“He’s a Navrathri phenomenon,” says Vandana Agarawal, a Bangalorean who has lived in the city for 25 years. She is talking about Gopi Chettan who appears every Navrathri in front of the Sarada Devi temple in Mattancherry to make “bondas” for devotees. “It’s an offering,” says a passerby, enjoying the snack. Gopi does good business selling the fresh delectable bondas for the nine-days of the festival.
Kolkata-based Latu Patro has arrived in Kochi on the invitation of the 56-year-old Kerala Banga Samskriti Sangha. He will play the Dhaki drums for the Bengali celebration of Maha Sashti (October 1). Tapan Kumar Jana, the idol maker, came to the city a month ago along with his wife Suchitra and brother Jyotirmoy. Apart from Kochi, they have orders for idols from North Indian communities in Thriuvanathapuram, Kanyakuamri and Kozhikode. Another visitor from Kolkata is Abhijeet Kohar, who has been invited by the North Indian Association of Kochi. Along with his troupe, he will perform devotional numbers at the Association premises at Udaynagar
“I have a stock of 3000 chanya choli or lehenga and blouses for the Navratri dances,” says Nitin Nathwani, owner of Jalarams, a store that stocks “fancy items” in Mattancherry and one of the main suppliers of the Gujarati lehenga to stores in Kerala. “I have orders from Munnar, Guruvayur, Kasaragod and from Thrikakkara and Thripunithura.”
