# Navaratri Must-Haves from India for NRIs

 # Navaratri Must-Haves from India for NRIs

Navaratri, one of the most vibrant and significant festivals in India, celebrates the divine feminine and is marked by nine nights of worship, dance, and festivities. For Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), celebrating Navaratri can be a beautiful way to connect with their roots, but it can also pose a challenge in terms of finding the right items to make the celebration special. Here’s a guide to essential Navaratri must-haves from India that will help NRIs recreate the festival spirit at home.

## 1. Traditional Attire

**Lehengas and Kurtas:** A stunning lehenga or a colorful kurta is essential for the festive season. Look for outfits adorned with traditional embroidery, mirror work, or vibrant prints. These not only enhance the celebratory spirit but also connect you to the culture.

## 2. Puja Essentials

**Idols and Idols:** A small idol of Goddess Durga or other deities is central to the puja. You can also include a decorative thali, diya (lamp), and incense sticks to create an inviting atmosphere.

**Puja Samagri:** Gather essential puja items such as kumkum, haldi, flowers, and sweets. Having these on hand ensures you can perform rituals with authenticity.

## 3. Decor Items

**Festive Rangoli Colors:** Create stunning rangoli designs at your entrance using colorful powders or rice. Bringing in some rangoli patterns is a fantastic way to invite positivity.

**Torans and Bandhanwars:** Decorate your home with traditional torans (door hangings) made of marigolds or beads to add to the festive charm.

## 4. Music and Dance

**Garba and Dandiya Music:** No Navaratri celebration is complete without music! Bring back CDs or download playlists of traditional Garba and Dandiya songs to set the mood for your dance nights.

## 5. Snacks and Sweets

**Traditional Sweets:** Stock up on Indian sweets like modaks, ladoos, and barfis. These can either be homemade or store-bought from authentic Indian stores.

**Savory Snacks:** Don’t forget savory treats like chaklis and mathris to serve your guests during the festivities.

## 6. Cultural Books and Art

**Scripture and Literature:** Invest in books about Navaratri, stories of Goddess Durga, or recipes for traditional dishes. This not only enhances your understanding of the festival but also enriches the experience for your family.

**Local Handicrafts:** Bring back some handmade artifacts or paintings that reflect Indian culture and add a unique touch to your decor.

## 7. Virtual Celebration Tools

**Video Conferencing Tools:** If you can’t be with family during the festival, set up virtual gatherings. Use video conferencing platforms to connect with loved ones and celebrate together.

## Conclusion

Celebrating Navaratri as an NRI can be a rewarding experience that fosters a sense of community and connection to one’s heritage. By incorporating these must-haves from India, you can create a festive atmosphere that honors tradition while allowing for personal expression. Embrace the colors, sounds, and flavors of Navaratri, and let the spirit of the festival illuminate your home, no matter where you are in the world.

Recipe for Charu podi - Recipe for Rasam powder

 Charu podi

A dipping to die for

 

Wall hanging from Milk jug and Nail polish

After a long time, I am here again with a recycling craft.

Items for this project:

Empty milk jug

Nail polish different colors

scissors and cutter

thread

Jump rings

Beads

Shape stencils as you like.

Steps:

1. Take an empty milk jug and clean it and remove the label. 

2. Cut the flat pieces from empty milk jug.

3. Iron on to remove curls.(use a cloth)

4. Trace the shape.

5. cut around the shape carefully.

6. Decorate with your favorite colors.

7. highlight it.

8. leave it to dry for one hour.

9. Make holes above and below the shapes.

10 put jump rings in those holes.

11.Using string and beads attach the pieces and hang on wall.

I hope pictures will speak more than my steps.

Items needed

I hope you enjoy this tutorial.

stocking(nylone knee-Hi) flowers

Stocking flowers are very popular in India, and I wanted to make them very badly. But it's hard to find stocking cloth here in US(if some one know where to find them Pls let me know). So I looked for something that looked just like that.

Here is what I found and what I did.

Items

Queen size Knee-hi Sandalfoot

(bought at Walmart for 33cents and is used for 6 to 8 flowers)

floral wire (thin and thick)

floral green tape

thread

scissors

wire cutter

Sharpie Permanent markers

1.Cut the thin floral wire about 8 inches- need 5 of them

2. Using something that is round in shape and make a loop using that.

3. Do the same with all the 5 wires.

4. Now twist the wire and form the loop.

5.Open the Knee Hi's and cut of the top part and cut it to open like a rectangle. 

6.start from one end and cover the loops that we made with this cloth.The cloth is stretchable, so pull cloth as far as possible.

7.Close it and tie it with thread.

8.Using sharpie marker color them just you like.

9.take some plastic pollen (I made the pollens using thin floral wire, glue and Mustard seeds)and attach to thick floral wire using floral tape.

10.Now attach the petals.and tie a knot using thread.Just make sure it is tight and secure.

11. Now cover the bottom part using floral tape.

Arrange them just the way you like.

Card board Display rack

Yesterday, in my son's school there was an award function. Each kid gets an award for their unique quality. That function was really lovely. This is the second year my son is getting that award. He got some other trophies too, which I wanted to display in him room. So I was looking for a nice display rack. While searching I came across this nice cardboard display rack. This is really easy to make and is cheap. I spent 2$ for this rack.
Used cardboards(on hand)
Sticker sheet(1$)
Hot glue(1$)
Here is the link for that beautiful rack.
http://aweekfromthursday.com/2011/01/d-i-y-cardboard-shelf-tutorial/

I just replaced paint with sticker sheet that we use for counters.

here is the my display rack with my son's awards....

100 days of school project idea - Texas map with plastic caps...

My son has to do something for his 100 days of school. So I thought to help him doing that he enjoys and some thing creative. So I came up with this cute and recycling project idea. I was saving all my caps from milk cans(both cow's milk jugs and soy milk cartons), and was lucky I already have more that 100.

I used
1. paint of 3 colors. Texas flag colors - Blue,red and white.
2. Hot glue
3. a foam sheet.
4. a paper star.

Steps:

First I had one texas map and printed it at home as a poster(2x2), then I traced it placing on foam sheet to make impression.

Then,I drew according to the impression.

Now I arranged all the caps to see how they fit perfetly for the shape.

Then divide them according to the flag colors.

Color the caps accordingly.

Now using hot glue, Stick them to the foam sheet, place the star on it.
I added a simple border with some caps and a compass.
Voila.....

its done.( caps in texas and border and compass all together 100)