In Tamil Nadu, Navarathri festival is the celebrations of womanhood. Starting Monday, women in all Hindu households in the State receive and worship girls below the age of 12 from the neighbourhood while reciting hymns like “Sri Chakra Raja Simhasaneswari, Sri lalithambike Bhuvaneswari..” and “Mamavadhu Sree Saraswathi, Kamakotipeeta Niwasini..” for the next nine days. This is in addition to the poojas performed by them on hundreds of Bommai Kolus (toy dolls) which are displayed aesthetically in the houses. Dolls made of terracotta, clay and cloth by artisans of Kondapalli and Ettikopakka in Andhra Pradesh and Chennapatna near Mysore adore the collection of dolls which are displayed on various themes.
But what stands out during the Navarathri celebrations in Tamil Nadu is the pooja performed on the girl children as well as newly married girls by the lady of each house.