Diwali nears..
Every year I get an opportunity to tell the story of Navrathri/ Dussehra. Mahisha Sura Mardhini taken from the Devi Mahatmyaham of the Markandeya Purana tells the story of the Buffalo Demon-Mahisha and how lowly he thought of a woman's power. He obtains a boon from Brahma that he should only be killed by a female. The shakthi within the male forms join together to create a supreme force/ Shakthi / Durga who eventually destroys this Evil ego, and is now known as Mahishasura Mardhini. Countless times have I read the AmarChitra katha version which is compiled in the Tales of Durga, but every time I tell this story to an audience, I feel energized. The power of Shakthi within ourselves and the power everyone has, being attributed to a female always gets my audience going and this time I was telling to an audience of 15 kids in the range of 8 to 12 years with a smattering of younger sisters, brothers, grandmothers, fathers, uncles and aunts! I was invited to tell ...