Navaratri — Reflections on the Mother Goddess, Golu, and Creation

As Navaratri approaches, I find myself reflecting on the Mother Goddess and her place across religions and cultures. When I surveyed the religious landscape, some interesting patterns emerged.

In the three major desert-based religions — Judaism, early Christianity, and Islam — the Mother Goddess is virtually absent. Christianity later introduced Mother Mary with Infant Jesus, a gentle maternal figure, in certain sects. Indic religions tell a slightly different story. Major denominations like Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism do not have central Mother Goddesses. However, under the influence of Tibet and China, Buddhism saw the emergence of maternal figures such as Mother Tara and Mother Prajnaparamita. Similarly, in Parsi religion, there is no maternal equivalent alongside Ahura Mazda.

The older, major civilizations, especially Chinese and Indic, provided ample space for the Mother Goddess. Chinese philosophy expresses this balance through Yin and Yang, two complementary forces — akin, in many ways, to Shakti and Shiva. And in Hinduism, the Mother Goddess is everywhere. The word that comes to mind is “galore”: Uma, Durga, Shakti, Kali, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Chandi, Chamundi, Mariamma, Meenakshi, Kamakshi, Visalakshi, Annapoorani, Kamakhya, Kanyakumari… the list goes on. She is central, not peripheral.

Worship of the Mother Goddess matters on many levels, and here are my top five reasons:

1. Philosophical/Scriptural — She represents the cosmic energy sustaining all life.
2. Cosmic — She embodies the balance of creation, preservation, and transformation.
3. Cultural — Festivals, rituals, and storytelling around Her preserve art, literature, and tradition.
4. Social — She brings communities together, fostering shared values and bonds.
5. Psychological — She offers protection, courage, and hope, giving devotees inner strength.

History and culture further enrich this understanding. In the early 1900s, the then Madras Governor, Robert Sewell, a student of history, wrote A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar. It tells the poignant story of the Vijayanagar Empire, which fell at the Battle of Talikota in 1565. Three centuries later, much of its relevance was almost lost. Yet thanks to the work of early archaeologists, we preserved some of its treasures.

Sewell’s book highlights the empire’s contributions to arts, crafts, and culture. Among these, it describes a beautiful tradition during Navaratri: the arrangement of dolls, known as Golu / Kolu / Koluva. The term literally refers to the seated arrangement of different personalities — gods, sages, kings, and other figures — almost like a miniature court of divinity. This practice is predominantly celebrated in southern India, reflecting the Vijayanagar emphasis on devotion, art, and storytelling.

Philosophy and ritual converge beautifully in Golu. The Nāṣadīya Sūkta from the Rig Veda, also called the Hymn of Creation, speaks of the origin and order of the universe. Golu is a tangible, visible manifestation of this cosmic order.

Symbolism of the steps:

• Usually, the steps number 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 — odd numbers representing growth and auspiciousness.
• The lower steps hold inanimate objects, plants, and animals.
• The middle steps rise to humans, saints, and kings.
• The top steps showcase deities, symbolizing spiritual ascent.
• Together, they form a tiered, miniature cosmos, reminding us of our place in creation.

As the great Rishis remind us, we are not alone in this universe. We are neither superior nor inferior; we are part of the whole creation. And here lies the profound goal reflected in Golu:

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy — by one, or more, or all of these — and be free.”

Golu, then, is not merely a display of dolls. It is a visual, tangible meditation on the universe, on life, and on the divine potential within each of us. It is philosophy, devotion, culture, and joy rolled into one, a celebration of the Mother Goddess and the cosmic order she embodies.