Navratri has always been a special time for me—a festival of faith, strength, devotion and togetherness. I began fasting during Navratri with my mother, and later continued the tradition alongside my mother in law, whom I lovingly called Mummyji. This year, the festival feels especially emotional. Her name was Kailash Rani; a name that seemed so fitting for someone who was a devotee of Maa Durga and whose faith and love filled our home. Everyone called her Mataji. She would begin preparing for Navratri months in advance: cleaning the house, arranging a Mata ki Chowki, and hosting kirtan on the first day of the festival. She would buy beautiful gifts for the women who attended, and the prashad she made was unmatched. Everyone remembers her for her devotion, generosity and simplicity.
She taught me so much, not through rules or expectations, but through the way she lived. She knew that balancing home, work and children while fasting could be difficult. She never insisted that I follow any tradition; there was never any compulsion. But when I chose to fast, she took particular care of me. Even if she wasn’t eating herself, she would make sure I had everything I needed. She loved seeing me follow the traditions, and we celebrated our festivals together. With Mataji, everything was a celebration. Life itself was a celebration.
This Navratri, I miss her immensely. Tomorrow will mark one year since she left for her heavenly abode. I feel the great void she has left, and I miss her every day. At the same time, I am deeply grateful for the time we shared and feel blessed to have had her as my mother-in-law. She meant so much to me.
Perhaps that is why a simple gesture at work touched me so deeply this year. I work with The Park Hotels, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that my workplace, The Park Navi Mumbai had arranged fasting-friendly food for colleagues observing Navratri. The chef had taken it upon himself to prepare dishes they could enjoy, including sabudana khichdi, sabudana vada, curd and fruits.
As I enjoyed some delicious sabudana vada, I spoke to Chef Amar and told him how much the gesture of the team at the hotel was appreciated. I learned that around 10 to 12 people were fasting and would come by during lunch time to enjoy the food. I wanted to know when the idea had started and what had inspired it. Chef Amar shared the story with me and it touched my heart. Grateful to the GM Mr. Rahul Makhija and his team.
I usually carry fruits with me during Navratri. But I began thinking about some of our team members
who start work very early. Preparing fasting food and bringing it with them might be difficult, especially for those whose jobs involve more physical work. It was such a thoughtful gesture—and a beautiful reminder that when we care for others, we receive our share of blessings, too.
In nearly three decades of my career, I had never before seen a workplace / hotel take such a thoughtful initiative. It wasn’t simply about preparing a meal. It was about noticing people, understanding their needs and making sure they felt included. The hotel also supports colleagues observing Roza during Ramadan by preparing food for them to break their fast. Different traditions, but the same beautiful message: You belong here and we care.
Devotion is expressed not only through prayer, but also through kindness and thoughtfulness. This gesture reminded me that care can be as simple and as meaningful as a lovingly prepared plate of food.
Navratri celebrates the nine forms of Maa Durga, each representing a different strength and virtue. For nine days, we pray, fast and reflect. This year, I find myself thinking of my Mummyji, Mataji to her friends and family: her devotion, her generosity and the way she made every festival feel special. I like to imagine that she is with Devi Maa now, celebrating the festival that was so close to her heart. She is in my heart and in my prayers, as she always will be. Some people leave this world, but never leave our lives. They stay with us in our traditions, our memories, our prayers and in the way we care for one another.
My thoughts now are – Nine days of Maa Durga. Nine days of care from the hotel……and a lifetime of love and lessons from Mummyji.
