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Durga Puja is a Hindu religious celebration that lasts ten days in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvina (September–October), and is especially celebrated in Bengal, Assam, and other eastern Indian states. Durga Puja commemorates the goddess Durga's victory over the demon ruler Mahishasura. On the same day as Navratri, a nine-night celebration honouring the divine feminine, it begins. Durga Puja, or the annual Hindu goddess Durga feast, is one of India's most important holidays. It is a multi-day festival that can last anywhere from 6 to 10 days depending on where you are in the country. The event is known as Navratri in much of Northern India (nine nights). Regardless of these differences, the last four days of Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Vijay Dashami are very significant and are celebrated with great pomp and grandeur across the country.
In the late 1500s, the first major worship of Goddess Durga in recorded history is supposed to have taken place. According to legend, the landowners of Dinajpur and Malda, also known as zamindars, were the ones who started Bengal's inaugural Durga Puja.
According to Hindu mythology, the festival commemorates Goddess
Durga's return to her birthplace with her children. Mahalaya, which symbolises
the start of Durga's trip to her house, precedes Durga Puja. The real puja
begins on the sixth day, or MahaSashthi, when worshippers greet the Goddess
with grandeur and passion. Durga's deity is revealed in front of the people on
this day. Several rituals are done, and the "dhakis" play the
"dhak," a type of drum connected with the puja and Bengali culture,
to keep the atmosphere and spirit of the puja alive.
The “Maha Saptami” festival begins on the seventh day. As part of
the tradition, a banana tree is submerged in water shortly before dawn on this
day. Following the ceremonial wash, the tree, or "Kola Bou" (as it is
known in Bengali), is dressed in a saree, generally a red-bordered one, and put
on Ganesha's right side, suggesting that "Kola Bou" is Ganesha's
bride. Several cultural revisionists and historians, on the other hand, have
opposing viewpoints, with some believing that “Kola Bou” is another depiction
of Durga.
As a result, they disprove the idea that "Kola Bou" is Ganesha's bride.
Another viewpoint is that “Kola Bou” is a symbolic depiction of
nine distinct plant species that make up a holy compound. Before conducting the
ceremony, priests attach a cluster of eight plants to the banyan tree's trunk.
The nine distinct leaves unite to form “Kola Bou,” which is frequently referred
to as Durga's plant form.
The eighth day of the puja is known as "Maha Ashtami," and it commemorates the Goddess's victory over "Mahisasura." Prayers are offered in the form of "Anjali," and feasts are held in various locations. On this day, kichdi and other delights are made.
The ninth day is referred to as "Maha Navami." Maha
Navami begins as soon as the “Sandhi Puja” is completed. As a final rite, Maha
Aarti is done. On this day, huge lines are typical as people pour in to
participate in the "Maha Aarti."
The tenth day, also known as "Maha Dashami," is the last day of Durga Puja. Durga and the other deities are immersed in the Ganga on this day. Married ladies participate in "SindoorKhela" before the immersion, when they spread vermillion on each other's faces. Huge processions are typical on the day of immersion, also known as "Visarjan." On the way, people dance and clap to honour the puja's spirit. Following the immersion, it is customary for individuals to visit their relatives' homes to wish them "Bijoya Dashami."
Goddess Durga
Durga puja is a ten-day festival in which rituals and practises
are performed on the last five days. The celebration kicks out with Mahalaya, a
day when Hindus conduct tarpaa, or presenting water and food to their ancestors
who have passed away. Durga's departure from her legendary marital abode in
Kailash is also commemorated on this day. The sixth day (Sashthi) is the most
important day of the festival, when worshippers greet the goddess and the
joyous celebrations begin.The goddess, along with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha,
and Kartikeya, are revered on the seventh (Saptami), eighth (Ashtami), and
ninth (Navami) days, and these days mark the main days of worship with
recitation of scriptures, puja, legends of Durga in Devi Mahatmya, social
visits to elaborately decorated and illuminated pandals (temporary structures
meant for hosting the puja),
• Bodhana: On the sixth day of the
celebration, rituals are performed to awaken and welcome the goddess as a
guest.
• Adhivasa: Anointing ceremony in which
symbolic sacrifices to Durga are offered, each object reflecting a recollection
of her delicate forms. It's also common to finish on the sixth day.
• Navapatrikasnan: On the seventh day of
the celebration, the navapatrika is bathed in holy water.
• Sandhi puja and Ashtami pushpanjali: On the eighth day, extensive pushpanjali rites are performed. According to scriptures, Durga engaged in a violent struggle against Mahishasura and was assaulted by the demons Chanda and Munda on the cusp of the eighth day and the beginning of the ninth day. At the confluence of Ashtami and Navami, the eighth and ninth days, Goddess Chamunda came from Durga's third eye and slew Chanda and Munda. The sandhi puja, which involves the offering of 108 lotuses and the burning of 108 lamps, commemorates this day. It is a rite that lasts 48 minutes and commemorates the battle's peak.In some areas, worshippers sacrifice an animal such as a buffalo or goat, while in others, a symbolic sacrifice is used instead of an actual animal sacrifice. To represent the bloodshed, the surrogate effigy is coated in scarlet vermilion. After that, the goddess is fed (bhog). Devotional service is also practised in several locations.
Dhaks are played throughout the pujo;
Dhunuchinaach is performed on Navami; and women participate in sindoorkhela on
Vijaya Dashami.
• Dhunuchinaach and dhunopora: Dhunuchinaach is a dancing rite in which dhunuchis are used (incense burner). Dhakis, who carry big leather-strung dhaks, play music to which people dance or do not dance during the aarati. Dhunopora, a ceremony involving married women holding dhunuchis burning with incense and dried coconuts on a cloth on their head and hands, is also observed in some areas, particularly house pujas.
During the puja, all schools, institutions, and government offices are closed. Just after Mahalaya, people go shopping for the puja. Most stores provide discounts on clothing and other items at this time of year. Men typically wear Kurta Pajamas on “Maha Ashtami,” while women wear sarees.
Cultural activities are held in various locations, and puja
organisers compete against one another in theme-based puja pandals. The beauty
of Durga Puja is that each pandal, via its art and décor, tells a tale. People
line for hours simply to get into the pandal to see the amazing artwork and
décor.
Food booths are put up in every nook and cranny, while restaurants make special Durga Puja meals. Different lights are used to create a festive atmosphere on the streets. To keep traffic under control, more police officers are deployed than normal.
The Bengali community's most important
celebration is Durga Puja. Aside from the festivities, the holiday necessitates
a family get-together. It's a moment when people put their differences aside
and join together to celebrate their shared humanity. Durga Puja, to be exact,
crosses religious borders and honours humanity's soul.
• Maha Navami: Maha Navami begins after the ‘Sandhi puja' is
completed. On the eve of Maha Navami, the ‘Mahaarati' is conducted. Following
that, leisure activities are organised before the ‘bhog' is served to everyone.
• Maha Dashami: On the eve of Maha Dashami, Goddess Durga's idol is
immersed in the sacred Ganges water. Processions are carried out by worshipers
on trucks, accompanied by drumming, singing, and dancing, before to the
immersion. Married ladies toss vermillion on each other during the procession.
People visit each other's homes in the evening to wish each other
"VijoyDashmi." In addition, special culinary items are made.
• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: The
celebrations of Durga Puja are extremely similar in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,
since both states organise the feeding of young girls on the last day of the
festival. In temples, the text ‘Durga Saptashati' is also chanted.
• West Bengal and Assam: Grand pandals
with various themes are set up all throughout Assam and West Bengal. The idol
is submerged in the sacred Ganges river on the last day of the celebration.
• Gujarat: In Gujarat, the Durga Puja
celebration is known as Navratri, and residents perform the popular dance
"garba" at activities held at night.
• Tamil Nadu: Locals worship the goddesses
Durga, Saraswathi, and Lakshmi at the Tamil Nadu festival. Young local girls
showcase wooden dolls in a ritual that is peculiar to the state of Tamil Nadu.
Golu is the name of the rite.
• Punjab: Every night during the Durga
puja festival's nine days of celebrations, 'Jaagrans' are held. Young girls
between the ages of 5 and 10 are given food, presents, and money on the eve of
Ashtami.
• Andhra Pradesh: On the eve of the
festival, married ladies worship Goddess Gauri, while unmarried women pray for
the marriage of their choosing, according to tradition. Bathukamma Panduga is
the name of the Durga puja in Andhra Pradesh. The ladies make flower stacks for
worship, which are afterwards submerged in the river.
• Chhattisgarh: The event is celebrated
for 75 days by the people of Chhattisgarh. The event has been held for over 500
years in Bastar, a town in Chhattisgarh.
• Karnataka: In Karnataka, the Durga puja celebration
is known as Dussehra. Mysore is known for its festival festivities.
• Maharashtra: On the eve of the
celebration, folks in Maharashtra perform Garba. During the Durga Puja
festival, it is considered lucky to complete commercial agreements and purchase
real estate.
• Himachal Pradesh: When the holiday in
the rest of the country is about to end, the people of Himachal Pradesh begin
their festivities. Dhalpur Maidan, in the Kullu Valley, is known for its
festivals.
Bangladesh's Hindu community celebrates
Durga Puja on a regular basis. Some Bengali Muslims also attend the
celebrations. The Dhakeshwari Temple puja draws visitors and worshippers to
Dhaka. Dashain is the Nepalese name for the festival.
Bengali communities in the United States
of America hold Durga pujas outside of South Asia. The Bengali diaspora has
also started celebrating Durga puja in Hong Kong.
In Europe, celebrations are also held. The
sculpture-idols are imported from India and kept in warehouses, where they will
be reused in the future.According to BBC News, these "idols, belonging to
a tableau measuring 18ft by 20ft, were constructed from clay, straw, and
vegetable dyes" for community festivities in London in 2006. The
sculpture-idols were submerged in the River Thames for the first time in 2006,
after "London's port officials permitted the community to give the deities
a customary send-off." The puja is observed in Cologne and other German
towns. Since 2003, puja in Baden, Aargan has been held in Switzerland. Cities
like as Stockholm and Helsingborg in Sweden commemorate the puja. The puja is
held in cities like Amstelveen, Eindhoven, and Voorschot in the Netherlands.
Durga Puja, major festival of Hinduism, traditionally held for 10 days in the month of Ashvina (September–October), the seventh month of the Hindu calendar