Dussehra Greetings!

On this auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami, we wish everybody a very ‘Happy Dussehra’. By the evening, we should immerse the ten-armed Goddess Durga in the Arabian Sea and in good faith, expect her to somehow find her way up to where her husband, Lord Shiva resides on Mount Kailash – the same place Ramila Mistry landed with a Chinese visa last month (post of September 4, 2011).
On this day also, we would consign the ten-headed demon king, Ravan to a blaze of fireworks and smoke in the innocent belief that all evil from earth will be wiped out forever by this act. Dilip Babani (seen below at the Lokhandwala Durga Puja pandal with some Club members) for his part, appealed to all members this morning to “set fire to the Ravan within them”, only to get his knickers in a twist with Mrs Harbans Singh needling him on whether Mr Ravan was really such a bad man. After all, he was known to be an erudite scholar, hugely well-read and wise. Also, he had his ethics in place because he did not, even for once, lay a finger on Sita while she was in his custody. In fact, Lord Ram respected him so much (this came from Dilip) that he sent his brother Lakshman to learn a lesson or two from him before blasting Ravan to smithereens.
The dispute was put to rest with Kishor Babani narrating an anecdote from his version of Ramayana. It seems Ravana wanted to go to a discotheque one night, but found a notice pasted outside the main entrance. It said: “ENTRY Rs500 PER HEAD”. Ravan collapsed on the spot.
Renu Babani:
Yes, today was the final darshan of Durga Ma. There She was, in all Her grandeur and splendor. Worshippers and devotees had come from various places to get a glimpse of the 'Ma' of the entire world. Some stood with their hands folded in respect, eyes closed while saying a prayer or two. Others stood in awe of Her presence, while a few decided to take some snapshots as memories. Her very presence seemed to attract so many people from all walks of life, just sitting on the chairs and watching in admiration.
Today was a day to remember and realise that we are mere mortals lost in this artificial world of ours, forgetting our reasons for being here. Strange, isn't it, that we need such constant reminders as religious festivals to appreciate what we have. The sad part is after all the rites are performed, we get on with our lives as before. Let us all be thankful for everything and be happy with whatever we have.Durga Ma ki jai!
Dilip Babani:
Durga Ma ki jai! That Ravan did not touch Sita is true. It is also true that had Ravan touched Sita without her permission, his heads would have broken on the spot into 100 pieces. This curse was given to him by Lord Brahma and Ravan did not want to die. Even Hanuman had warned Ravan of having committed a "great mistake" by taking Sita to Lanka because she was the wife of Lord Narayan. This made Sita, Goddess Lakshmi. But Ravan did not listen to Hanuman, who was Lord Shiva. He could have killed Ravan in seconds by opening his third eye. But the gods had written a different story.
Ma Durga, bless everybody of the Laughing Club with good health, wealth and happiness. Durga Ma ki jai. Lord Ram Ki jai. Hanuman ki jai!