Day 1 Of Festival Begins With Fasting And Frolic
Ankit Trivedi, 30, poet and author, will eat only one fruit daily for the nine days of Navratri. He says abstinence from food will help him concentrate and invoke the spirit of Sadbhavna and Matrubhavna within. Trivedi has been following this tradition for the last eight years.
Fasting, made fashionable by anticorruption crusader Anna Hazare and closer home by chief minister Narendra Modi who embarked on a Sadbhavana fast during Shradh Paksh, will assume an all religious and spiritual avatar as a large number of people in the state undertake the stringent fasting.
“I religiously undertake Navratri fasting where I eat only milk and fruits through the nine days. While being on a full-time job makes it physically taxing, it helps me to exercise restraint and come closer to the Ma Amba mentally”, says Ritwik Patel, a civil engineer. Though the tradition and trend of fasting during Navratri for spiritual wellness – a penance – that generates an internal purification of mind, body and soul and is not new to the state; this year the fasting trend has widely proliferated especially among the youth. In fact, sociologists, health experts and social workers see a link between the rising trend of fasting and recent famous fasts of both CM and Anna Hazare.
“The trend of fasting has found many new young followers in the state this year especially as they feel drawn to follow their role models be it Modi or Hazare”, said sociologist Dr Gaurang Jani.
Minaxi Shukla, deputy director of Chetna – Centre for Health Education and Nutrition Awareness, said, “Tremendous proliferation in following the tradition and trend of fasting during Navratri is being noticed in the state this year.Both men and women, young and old, from entire gamut of the society — from economically downtrodden to upper-middle class and the neo-rich — in large numbers are participating in perpetuating the age-old tradition of fasting. The trend has picked up a new momentum among the young this year.”
Fasting during Navratri also has found special favour among those wishing to knock off a couple of kilos from their frame. Dietician Niti Mehta said, “About 90% of my clients have taken a break from their regular diet and have switched over to fasting plans for Navratri. We advise them to eat dry fruits, fresh fruit, milk and yogurt, suran (boiled elephant yam), sabudana (tapioca) so that they do not turn energy deficient while dancing at garbas.”
