Devi Durga in Celebration

Durga Puja a social festival of the Hindus.  The festival of Durga Puja starts with Mahalaya,  in Aswin. Prayers are offered to their ancestors at the  river banks, a ritual called Tarpan. The inauguration of the Goddess idol starts on Mahashasthi. The main puja is for three days - Mahasaptami, Mahaastami, Mahanavami. The puja rituals are long and very detailed and complicated. Three days of Mantras and Shlokas and Arati and offerings – the whole atmosphere is filled up with a festive mood.

Mahashashthi
This is the day when Goddess Durga arrives to the mortal world from her heavenly abode, accompanied by her children. She is welcomed with much fanfare amidst the beats of dhak. Unveiling the face of the idol is the main ritual on this day. Kalaparambho, the ritual performed before the commencement of the puja precedes Bodhon, Amontron and Adibas.

Mahasaptami
Saptami is the first day of Durga puja. Kola Bow or Nabapatrika is given a pre-dawn bath. This is an ancient ritual of worshiping nine types of plants. They are together worshiped as a symbol of the goddess. The main Saptami Puja follows Kalparambho and Mahasnan.

Mahaastami
The day began with a recital of Sanskrit hymns in community puja pandals as thousands of devotees offered anjali to the goddess. Kumari Puja or the worship of little girls as the mother goddess was a special part of the rituals observed in a number of traditional and household pujas. As the day wore on, it was time for the important Sandhi Puja, which marks the inter-linking of the Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami.

Mahanavami
This is the concluding day of Durga Puja. The main Navami puja begins after the end of Sandhi Puja.

Dashami
After the three days of Puja, in Dashami , in the last day, a tearful farewell is offered to the Goddess.  The images are carried in processions around the locality and finally is immersed in a nearby river or lake. Vijaya Dashami is an event celebrated all over the country.

Goddess Durga is a form of Sakti worshiped for her dynamism and her power to overcome the evils. She is the mother of the Universe. She is the destroyer of the demons a divine power which has protected the world from the evils.
She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva .There are detailed description of Durga described in the Puranas . She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Winecup, Shielf, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion and know as “Sinhabahini”.

Goddess Durga killed the powerful demon Mahish and all his great commanders. When demonic forces create imbalance all god unite becoming one divine force called Shakti or Durga. She is allso known as “Mahishasurmardini”.

Durga the Shakti

Devi is the great goddess of the Hindus, the wife of Shiva and she is worshiped in various forms . She is Uma, “light”; Gauri, “yellow or brilliant”; Parvati, “the mountaineer”; and Jagatmata, “the-mother-of-the-world” . In other forms Durga “the inaccessible”; Kali, “the black”; Chandi, “the fierce”; and Bhairavi, “the terrible.”
This is all according to Hindu Mythology.

Durga Puja — The basic History

The worship of Devi Durga in the month of Ashwin is called ‘Akalbodhan’- an uncustomary time for commencement of the worship. It is so called since the period of this worship differs from the conventional period (during the spring - ‘Basanta’). Ramayana says that when Rama was engaged in the battle with Ravana, he wanted to secure the blessings of victory from Devi Durga. He held the puja to evoke the goddess during autumn to his dire plight, thereby worshiping Durga untimely (in Akal). Hence this puja is called Akalbodhon.

It was customary to worship Durga with 100 neel kamals (blue lotuses). Rama could gather only 99 of them; he offered one of his eyes as a substitute of the 100th lotus. Pleased with his devotion Durga blessed him. The battle started on Shaptami and Ravana was killed at the Shandhikshan (in between) Ashtami and Navami; he was cremated on Dashami. Therefore the four days of the puja that we celebrate ends in the triumph of the good over evil.

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Durga Puja is the most important festival of Bengal. Durga Puja means more to us than just a religious festival.It is a celebration of life, culture, popular customs and traditions … it is a time for coming together, of reunion and rejuvenation. traditional rituals at that time are maintained that enhances our mind spiritually.