A visitation from the goddesses
Last weekend we dressed up Uma and Malini as the goddesses Durga and Saraswati.
These blurry photos are just a digital preview from my shaky hand -- their shutterbug grandfather took the serious ones. Everyone on hand took part in the project: mom, grandmother and aunt on wardrobe and makeup, dad, grandfather and uncle on set design and photography. The girls, who are usually so rambunctious, got very serious once in their makeup and costumes and all eyes were on them. It was all we could do to get them to force a little smile.
Durga is a protective form of Shiva's consort Parvati, also known as Uma. She's often shown riding a lion and slaughtering a demon (here represented by a floppy puppy dog) but still wearing a serene smile (unlike her fiercer alter ego, Kali). Saraswati is the goddess of music, books and learning. See the resemblance?
This is a project I've been wanting two do since Uma was two. I'm glad we finally got it done before all traces of her toddlerhood disappear. (She turns four next week!)