Celebrate Durga Puja!

Durga Puja is one of the major Hindu festivals traditionally held for 10 days in the month of Ashvina, or the seventh month of the Hindu calendar. Durga puja is particularly celebrated in Bengal, Assam, or other eastern Indian states. Durga Puja is celebrated to cheer the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura.

Devi Durga is a Hindu goddess who is worshipped as a personified creative feminine Shakti. She is believed to be the fierce form of Lord Shiva’s wife Parvati. She is also considered as the Mother of the Universe, worshiped for both her gracious as well as her terrifying form. Originally Durga Puja is held in the Bengali season Basant, Durga Puja is also called as Basanti Puja. It is said that later, Lord Shri Ramchandra, through his devotion, invoked the Goddess Durga to descend on Earth during autumn and bless him so he would be victorious over Ravana.

The colour of the images of goddesses Durga is kept with their description in the Chandipath, the Story of Chandi or Goddess Durga. In opposition, Goddess Durga, an incarnation of the three qualities of inactivity, activity and no activity has a bright yellow complexion. As elsewhere, artisans start their work on the image on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya that coordinated with the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and it takes around three months for them to complete one idol, with final touches and thus make that lavish idol for worshiping.

It begins on the same day as Navratri starts, a nine-night festival celebrating the divine feminine goddess Durga. Durga Puja’s first day is Mahalaya, which indicates the emergence of the goddess. Celebrations and worship begin on Sasthi, the sixth day of Navratri. During the following three days, the goddess is worshipped in her various forms as Durga, Lakshmi, and Sarasvati. These celebrations end with Vijaya Dashami, with loud music, drumbeats, and great celebrations, idols are carried in huge cascade to local rivers to immerse them. This custom symbolizes the departure of the deity to her home and to her husband, Shiva, in the ranges of Himalaya. Images of the goddess astride a lion, attacking the demon king Mahishasura—are placed at various pandals and temples.

By: Saksham Gupta

Content: https://heritage-india.com/festival-great-mother-durga-puja/