Durga Puja

Celebrating the triumphant victory of Devi Durga over the devil of devils Mahisashura, the people of Bengal engross themselves in the jubilant aura of Durga Puja during the autumnal season. Saptami, ashtami, navami and vijaya dashami are the four main days of the festival when the idol of the Goddess is worshipped.

The myths surrounding the history of Durga Puja in Bengal tell a very interesting story. Once the demon Mahisasura succeeded to please Lord Shiva through his sincere meditation. As a result, Lord Shiva blessed him with an immortal life. After this incident Mahisasura turned into his true self and started killing people without a second thought.

Viewing such an atrocity, the Gods went to Lord Shiva and requested him to teach the demon a lesson. It is then that Lord Shiva used his third eye or trinayan and made a Goddess who had been endowed with one special power of each of the Gods of the heaven. The Goddess was given the name of Durga. A lion became her vahana and she went out of the paradise to kill Mahisaura. On killing the demon, Gods blessed Devi Durga and started rejoicing.

Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Debi-Poksha, comes seven days before the actual Puja. Saptami is regarded as the first day of Durga Puja. However, the females of Bengal maintain a fast on the previous day, which is called as shasthi. Saptami is followed by ashtami on which day sandhi Puja is performed and vegetarian dishes or bhog is served to the devotees. Navami comes after ashtami, which is followed by vijaya dashami when the idol of Goddess Durga is taken to the banks of River Ganges for immersion.

On the one hand vijaya dashami indicates the ending of a four-day long celebration, on the other hand sweets are exchanged between the people of Bengal on this very day.

The euphoric mood of Durga Puja, which engrosses not only the local people but also the foreign visitors, is the true appeal of this popular festival of Bengal.

Enriched with diversified cultural delights, the land of Bengal has always been a place of immense artistic possibilities. Even in the earliest periods of civilization, the tribal sects of the state had been involved with a variety of Dance customs.