Navratri is a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil, but for actor Rohin Joshi who is currently seen in Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan, its meaning goes beyond the festivities and traditional rituals. Born and brought up in Vadodara, Rohin has grown up celebrating Navratri by playing Garba with his school friends. As he reflects on the festival, the actor talks about childhood memories, the importance of understanding Goddess Durga, and the need to look within before questioning the world around us.

Talking about what the victory of good over evil means to him today, Rohin says, “It has two distinct meanings for me. The first and relatively less important is identifying what is bad and wrong in the world and working to stop it. But this approach lacks depth in my opinion. Rather than looking at the world, one should first look inward and enquire about one’s own tendencies and conditioning, and how they are affecting the world. Negation of what is false after rigorous enquiry needs to happen before we start questioning the world, or at the very least, both should go hand in hand.”

For Rohin, Navratri is also closely connected to his childhood in Vadodara, a city known for its grand Garba celebrations. Recalling those days, he says, “I was born and brought up in Vadodara. Vadodara being home to the biggest Garba event in the world at United Way, I instantly go back to my school days at the mention of Navratri.”
The actor remembers growing up playing Garba and celebrating the festival at home with his family. He also recalls the traditional Ashtami puja and the food prepared by his mother. “I have grown up playing Garba, and I remember we used to do a puja on Ashtami and Mom used to make halwa-puri at home. But more than any childhood tradition, I would like the new generation to go and read the Durga Saptashati and understand who Goddess Durga is, and why the festival deserves to be celebrated in the first place,” he shares.

While festivals bring families together, Rohin admits that his fondest Navratri memories are equally connected to his friends. In an industry where work schedules can make it difficult to spend time with loved ones, he values the opportunity to be around family and friends during festivals. “My Mom always makes sure that any festival is celebrated at home with utmost authenticity and with all the traditions. I have never been particularly fond of any rituals, but I love the time and company of family members and friends during such festivals. When it comes to Sharad Navratri, it is one of the few festivals where I miss spending time with my friends more than I miss my family, because I spent my entire school life going for Garba and celebrating Navratri with my school friends,” he says.

Beyond Garba and traditional celebrations, Rohin believes Navratri also offers an important lesson about humanity’s relationship with nature. Drawing from the Durga Saptashati and Acharya Prashant’s commentaries on the text, he highlights how unchecked consumption can have serious consequences for the environment.
“The biggest lesson that I carry from Navratri comes from the Durga Saptashati and especially Acharya Prashant’s commentaries on the text. The lesson is that if we have a consumption-based relationship with Prakriti (Devi), then she will destroy us. Human-induced climate change, which is a result of the human tendency to blindly consume, will be devastating for us, and we can already see the effects. It’s high time we start building a harmonious and sensitive relationship with Prakriti,” Rohin concludes.