Durga Puja: Praying Goddess of Shakti

 Durga Puja is a Hindu festival which is mainly celebrated by the Bengali community. This is the most awaited festival for this community. Entire West Bengal celebrates this festival with great enthusiasm and fervor. This is a community festival; people unite in groups and share their zest in the form of prayers, dance, music and cuisine, all devoted to Goddess Durga.

Celebrations are held in beautifully decorated puja mandals. Preparation of these mandals starts at least three months before the festival. Begali craftsmen prepare beautiful and charming clay idol of Goddess Durga in all sizes and shapes. Kumartali is a small town where traditional craftsmen work for these idols all the year round.

Significance of Durga Pooja:

Durga Puja is a joyous occasion which marks the welcome of homecoming of Goddess Durga with her four children: Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati. It is believed that she arrives for just four days and the starts her return journey to the mount Kailash .

Date of Durga Pooja:

Durga Puja is celebrated in the months of September or October. Exact dates are calculated according to the Hindu calendar. Celebrations take place for ten days in a row.

Rituals of Durga Pooja:

For worshipping of Goddess Durga at this occasion, some essential items are required for each day of Puja. Hindu scriptures mention detailed way of worshipping of Goddess Durga.

This festival starts with Mahalaya which is the first phase of waxing moon in the month of Aswin. Tarpan, a ritual to offer prayers to ancestors, is performed by thousand of people on the banks of rivers.

 Mahashashthi is the day when inauguration of idol of Goddess Durga is performed. Then comes the event of main Pooja which is performed for three days- Mahasaptami, Mahaastami, Mahanavami. Series of prayers, which involve chanting of long and copmplicated Sanskrit shlokas, mantras, artis and offerings, are performed during these three days. Only an expert priest can do this. Then comes the last day of Durga Puja, which is also the tenth day called Dashmi. On this day, a farewell is offered to Goddess Durga. It is done with community procession. Idol of Goddess Durga are immersed in sacred waters with a heavy heart.