The Birth of Devi Durga
The Goddess Durga was created so that she could fight the demon Mahishasur. Mahishasur had been given a boon by Lord Brahma that he could not be defeated by any God or Man which made him torment many gods belonging to heaven. When these gods approached Lord Brahma to save them from the tyranny of Mahishasur, the creator of the world agreed to help and thus Devi Durga was born to fight the demon when Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva gave the goddess their supreme powers.
A combat ensued between the demon and Goddess Durga where the former, in order to gain an upper hand, also changed his form to a buffalo. The fight went on for 10 days after which the goddess finally managed to win over Mahishasur when she cut the head of the buffalo and killed the demon as he emerged. The Durga Puja is celebrated to commemorate the fight that went on for 10 days where the last day is known as Vijayadashmi and celebrates the victory of good over evil.
Significance of Durga Puja
As per Hindu mythology, the festival marks Goddess Durga’s visit to her natal home along with her children. Durga Puja is preceded by Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Durga’s journey to her home. The actual puja starts from “Maha Sashthi” or the sixth day where devotees welcome the Goddess with pomp and gusto. On this day, Durga’s deity is unveiled in front of the public. Several rituals are performed while the “dhakis” keep the mood and spirit of the puja alive by playing the “dhak”—a kind of drum that’s associated with the puja and Bengali culture.
The 7th day marks the commencement of “Maha Saptami”. On this day, just before dawn, a banana tree is immersed in the water as a part of the ritual. After the ceremonial bath, the tree or “Kola Bou” (as called in Bengali) is draped in a saree, usually a red-bordered one, and placed on the right-side of Ganesha, thereby implying that “Kola Bou” is actually the bride of Ganesha. However, several cultural revisionists and historians have different views on this as some believe that “Kola Bou” is another representation of Durga. Hence, they refute the theory that “Kola Bou” is the bride of Ganesha.
Another different view is that “Kola Bou” is a symbolic representation of nine types of plants that form a sacred complex. Priests tie a bunch of eight plants on the trunk of the banyan tree before performing the ritual. The nine different leaves combined together form “Kola Bou”—often considered as the plant form of Durga.
“Maha Ashtami” marks the 8th of the puja and is considered as the day when the Goddess defeated “Mahisasura”. Prayers are offered in the form of “Anjali” while feasts are organised in different localities. Khichdi and other delicacies are prepared on this day.
The 9th day is dubbed as “Maha Navami”. As soon as the “Sandhi Puja” ends, Maha Navami commences. Maha Aarti is performed as a closing ritual. Huge queues are common on this day as people flock in to take part in “Maha Aarti”.
The 10th day or “Maha Dashami” marks the final day of Durga Puja. On this day, Durga and the other deities are immersed in the river Ganga. Before the immersion, married women take part in “Sindoor Khela” where they smear vermillion on each other’s faces. On the day of immersion, also called “Visarjan”, huge processions are common. People dance and cheer on the road to celebrate the spirit of the puja. After the immersion, a typical custom is followed where people visit their relatives’ house to wish “Bijoya Dashami”.
How is Durga Puja Celebrated?
Schools, colleges, and government offices are closed during the puja. People indulge in shopping for the puja just after Mahalaya. During this time of the year, most shops offer discounts on clothes and other products. On “Maha Ashtami” men usually wear Kurta Pajamas while women drape themselves in sarees.
Cultural events are organised in different localities while puja organisers compete against each other through theme-based puja pandals. The beauty of Durga Puja is that every pandal has a story to tell through its art and décor. People stand in queues just to enter the pandal so that they can enjoy the magnificent artwork and décor.
Food stalls are set up in every nook and corner while special Durga Puja dishes are prepared in restaurants. Streets are decorated with different lights to capture the festive mood. More police personnel are deployed than the usual to keep the traffic under control.
Durga Puja is the biggest festival for the Bengali community. Other than the celebrations, the festival calls for a family get-together. It’s a time when people bridge their differences and come together to celebrate unity. To be precise, Durga Puja transcends the boundaries of religion and celebrates the spirit of humanity.
Festive Traditions and Activities
Many exciting festive activities are organised on the eve of the festival of Durga puja. Some of these are:
- Setting up of ‘pandals’: A ‘Pandal’ is a place where the idol of Goddess Durga is kept. All the rituals and prayers take place inside the pandal. Magnificent pandals are set up before the puja begins. Architecture of the world’s most famous buildings is replicated. New designs are also laid out.
- Street food stalls: Alongside pandals, many food stalls are set up which sell a variety of street foods ranging from golgappas to bajjis and samosas.
- Shopping:
As per tradition, in some of the states such as West Bengal, people wear new dresses every day.
History of Durga Puja
The first Durga Puja festival is recorded to be celebrated in the late 1500s in Bengal when zamindars and landlords belonging to Malda and Dinajpur in Bengal organised the first Durga Puja.
Durga Puja is celebrated in every community in various cities of Bengal. However, the first community celebration dates back to 1790 when 12 friends from Guptipara in Hoogly, West Bengal got together to organise the puja in their community called ‘baro-yaari’ puja, or the ‘twelve-pal’ puja’ due to contributions made by other residents.
However, the first ‘Baro-Yaari’ puja was celebrated in Kolkata in 1832 by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar who prior to that would perform the puja at his native home in Murshidabad between 1824 and 1831.
The British during their time in India has also performed Durga Puja and organised it for the first time in 1765 as means to please their Hindu subjects post the annexing of Diwani of Bengal. It is also reported that John Chips the auditor-general of East India Company also performed Durga Puja at his office in Birbhum. This practice of British taking part in Durga Puja celebrations is known to continue till 1840.
When Delhi became the capital of British India, the first Durga Puja celebration took place in 1910. Even today Durga Puja celebrations take place with the same fervor in Delhi as much as one can see in the streets of Kolkata or any district of Bengal.
The pratima and pandal are two important components of Durga Puja festivities. The idol of Durga known as Pratima along with her four children – Ganesh, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Kartikeya are created using clay and placed in beautiful temporary canopies known as Pandal.
Durga Puja is no less than a spectacle which can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life and a reminder of a time when this festival brings everyone together.
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