Every Valentine's Day, a unique tradition is observed at Hindu College. A group of male students, mostly hostel residents, offers prayers to "Damdami Mai" and celebrates a female icon who it feels has hogged headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Valentine's Day celebration has become indigenised in Delhi University's North Campus. Hindu College boys have been worshipping what they call Damdami Mai, a goddess from whom they seek blessings for a suitable girl to share love with.The ritual of worshipping the chosen Goddess of the year, involves a panditji who comes with a puja thali. The panditji is always a student of a college. In the past, a third year student would be nominated to become the pujari but now the winner of the Mr. Fresher contest gets to be a pandit and dress up for the part.
A teeka of red chilli powder is put on the foreheads of all the students present before the ceremonies start. A picture of the Goddess is hung on the 'Virgin Tree' which is decorated with balloons and inflated condoms. A procession is then carried out across the campus with the pandit carrying the puja ki thali. Slogans such as “Damdami Mai ki Jai” are chanted to the beat of the drums to invoke the Goddess.
Prasad is offered after the procession ends. Bhang ke laddo used to be distributed few years back but now motichoor ke laddoos and batashas are distributed.
Interestingly, the Hindu College boys refer to her as the goddess of girls. Every Valentine's Day, Damdami Mai is personified. Porn Star Sunny Leone is the flavour of the season on Tuesday, the 14th February.Former Damdami Mai's include actor Sonakshi Sinha (last year), Priyanka Chopra, Madhubala, Mallika Sherwat, Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone and Anara Gupta amongst others.
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