Navaratri – festival of nine days & nights culminating in Vijayadasami, is a popular festival in India. This year, plan to write a variety of aspects and stories about Navaratri!

Meeting friends and relatives, get-togethers, exchanging food items and tamboolam are very common during these nine days.

Tamboolam:

Tamboolam is a group of items packaged together and gifted to friends and relatives, especially women during the festivities. Women deck themselves in silk sarees, adorned with flowers, visit temples, and some keep a golu in their homes and invite friends and neighbors to visit them. When the guests are leaving, Tamboolam is given to them. It represents hospitality, blessings and good wishes.

What to include in a Tamboolam?

1. Turmeric – either in powdered form, or dried turmeric root
2. Kumkum – most auspicious in powdered form, some offer kumkum received from temples, and some offer fancy bindi (stickers)
3. Betel leaves – in good condition, given in even numbers, ensure the leaves are not torn or damaged
4. Betel nuts – 1 or 2 nuts
5. Money – coins or notes, usually a generic quarter or higher denomination seen as blessings-money
6. Bangles – Usually glass bangles of varied patterns are given, in even numbers, 6, 12, 24
7. Ear rings – Studs or rings, any ornaments and accessories will be good
8. Clothes – some share a piece of cloth, some share dresses (full sets), or saris + blouse
9. Fruits – Banana is very auspicious, usually given in pairs
10. Coconut – For rare festivities, coconut is also included in the tamboolam
11. Kajal – Eyeliner (optional)
12. Flowers – Garland or individual flowers

These are packaged in beautiful bags, cloth bags and distributed.

Happy Navatri to all of you – from our home to yours!