ecards – Page 15

How to arrange a Navarathri Golu?

Golu

So, what exactly is a Golu and how do you arrange one?

As mentioned in a previous post, in many parts of South India, one of the key elements of Dussehra or Navarathri festival is the traditional arrangement of dolls in the form of a multi-step display. The golu is central to Navarathri, with ladies of the household planning for it months in advance. New dolls are purchased every year and the collection updated with the latest arrivals in the market. Kids are encouraged to participate by making crafts and helping to build miniature gardens, parks or other models. The grandparents and other elders assist by dusting and cleaning the dolls and getting them ready for display. They also provide guidance and directions with regards to how the Golu should be arranged.

The actual arrangement involves the following steps –

On Mahalaya Amavasya day, the auspicious new moon day when Mother Goddess Durga is invoked, the golu steps are brought out and set up. Some households have professionally built wooden or steel steps for the purpose. Others use make-shift steps constructed out of cardboard boxes, coffee tables and chairs. What is important is to create a multi-step like platform for the display of dolls. It is customary to construct steps of 3, 5, 7 or 9.
The steps are then covered with a clean sheet of cloth, traditionally a white Dhoti. Nowadays, colorful saris and other types of attractive fabric are also used in some Golus that deviate from the conventional. The fabric is pinned up neatly so as to fit to the contour of the steps, creating a bright backdrop for the grand display.
The Kalash or the auspicious coconut is placed within a silver or brass pot. It is placed at the centre of the top most step.
This is followed by the ‘Marapachi’ dolls – which are a male and female pair of dolls that are characteristic of every Golu. Part of the arrangement involves decorating this couple in fine garments and ornaments made out of shiny paper, sequins or other decorative material.
Beginning with Ganesha, all the other idols are placed one after another. There is no hard and fast rule as to which deity goes where, but generally, the top steps are reserved for deities, while the bottom steps are occupied by animal, human and inanimate statues.
Popular Golu collections include the Dasavathar set, Lord Krishna’s Ras Leela, Ganesha in different poses, Shiva and Parvathi, a marriage party set, a shopkeeper or grocer set complete with all the grocery items and weights as seen in a traditional Indian grocer’s.
Creativity is the main element of a Golu. So, within a broad framework, the golu is basically an expression of originality and creativity – an opportunity for people, especially women, to take a break from monotonous housework and unleash their talents on the occasion of Navarathri. There is really no limit to what can be displayed.
Examples of unique and original displays include a miniature model of an Olympic stadium, a cityscape, a cruise ship, a temple on a hilltop, a home-made fountain or volcano, a world famous park or forest, a mall or multistoried shopping center.
Many of these are made with recycled material found at home, although there are people who spend time, money and painstaking effort on building professional looking models.
Children help with building parks or forests by soaking grams a few days ahead and sprouting them.
Other decorative elements such as Christmas lights, flower garlands, Rangoli, beads and handicrafts enhance the golu and differentiate one golu from another.
Of course, what breathes life into a golu is all the activities that surround it. Women and children dressed in finery visit each other’s homes to admire the golus, sing songs, exchange sweets and gifts. There is a healthy competition among neighbors, as everyone tries to create the most beautiful Golu in town. Ideas are freely shared and improvised, recipes exchanged, compliments showered.
The Golu, at the end of the day, is a reflection of many of the aspects of Indian culture at its glorious best.

If you have never seen a Golu, head to a South Indian home today. You are likely to experience something quite extraordinary, and come back with a bag full of goodies!

When is Durga Puja

We have recently written about couple of Indian Festivals that are coming up. They seem to be kicking off the whole holiday season Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So some of you have asked when is Durga Puja. This year Durga Puja is early generally it is in October. However, this year the traditional first day Sptami is on 26th September 2009 and Vijaya is on 29th.

So we have a added a few new durga puja ecards hope you enjoy it and go out and enjoy the celebrations.

Photo Cards

New Customizable Photo Cards!

We here at Got-Free-Ecards are constantly trying to improve the service we provide. So many people have fallen in love with our free ecards and free animated ecards, that we’re adding a brand new feature: totally interactive, completely customizable photo ecards, that you can print out at home, using your own printer!

Like most new things, though, even though this feature is incredibly easy to use, it may seem a little daunting to the first-time user. But if you check out these handy, step-by-step instructions, you’ll be well on your way to creating your own homemade printable ecards.

And remember: like everything else here at Got-Free-Ecards, this feature is absolutely free, and there’s no registration necessary!

First, of course, you need to point your browser to the photo cards website.

- Once there, you’ll see all the different categories of cards you can make, from simple Christmas and Birthday cards, to Thank you cards and everything in between. Pick your occasion, and on the next screen, you’ll see a list of templates. Pick your favorite design, and click on it to go to the template.
- On the next screen, you’ll see your chosen design, along with a “dummy” photo, that you’ll be changing in just a minute to your very own photo.
- If you rest your cursor anywhere on the image, you’ll see a list of options pop up. You can choose to zoom in and out of your photo; you can rotate the image; and you can even click to choose the best fit for the space available. For now, though, click the “Upload Photo” option.
- A box exploring your computer will pop up on the screen. Simply go through your files, choose the photo you want to work with, and click “Open.”
- After the system is done loading, you should see your photo on the screen, in place of the dummy photo. Now it’s time to zoom, rotate, and fit the photo, until it suits you just right.
- Now, below your photo, you see the text box? We have some pre-loaded messages, each of them holiday specific, but you can customize these, as well. If you hover your mouse over the text box and hold down your mouse button, you can drag the text box anywhere you want it on the screen.
- And if you click inside the text box, you can change the message itself. Just delete and type!
- Now it’s time to edit your font. Using the options near the bottom of the screen, if you highlight your text, you can choose the font color, the style (as in bold or italics), and if you want the font itself to have left, right, center, or justified alignment.
- Now, there’s one more important step: click print! Yep, that’s right! You’re done!

The custom of Navarathri Golu

What Durga Puja is to West Bengal, the Navarathri Bomma Golu is to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This custom of creating a special display of dolls during Navarathri has multi-layered significance.

Navarathri Golu is a lot of fun.

Golu, or ‘display’ is a tradition where people create an arrangement of steps in their homes, and use it to showcase their most beautiful collection of traditional dolls, statues and other decorative items. Usually, nine steps are arranged. However, 3, 5 or 7 stepped Golus are also common. The more dolls you wish to display, and the more space you have, the larger your Golu could be. Even temples and public halls display their own Golus in a much larger scale, with some life-size statues of deities and three-dimensional models.

Golu Unleashes Combined Creativity

It’s not just about arranging the statues, though. This is the time when creativity peaks in many households, as children and adults come together to make their Golu unique by building mini parks, zoos, cities and other models besides the main step-like display. Plans are made weeks ahead. This is a great occasion for families to spend quality time making crafts and building display items together.

Golu offers a feast for your senses

During Navarathri, women and girls are invited to each other’s homes to view the golu and accept small gifts. Women sing in praise of the Lord as they admire each other’s Golu displays. Lentils are cooked and constitute the main snack during Navarathri evenings. Houses are decorated with lamps and flour drawings (Kolam or Rangoli) on the floors.

The custom of Navarathri Golu serves many functions.

It encourages socializing, especially among women and children who in olden days did not have the opportunity to mingle with people outside their families. Today, when busy lifestyles and work schedules leave us with little time to visit friends and neighbors, this custom provides an opportunity to meet people and unwind after a hectic day. The Navarathri season is a great time for community events and group celebrations.
Women usually get together to sing or chant shlokas (holy verses) in praise of Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Durga. Thus, many modern day women who don’t have the time or inclination to practice music or singing regularly, have the opportunity to learn new songs, refresh their memories and exercise their vocal chords, thus providing them with a creative outlet.
The display itself is based on a structure – the lower steps allocated for inanimate objects, decorative items and animal statues. Statues of demi-gods and Gods are placed on the upper steps, the topmost step being reserved for the sacred Kalash or Kumbh (a silver or brass pot with a coconut placed at its mouth, representative of creation) and chief deities such as Ganesha, Shiva and others. This arrangement is both aesthetic and symbolic.
Traditional Golu dolls are generally passed on from mother to daughter and so make wonderful family heirlooms. Preserving and passing these dolls on is a part of the south Indian culture and the custom of Navarathri Golu plays a role in keeping this rich culture and its elements such as dance, music and crafts alive.

Greeting friends and family, especially parents, grandparents and other elders to seek their blessings is an important part of Navarathri, just as any other Indian festival. This year, if you are unable to celebrate Navarathri with them for some reason, Free Ecards could be a great way to send your wishes instead. Choose from our selection of Free Durga Puja ecards and brighten their hearts this Navarathri. You could also use your own photos and create personalized photo cards if you prefer.

What is your favorite Navarthri custom?

What are we working on?

Today I was out doing a couple of errands at the OSH and Walgreens. And the first thing I saw was the Halloween decorations! Halloween, it is not even Labor Day. But that means they have been working on it since April and here I was thinking we are ahead of the pack working on Halloween Ecards and Printable Halloween Cards. But obviously they had us beat.

So what are we working on at this time? October is the start of busy season for us. It gets kicked off by the Indian festival of Diwali and obvously culminates with Christmas. And then there are some smaller festivals that require attention in between like Thanksgiving and Durga Puja in India.

So at this time we are working on Durga Puja Ecards, Diwali Ecards and Halloween before we make the big push to Christmas.

Father’s Day

You are thinking why are we talking about father’s day again but do you know that it is father’s day in Australia this weekend. Father’s Day is celebrated in Australia on the first Sunday of September. While we are celebrating Labor Day. Look at the history of labor day below. Just for your reminder fathers day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in June in USA.

So to all our readers down under. Happy Father’s Day. Go out have some fun and remember to send out free Father’s Day Ecards now!

What is the story of Durga Puja?

Ma Durga

Navarathri – India’s Holiday Season Begins

In just a couple of weeks begins Navarathri – India’s famous and much awaited annual festival. Thanks to India’s diverse culture, it is celebrated in different ways across the country, traditions and customs varying from region to region. However, the underlying commonality of this festival is its essence – the celebration and worship of Mother Goddess.

Shakti – the Goddess of Cosmic Power

In Hinduism, God is thought to comprise of two halves – the masculine and feminine aspects. The masculine aspect is represented by deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Rama. The Goddess, who represents Shakti or cosmic power takes on various forms such as Lakshmi(Goddess of wealth), Saraswathi(Goddess of knowledge), Durga(representing fierce courage and strength), Kali(representing wrath – aimed at those who cause harm to her worshippers) and Sita(representing purity and virtue). Navarathri is a festival that celebrates all these divine manifestations of the Goddess.

Different parts of India celebrate this occasion in different ways. Prominent among the celebrations are the Durga Puja festivities of West Bengal and the Navarathri Bommagolu custom of southern India.

Durga Puja

In Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga is believed to be the warrior Goddess. She rides her Vahana(vehicle)- the lion and destroys evil whenever it raises its head. It is in this way – mounted on her lion and with weapons in her hands – that she destroyed Mahisasura – the demon who had acquired the power of invincibility. The eighteen armed Durga was the only one who could match and overpower him, which is why she is also referred to as Mahisasura Mardhini( Destroyer of Mahisasur)

References to Durga are found in Vedic texts and in the Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Besides being revered for her ferocious, warrior-like qualities, Goddess Durga is also known as the benevolent and kind Goddess, who protects her devotees from harm. This is the reason why Durga Puja has such a prominent place in Navarathri.

As many other Hindu festivals, Durga Puja is marked by the preparation of various kinds of sweet dishes for offering to the Goddess, people wearing their finest, offering elaborate prayers to Durga Mata, exchanging sweets and gifts and carrying a statue of Durga on a procession through the city, with devotees chanting, singing her praises and dancing to drum beats and music.

The very first time you witness West Bengal’s Durga Puja, expect to be blown away by the extravaganza that includes lights, arrangements, decorations, sounds and music.

Of course, underneath the dazzle of it all, lies the simple truth – which is the only thing that matters. Durga Puja, like almost all other festivals of India, serves as a reminder to people that truth, righteousness, virtue and benevolence ought to be the real pursuits in life. Everything else is fleeting.

Which is why, even if you are far away from your family and can’t celebrate Durga Puja with them, you can still greet them with free Durga Puja Ecards. You may not be able to partake in the celebrations, or splurge on expensive gifts. But, you’re sending your friends and family heartfelt best wishes and hoping that the Mother Goddess showers her blessings on them. What more could anyone really ask for? I think if you looked hard enough, you might even catch Goddess Durga nodding and smiling in approval of your choice.

A Short History of Labor Day

America has a long and sometimes rocky relationship with its workers. From the labor union accomplishments of mandating a 40-hour work week and restricting child labor, to the bloody Boston Police Riots of 1919, we may not always see eye-to-eye with our labor representatives, but they are still undoubtedly an integral part of American history. It should be no surprise, then, that America’s Labor Day holiday has become a deeply-symbolic part of Americana.

Celebrated on the first Monday of each September, Labor Day was first made a federal holiday in June of 1894, under less-than-festive conditions. Two months earlier in Cleveland, Ohio, mounting unemployment rates and rampant local poverty led to the May Day Riots, a series of violent clashes between the public and city officials, over frustrations of the unemployed at the government’s ineffectual handling of economic conditions. Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday to, in part, symbolically demonstrate their support of the average American worker.

As time has gone on, Labor Day has come to mainly represent the end of the summer season, with a glut of parades, festivals and outdoor barbecues. The tradition of Labor Day parades owes its existence, though, to the original Labor Day in the 1880’s, when, holiday founders proposed, a street parade would show the public the power and unity of labor and trade organizations. Today’s Labor Day parades are much more festive and informal in nature, but several American cities still feature labor unions prominently in their Labor Day parades.

Ironically, Labor Day in America has come to symbolize, for many, the opposite of work. College Football usually begins right around Labor Day, and the National Football League usually plays the first game of the regular season in the week after Labor Day; American school children, meanwhile, typically see the Labor Day weekend as one last free hurrah before the school year begins again in earnest.

And while regular political demonstrations have typically been kept low-key on Labor Day, recent years have seen a return to the holiday’s more politically-charged roots. Would-be politicians running for office use the day and its significance to draw attention either to their support or criticism of labor unions; and a new group of political protestors plan on throwing “tea parties” this Labor Day—protests to be held around the country, in opposition to perceived excesses in government overspending.

Labor Day in America is much like Labor Day itself: borne of a common and unified cause, but growing, over many years, into an occasion that symbolizes something different for everyone involved. So whether it’s football and hamburgers, or parades and speeches, get out there and enjoy it! If all else fails borwse our wonderful free animated ecards

How to Save on Back-to-School Shopping

Researchers agree that back to school spending is likely to see a dip this year. BIGresearch forecasts that back-to-school spending in 2009 will be 7.7 percent lower than last year’s. The results of a survey by BrandKeys suggest that back-to-school sales will decline 10 percent this year.

If you’re a parent budgeting for your kids’ back to school shopping, you don’t need a survey to tell you this. You’re probably already out there, looking for ways to save on your kids’ school supplies while still getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Here are some steps you can follow to stay on budget and some tips on smart and savvy back to school shopping –

Identify what you really need to buy. Go over the school supplies list and then check off the items that your kids already have, which can be recycled, reused or handed down to a younger sibling. Notebooks with blank pages, sheets of paper, pencils, markers and other stationery, geometry tools, backpacks and several other items fall in this category. You don’t have to cut back on essentials, but if you can reuse or recycle something, you should.
Make a list of shops, bargains and websites with the best deals. Start your research a few weeks ahead, shop around. Every store places certain items on clearance and marks up the prices on other items. With a little looking around, you’ll be able to snag the best deals on school supplies. Stores like Staples, for example, have crayons, pencils, pencil boxes and other items on clearance for pennies. Dollar shops always have some good deals on certain items. Don’t leave out the discount stores either. Or, consider shopping along with a couple of friends at a warehouse store, so you can buy items you all need in bulk and split the cost.
Visit Garage Sales. You may find some great bargains on student desks, chairs, book shelves, stationery, lamps and other items that you may not find elsewhere. If the items are in re-usable condition, there’s no reason to overlook this avenue.
Shop smart online. Visit sites like deals2buy.com and milo.com. Milo is a local shopping search engine that lets you compare prices and brands in local stores in your area. Deals2buy is updated with the best deals, mainly on electronics, computers and gadgets (and which school kid doesn’t need those?!). Most of them are limited-time deals, so if you really think something is a steal, go for it.
Use coupons. Clip or print coupons wherever you find them. Save them in an organized and easily accessible manner and be sure to use them when you shop. Maybe you won’t use all of them, but sometimes, you never know which ones you’ll need.
Take advantage of post back-to-school season deals. The real deals happen a few weeks after school starts. You’ll find incredible bargains on many school supplies. This is the best time to stock up on supplies for the next school year.

With these tips, back to school shopping doesn’t necessarily have to be a budget breaker. With a little extra effort and thought, you could kick the school year off with great savings. You could, of course, start with Free Printable Cards that wish kids a great new school year, without costing you a dime.

Share some of your favorite tips on back to school savings.

Free Animated Ecards

It has been a year since we started our blog. We have come a long way since then. However, our first post is still relevant…

First post below:

Everyone expects to get cards on their birthday or on a special holiday, and free ecards have become the quick and easy way to let someone know how much you care. So much so, in fact, that sending free animated ecards during a holiday has become commonplace.

If you want to truly surprise someone and show them how much you care about them, you may want to send them animated cards when they least expect it – on a day that is not a holiday! Animated ecards such as the Thanks for Making Me Smile card are a great way to put a genuine smile on someone’s face.

The best part about sending animated cards isn’t that they are free and only take a short time to send, it is in knowing that when the receiver gets their ecard, they will know that someone cared enough about them to take a few minutes out of their day to send it.

Editor’s Notes:

In this day and age when I receive so much spam and twitter. When I know someone has taken the time to choose an e-card specifically for me. It goes a long way in my book. How about you? Do let us know.