Monthly Archives: October 2012

More stars shines under Prabal Gurung’s collection

Posted on October 25, 2012 | 9 comments

I never get tired of writing about all the celebrities who wear a Prabal Gurung. I have talked about him and his collection before here, here, here, here and here.

First of all great news for everyone, Target has teamed up with Prabal Gurung  for its next limited-edition collection aiming to bring high fashion to the masses.

The 80-piece collection will range in price from $19.99 to $199.99 for apparel and $12.99 to $39.99 for accessories. The items are to go on sale online and in stores on Feb. 10 . According to the Prabal Gurung , “The collection is inspired by Love and if Target’s guests can feel even a little bit of  the love that I felt while I was designing this collection, then I will consider it a job well done.”

In recent months, many Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities have worn a Prabal Gurung including First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama, and this was not the first time that she did so.

In 2010,  she wore Prabal Gurung for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

She also wore a creation by Prabal Gurung while donating her much talked about inaugural gown to the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Last week, she wore Prabal Gurung again in “Live with Kelly and Michael” show.

My favourite fashionista,Sarah Jessica Parker wore a Prabal Gurung green dress in the GLEE saga recently.

The same dress was seen on Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra before.

Some more celebrities wearing a Prabal Gurung:

Kate Hudson wearing a Red Prabal Gurung Dress At The amfAR 3rd Annual Inspiration Gala.

Kate previously wore Prabal Gurung for ELLE’s Women in Hollywood bash.

Emma Watson recently wore Prabal Gurung for Ellen Degeneres Show.

Jessica Alba was recently spotted with Prabal Gurung dress.

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif in Prabal Gurung on Vogue India

Bollywood actress Kajol in Prabal Gurung.

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt in Prabal Gurung Fall 2012 Gown For Vogue India September 2012

The golden gown was previously also worn by Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone.

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone wore Prabal Gurung (Spring 2012 Lilac Dress ) before as well.

Diane Kruger in Prabal Gurung at the ‘Nights In Monaco’ Gala Fundraiser.

She also wore Prabal Gurung to attend Frank Gehry Tiffany & Co. dinner before.

She was featured in Vogue issue with Prabal Gurung

Singer Ciara attends the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Costume Institute Gala wearing Prabal Gurung.

Blake Lively  at the 24th Annual Footwear News Achievement Awards in this shimmering Prabal Gurung khaki number.

Leighton Meester in Prabal Gurung

You may also like :

*Prabal Gurung made a 13 years old boy’s dream come true *Love you, Prabal Gurung *Sneak peak on Prabal Gurung for Target

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Dashain Tika update

Posted on October 25, 2012 | 7 comments

So here is the update on my Dashain from Sydney. Yesterday I took a day off from work and stayed home to celebrate Dashain.

I wore my red sari to be in a festive mood and performed the puja at home first.

Then we went to my brother’s place for the celebration.

As my brother’s MIL is in town, she put tika for all of us.  Also I got tika and blessings from all the other elder persons. It was really fun as there were so many of us there.

Then I and my husband put tika on all the younger ones.

It is the first Dashain for my nephew but he can’t put tika on yet as he hasn’t completed his Pasni ceremony. Still we bought him a Dashain gift and it was a cute Jumper from pumpkin patch. He looked so cute with his new jumper on 🙂

We had a great time as we played card and have some yummy food. 🙂

Here are some photos.

Hope everyone is having a great time this Dashain.

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Vijaya Dashami : Dashain

Posted on October 24, 2012 | 9 comments

The tenth day of Dashain is called ‘Dashami’. It is also known as Vijaya Dashami and it was the day Goddess Durga was victorious over the demons. It was also the day Lord Rama won the war with the demon king, Ravana, supposedly through the Durga’s blessing. The day is, hence, symbolic of good triumphing over evil. It is on this day that the jamara is finally utilized; the elders put tika (a mixture of rice, yogurt and vermilion) and Jamara on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them with abundance in the upcoming years.  The red Tika also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together.

Elders give “Dakshina”, a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time. People visit elders in their home to receive blessings. The importance of Dashain also lies in the fact that on this day family members from far off and distant relatives come for a visit as well as to receive tika from the head of the family.

This continues to be observed for five days till the full moon during which period families and relatives visit each other to exchange gifts and greetings. This ritual of taking tika from all the elder relatives (even distant relatives) helps in the renewal of the community ties. This is one reason why the festival is celebrated with so much of vigor and enthusiasm.

Before the collapse of the monarchy system in Nepal, thousands of people ranging from the ministers, diplomats to the general public used to gather in the old royal palace to take the tika and blessing from the king, who is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. However after the collapse of the monarchy system the president of the country who is considered the head of the state has been continuing the tradition by offering the tika to the general public and ministers.

A lot of feasting takes place in the meantime and everyone makes merry. Dramas of Goddess Durga fighting demons are also frequently staged.

The last day of the festival which lies on the full moon day is called ‘Kojagrata’ Purnima. The literal meaning of Kojagrata is ‘one who is awake’. On this day Goddess Laxmi who is believed to be the goddess of wealth is worshiped as it believed that goddess Laxmi descends on earth and showers whoever is awake all night with wealth and prosperity. As a result, many spend the night playing cards and doing other activities. The festival concludes when the remaining jamara and the holy vessel are disposed of by bringing them to the river.

This morning, I woke up, performed puja at home with Jamara and then went to my brother’s place where all my family gathered to celebrate Dashain. It was fun filled affair with lots of food, playing cards and having Tika ceremony.

P.S. I am so happy to share that my Jamara grew really well this year. It became longer than last year.  🙂 Here are some photos.

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Nawami: Dashain

Posted on October 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Today is Nawami (Ninth) day, a day before the Vijaya Dashami. Sacrifices continue throughout Nawami in Nepal. Today god Vishwas Karma, the God of creativity is worshiped. All artisans, craftsmen, tradesmen worship their tools, equipment and vehicles like cars, bikes, trucks etc. for protection against accidents during the year. Animals are also sacrificed to cars, trucks etc. to get the blessing from goddess Durga for protection for vehicles and their occupants against accidents during the year.

The Taleju temple at Hanuman Dhoka is opened for the public only once a year on this day. Thousands of people go and pay their respect to the goddess. Temples of the goddess are filled with people from dawn till dusk. There are local processions – local bands play music and a feast is organized – in the Taleju Bhawani Temple in Hanuman Dhoka Palace premises.

Today also the official military sacrifices are held in the ‘Kot’ courtyard at Hanuman Dhoka. The government allows foreigners to witness this function so hundreds of tourists and diplomats eagerly gather here.

Animals, mostly buffaloes are slaughtered by the hundreds to honour Durga the goddess of victory to seek her blessing. Military bands play war tunes, guns boom and officers with beautifully decorated medals in full uniform are present there. When the function ends the courtyard is filled ankle deep with blood from the sacrifices.

Kumari, the living goddess, also blesses the public on this day from her residence at Kumari Bahal.

This morning we performed car puja as well. I am sure in Nepal, it is performed in a bigger scale but if you are not in Nepal and want to perform the puja, I am sharing how I did it here.

How to perform car puja:

  • Make sure the vehicle is clean.

  • Take your shoe off before puja.
  • Prepare puja thali with sindoor, rice, flower, dhuup, batti, fruits and any other puja saman you have.

  • Also prepare an ankura (vessel) with water. If you don’t have a ankura then use a glass/tumbler.
  • Start the puja by sprinkling water in front of the car and its four wheels.

  • If you have any idol of a god inside the car, perform the puja inside first by putting sindoor, tika and flower on the idol.

  • I have an idol of Lord Ganesh inside our car.

  • In front of the car use sindoor to make a half moon by using the third finger of right hand and put tika and flower. Also do the same on all four wheels of the car.

  • Now light the batti (I used tea light candle) and dhuup and show it to the God inside the car, the front of the car and move to all the wheels by circling  them around three times in a clockwise direction.

  • Normally animals are sacrificed during the Puja and the vehicles are given their fill of blood but we used a hard shelled coconut instead.
  • Crack the coconut in front of the car on the floor

  • Sprinkle the coconut water in front of the car as well as all wheels.

  • The coconut is kept as prasad (holy food offering given to God during pujas) and eaten later.

  • In Nepal they also put mala (flower garland) in front of the car.
  • The puja is finished.

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Asthami : Dashain

Posted on October 22, 2012 | 2 comments

Hindus all over Nepal is celebrating Maha Ashtami today, the eighth day of Dashain, by worshipping Goddess Durga.

From ritualistic aspects,  Maha Ashtami holds very important value. On this day, the fiercest embodiment of the Goddess is worshipped. Goddess Durga is believed to bestow peace, longevity and perpetual happiness on her devotees.

People also read the Durga Saptashati scriptures today. The Durga Saptashati is divine recitals consisting of 700 slokas , or verses, divided into three parts – the first relating to Maha Kali, the second to Maha Lakshmi, and the third to Maha Saraswati.

Undertaking Durgasaptashati Patha  is supposed to destroy fear and the devotee is blessed with a benevolent mind. Chanting sacred hymns of Durgasatshati is also believed to eliminate poverty and free the devotee of all the sorrows.

The Goddess Durga is described as Sarvaswarupa (the one which incorporates every kind of form), Sarveshwari (the one who observes the function of all) and is possessed of all the divine powers and attributes. Goddess Durga can destroy all the illnesses and physical maladies of her devotee. 

Goddess Durga has 108 divine names and merely remembering or chanting the holy names can remove all the sufferings and bless the devotee with wealth and prosperity. 

The divine principle of Goddess Durga is supposed to manifest in nine rupas (forms) during the auspicious period of Dashain (the auspicious period of nine divine nights) and these divine forms are deified as Navdurga (nine divine manifestations of Durga) which are ascribed these divine names:

1. Shailputri, 2. Brahmacharini, 3. Chandraghanta, 4. Kushmanda, 5. Skandamata, 6. Katyayani, 7. Kalaratri, 8. Mahagauri, 9. Siddhidatri. 


Devotees throng the various shrines of the goddess in Kathmandu Valley from early morning today to offer prayers and to sacrifice animals like goats and ducks at different temples of Bhagwati including Bhadrakali, Kalikasthan, Guheswori, Mahankaal, Taleju Bhagwati, Daskshinkali, Sankata Shova Bhagwati and Naxal Bhagwati. Blood, symbolic for its fertility, is offered to the Goddesses.

Today, sacrifices and special offerings are made at Dashainghars and Kots as well. The old palace in Basantapur Hanuman Dhoka, is active throughout the night with worships and sacrifices in almost every courtyard. In Dasain Ghar at midnight , a total of 54 buffaloes and 54 goats are sacrificed in observance of the rites. After the offering of the blood, the meat is taken home and cooked as “prasad”, or food blessed by divinity. This food is offered, in tiny leaf plates, to the household Gods, and then distributed amongst the family. Eating this food is thought to be auspicious. Appropriately enough, the night of this day is called Kal Ratri (Black Night). 

While the puja is being carried out great feasts are held in the homes of common people.

People who do not sacrifice animals offer sacrifices of various vegetables and fruits in place of animals.

Some Hindus will also be fasting this day.

In Newari culture, we eat Kuchi Bhwey to mark this day. We were invited for the feast at my cousin house.

It consists of 9 Newari dishes which are

Kuchi bhwey

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