There are a lot of festivals that India is known for, but some of them have an especially prominent and special place in my heart. It’s something that I’ve grown up celebrating, and even though it’s not a Maharashtrian holiday per se, Mumbai has been known for its prevalence and events. Adding to that pretense, it’s celebrated every fall, the date varying as it follows the Hindu calendar. Yes, indeed, I am talking about Navaratri. It is a nine-day Hindu festival that commemorates the goddess Durga through dance and celebration until the end of the demon Rakshasa on the 10th day.

As spring draws nearer and the sun starts shining on the plants again, waking them up from their wintry slumber, I can’t help but reminisce in nostalgia about all the fun things that happen in India this time of year. For those who celebrate, I want to wish you all a very happy Holi!

Holi is an Indian festival celebrated each year, a festival of colors. Since Indian culture follows the Hindu calendar, the dates for this holiday fluctuate between some day in March. There are two days to this festival, with different rituals, both as important and who won’t be functional without the other. The first tradition involves a big bonfire and a history behind it. One of the mythological stories behind it goes like this.

I never realized the power of my mother tongue until I was 10. I grew up listening to the Marathi and Hindi languages, as they were the only things I ever heard until I went to school. Marathi was the language I said my first word in, the language in which I learned to communicate with my parents, the way they interacted with me when I was a small girl. It’s the only language I speak to my relatives in. It gave me a sort of connection to other people who spoke the same language because we started on the same wavelength.

Winter is finally here! With it, it brings friends, family, and most of all, Christmas joy! Being a resident in Redmond, Washington for the past 4 years, I’ve gotten used to some dreary and rainy winters, but the lights that I see around my area always ignites a warmth within me. I live in an area that is called the temperate zone. This is where the weather is cold during the winter but not freezing, and hot during the summer, but not sweltering. The sunrise is also really late, the day not starting before 8:00 in the morning. Plus the sunset is super early, the shortest day of the year ending at like 4:00pm. It used to seem a little bleak at first, but the way that everybody starts all the activities is truly magical and

My mind was racing, a 1000 thoughts spiraling through my mind. I have to finish this assignment, that project and study for so many tests. Though the thought that cut the long line of thoughts and displayed prominently in my mind was this. Winter Ball was in a week! This being my first dance in my new school, I was excited. I was simply bursting with joy at the thought of me wearing my dress, doing my hair and makeup, and taking pictures with my friends.

Thanksgiving. What does it mean to me? Truthfully, I never even knew that this holiday existed when I was living in India for 10 years. Though when I came here, I realized it was a thing, at first just enjoying the holiday we had during this time. Over time, as I got more exposure to the tradition, I got the importance and value it had on Americans, or anyone that celebrates it.

Cricket! Hmm, what can I say about this sport? Actually, for me, it’s not just a sport. It’s a community, an opportunity for loved ones to come together and be on the same team. Cricket’s one of the sports that I’ve been watching ever since I was a kid. One of my most fondest memories with my family came because of cricket.

As a kid, I always knew when there was a cricket tournament going on, even if I didn’t understand how the sport worked exactly. My neighborhood was always a big fan, celebrating after every match India won. One of my most fond memories are when I used to come home after playing downstairs with my friends, T-shirt sticking to my back because of the Mumbai heat, the humidity and hot summer sun casting a blaze on my face. As I stepped into my house, the blast of wind from the air conditioning greeting me was one of the greatest reliefs. Looking up, I would always see my parents in the same position, the memory a clear image in my mind. My dad would be on the back couch, leaning on one arm, cheering on Team India. My mom on the couch on the side, eyes glistening with rapt attention, she too would shout and high five my dad every time that one of her favorite players hit a boundary or a sixer. This was my first inclination towards loving cricket, and I have grown even fonder of it since.

My love for Bollywood movies started when I was just 6 or 7 years old. Though, surprisingly, it didn’t really kick off until the lockdown in 2020 due to Covid. When I was little, the most important things to me were the Bollywood songs. I would sing them in the shower and try to remember them when my friends and I were playing Antakshari. Antakshari is a very popular game in India, where you take the last syllable of a specific song and try to think of a song that starts with the same syllable. Though most of all, I used to love Bollywood songs because of dance.

Today, I want to take the time to talk about my grandma (Nani, my mom’s mother). Growing up in an Indian household, I was used to being around a lot of my relatives and family friends. I’ve always loved being part of a large community, a large family, especially during Wedding Season. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve known to dress up in Indian attire and go for poojas (prayers), and celebrations of various kinds. I know a lot of my extended family by name and grew up having small talk. Though I think my favorite family member besides my parents, is my grandma.

Waking up with clammy hands, butterflies in my stomach, and a haze in my mind, I was sure I was sick. But no! I was just excited for my perfectly planned homecoming weekend. I had studied extra hard the entire week, just so that I could have a little breather for the weekend. Oh, finally it was Friday! Feet bouncing, hair waving, I got out of the bus after school on Friday afternoon, just a day before the special day and started running to my best friend. We had planned for this for so long, and our dream was finally coming true.

Hi everyone, I go by my virtual name Navaka. I am a girl from two worlds. My idea behind starting this blog is comprised of a lot of factors. In my life, I have attended 6 schools (both in India and USA), lived in two countries, visited 14 states in India and 13 countries in the world which includes three continents. I have always liked travelling and have written about my experiences ever since I was 6 years old. The reason I’m starting this blog is because I want to put my experiences on the table and create memories.