RAIN wins community award Navaratri at RAIN

by figures of plants and animals, and then proceeding upwards with the steps above occupied by human dolls in various colourful attire from different walks of life. Above these came the ‘seers’ or ‘teachers’ saints and sadhus, while the top three steps were occupied by the gods and goddesses, Ganesha, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi.

The display was enthusiastically put together by members of the group hailing from the south of India. Our celebrations have a way of teaching our youth respect for education and the moral value of being righteous. The nine days are significant of the Goddess Durga fighting the demon, and the tenth day is a celebration of her jubilant victory, that of good over evil which should be celebrated in everyone’s mind as happy living comes from virtuous thoughts.

The Navaratri celebrations with intergenerational activities were funded by the Illawara Catholic Club and the Hurstville RSL Club under the Clubs NSW grants.

RAIN members sponsored the daily poojas and the celebrations also helped raise funds towards the construction of a fence, an immediate need for the safety of the seniors. RAIN also plans to build an access ramp to facilitate easy access for less mobile seniors.

Sudha Natarajan