Indore: When the going gets tough, people look for divine intervention. At the 'Dasha Mata Poojan', the women prayed for proctection from COVID-19, but while propitiating the goddess, they did not forget the basics - they all wore masks and offerred prayers in small groups to ensure the coronavirus does not get a chance to spread.
Starting early in the morning women worshipped ‘peepal’ tree, read tales about the significance of the day and sang devotional songs and performed many other traditional rituals to observe the occasion which continued till late in the evening. The women also shared stories about the various stages of one’s life and recognising the strength of women.
Talking about the festival, homemaker Swati Mishra said, “Time does not wait for anyone. There are times when we experience challenges and at times, we are blessed with fortune… this is what is called ‘dasha’.” She elaborated that time, whether challenging or smooth, is essential for human growth.
“During this poojan, we pray to the goddess of time and circumstance to bring prosperity to us and help us learn from challenges,” homemaker Jyoti Dhotiya said. She explained that praying brings comfort and reignites faith.
“We fast throughout the day. Though earlier it was observed for ten-days, we now do it for a day and recall all the inspiring stories of ‘Dasha Mata’,” Neeta Mishra, a homemaker, said. She explained that fasting is considered must to balance diet and boost immunity.
