Place:
West Bengal
Time : October
Significance: Veneration to Goddess Durga
Durga puja is performed during the
nine days of Navaratri. According to the Hindu
calendar it falls on the first
nine days of the month of Ashwin (october). It is celebrated all over India, but
with great zeal in the eastern part of India especially West Bengal.
In West Bengal, it is celebrated in most households apart
from the gaily-decorated puja mandaps
that are erected in almost every
locality. The puja pandals have beautifully decorated
images of the goddess Durga and community pujas are organised. People gather here in large
numbers to enjoy the
festivities. Families visit
each other to share feasts.
The festivities start with the
first day called Mahalaya, when people remember their ancestors (tarpan) and 'chakku
dan' the ritual of drawing the eyes of the image is performed. The first day as
well as the following days of Sashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami or Bijoya Dashami
have their own unique rituals. The religious ceremony starts on Saptami or the
seventh day and are observed till Dashami, the tenth day. 'Bodhun' the ritual
of infusing life to the Goddess is performed on Saptami, when a banana
plant draped in a yellow saree symbolises the goddesses soul. On Sashthi, all
mothers keep a fast and pray for the well being of their children. On
the 10th day, Bijoya dashami, the idols are taken in
elaborate processions for immersion in the river or the sea.
Legend behind the Origin
of Goddess Durga:
Most of the themes of Hindu mythology is the struggle between good and evil
and the ultimate triumph of the good. Goddess Durga symbolizing divine energy (Shakthi),
was created to slain the demon in the buffalo form; Mahishasura who attacked the Gods and conquered heaven. The Gods led by
Brahma
went to Shiva and Vishnu
and prayed for help. The energies of the
trinity of the Hindu Gods condensed to create the Goddess. She went to
battle on her ferocious mount lion, armed with the weapons given to her by the other Gods. In the battle, she
fought and killed the evil Mahishasura and restored heaven to the Gods. Since
then the goddess is invoked for protection from the powers of evil. Durga
Puja is observed in her honour, to celebrate her victory over evil.
In north India, it is characterized by fasts and solemnity, in western
India, it is marked by gaiety and the traditional and garba
dances, and in the south, pujas are offered separately for three days to
each of the three goddesses, Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi. In some parts of India, the
first three of the nine days of Navratri are devoted for worshipping Durga
(Goddess of valor), next three days for Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and the last
three days for Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge)