The Auckland Times | Issue 185| October 15, 2019

35

MUSIC
M
any home entrances THE ESSENCE OF INDIAN FESTIVITIES
or doorway to bhajans (spiritual songs)
prayer shrines are
and Bollywood renditions
decorated with
have become part of a
care and affection with exquisite
typical joyous occasion.
rangoli designs, often depicting
Ever green Bollywood
auspicious symbols such as
songs like “deep jale
peacock, mango leaves, lotus,
ghar ghar mein” will be
flower petals, shells, using
heard on radio stations
colored rice, dry flour and other
as people look forward
materials. The word “rangoli”
to celebrating a much
is derived from the Sanskrit

I
awaited festival because it
“rangavalli”, denoting beauty t is said that music days prior to the actual
is part of an Indian signals light and renewal.
day. At Diwali, chanting
and auspiciousness. Rangoli is family’s life. There
special prayers and Music invariably adds to
an art that is widely practiced is music when a
child is born; singing, listening to Diwali based the joy that is Diwali.
and many homes have built up chanting prayers and
special traditions to decorate sharing blessings galore.
At marriages, there
their home or compound are many ceremonies
with a design at Diwali. where singing, playing
instruments like Dholak
Imaginative patterns are created; take special precedence.
At festivals like Holi
much pleasure is derived in
and Diwali, there are
preparations that lead to superb special devotional and
celebratory songs that are
results. heard, usually for many