Ma Skandamata is also known as the Goddess of Fire.  The fifth form of the goddess is that of a mother of a powerful and gifted child who restored peace and harmony in the world. It is said that her worship is twice blessed. He who worships her, also worships Lord Skanda, or Kartikeya, who sits in her lap. 

Goddess Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of Navaratri.  It is believed that Ma Kushmanda  created the entire universe with her divine smile. She is the ultimate energy who is behind the creation of the world.  It is said that she is the origin of various types of heat and that she also holds the entire universe in her divine womb. The light and aura of all the living and non-living beings is only because of her energy. She is the embodiment of divine light. This is the reason why she is also known as  'Jagat-Janani' (the mother of the universe)  or 'Adi-shakti' (the first Supreme Energy). It is with her blessing alone that living beings not only perceive light but also obtain foresight.

This avatar of Ma Durga shows that she can be both -- compassionate towards her devotees and terrifying towards her enemies. Ma Chandraghanta is one of the most powerful forms of Goddess Durga and is  also known to offer relief from suffering and distress.

Goddess Brahmacharini  is the second aspect of Goddess Durga. However, unlike Durga or Kali,  Brahmacharini is not worshipped as a single deity. She is worshipped along with her consort Shiva. This symbolises the penance, or tapasya, she did to be one with Shiva. Hence, Shiva has to be worshipped with full faith and devotion to please Ma Brahmacharini.  

Here is the story of goddess Shaelputri who is worshipped on the first day of the nine-day festival of Navratri. 

Chaitra Navaratri marks the beginning  of the Hindu New Year. In an agrarian country  like India, it has  traditionally been a time for thanksgiving after the harvesting of the rabi or winter crop.  It is also a time to revere the Mother Goddess Durga in all her nine forms and welcome the birth of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.   

A few days ago my elder daughter, now in her early 20s, shared a YouTube-video narration of Irish writer Martin Waddell's Owl Babies. Though she stays 1,000s of miles away, I could literally hear screaming with sheer excitement.
"Mumma, do you remember, do you remember this book?"
And I, like most amnesia-struck mums, obviously, couldn't.
But the cover of the book pulled a faint memory string.
'Mumma, you used to read this story to me, don't you remember?"
Just to feel good I asked, who was a better story teller... the one narrating in the video or I? 
"Haha, you!"
Well, in short, that's the inspiration for this podcast.
And, in case, you want to hear what inspired author Martin Waddell to write this story, click on the link below:
https://youtu.be/h8vR_FRDor0

Listen to the magic an eight-year old sees in the sea. This is Anaaya's first poem. It just took my breath away!

This is an excerpt from the legendary Urdu poet Firaaq Gorakhpuri's (1896-1982) intensely personal nazm or song, 'Jugnu'. Written at the age of 20, the poet bares his soul as he longs for a mother he never saw, a mother who died before she could hold him in her arms. The emptiness of Firaaq's childhood flows relentlessly through the searingly painful words which pour out the agonising yearning of a child's longing for a mother.    

The festival of Diwali is one of the most popular festivals in India. It is celebrated over five days during amavasya, or no moon day, in the month of Kartika (between mid October and mid November). Diwali is celebrated by the Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities. Each community has a different story associated with the festival of lights. In this podcast, I have narrated the story associated with Choti (small) Diwali which falls one day before the main Diwali festival. Choti Diwali, traditionally known as Narakachaturdashi, is celebrated as the main festival in the southern and eastern parts of India. The version that I have narrated is just one of the many versions of the story mentioned across different post-Vedic texts such as the Brahma, Vishnu and Kalika puranas.