Durga Puja Celebrations

Durga puja is one of the most popular Hindu festival in the country.It is a ten days long festival in which Goddess Durga, the Hindu goddess of power, Durga or Shakti is worshipped in nine different forms.During the festival the entire nation welcomes Durga with immense fervor. The puja is celebrated with the fall of autumn either in the month of September or October.

CELEBRATIONS :

The first four days are days of ‘Kalash Sthapana’ and Kalsh Pooja. The main festivities start from the day of Mahalaya when it is believed that Devi has been invoked in the idol. During the last five-days (shasti, saptmi, ashtmi, navmi and vijayadashmi) of the festival people pay tribute to the goddess through ‘Pushpanjali’, Aarti and ‘Bhog’. Different kinds of prayers and different kinds of ‘bhog items’ are prescribed for everyday from Mahalya onwards. People make different kinds of offerings and honor her through ceremonies, prayers, and songs. Special Pooja rituals are prescribed for each day.The effigies of Goddess Durga are placed in huge tents called pandals, which are like temporary temples. The idols are kept on raised platforms where they are worshipped. The pandals are built with the money collected by the clubs from the public.  In West Bengal the idols are mostly made in the two small towns, Kumartuli and Krishnanagar, situated in the outskirts of Kolkata.Durga Puja is not just a religious festival anymore. It displays the culture and tradition of the Indians in every aspect. Though, the festival has a close association with the Bengalis, it is celebrated in all parts of India. Schools, colleges and offices declare holidays at least on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, if not an entire week.

 The first day i.e. Saptami is spent in greeting the Goddess and her four children on earth. The second and third day is spent worshipping the Goddess and the fourth day is the one, which commemorates the victory of Durga over the buffalo-demon "Mahishasura". On the final day the devotees bid a sad farewell to the Goddess and immerse the idols in the rivers close by.