This is our story at Hindu Temple of Minnesota. The summer vacation is over and children are back in school. The change in the weather is like a nature’s power switch turned on to next season. The colors of leaves on trees turned red, orange, and yellow with lot of green. Women are happy to get in to the family routine and start planning for festivities of NAVARATRI.

This year we had “ladies night out” with idea of getting together to know each other. Empower women to get involved in Seva activities. On Friday Sept 24, 2010 the fun started at 7:30 pm. With light snacks and music. Short introductions from members found that we have Yoga teacher, Seva group who are active in the community. Mehendi artists, neck and foot masseurs got busy in no time.

The foundation of women’s support group was major progress besides raising needed funds for the Hindu Temple. Everyone had great time but only 17 continued to tell stories in late hours of the morning of Sept 25, 2010 before going home.

Hindu Youth group (HYMN-Hindu Youth Member Network) was ready to show their skills by organizing a “Ratri before Navaratri” night with phenomenal success on Oct 2, 2010. The gathering of 300-350 young and adults helped to raise funds for the first such function. Local school students with their Hindu friends enjoyed the Dandia and music. Food was always the major attraction at such functions.

The navaratri celebrations were ahead of the first day of month Ashwin on 8^th of October 2010. Nine days of celebration of our unique feminine Deities namely, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati is major festival in many parts of India. Ramayana path and on 10^th day Vijaya Dashmi will be observed with great fanfare in Ayodhya, birth place of Rama and also in other states.

On 15^th of October singing of mothers greatness is tradition in North India called “Mata ki Chowki” is done with great devotion. Men and women sing in melodious voice about the love and sacrifice of the mothers. The ultimate Shakti the feminine energy in the world.