my mom single handedly. I feel a bit bad for not in a position to help her :( I didn't even get time to click pics of dolls this time!

Everyday when am back home, when all are asleep, I sit for a while and keep looking at the dolls arranged. I feel like they have life. I feel like as if they are talking to each other, dancing, singing and mocking at me for

• not being able to contribute time to decorate them 
• not noticing the new arrivals 
• not decorating flowers in front of the steps. 

Eerie silence, talking dolls shimmering in colorful light arrangements and this makes me feel the divinity spread across my home!

Now that the festival is over :( So, am inviting all of you in advance for next year's Navrathri to my place :) to see my talking dolls :)

P.S. I am very much interested in knowing a lot about other culture and also explaining to people about my culture, traditions and customs :) That made me to come here and write something about it!