In Bengal, Durga Puja is a great festival of the year, observe by Christians, Muslims and Hindus alike, in the month of Ashvin (September-October). It is connected with the autumnal equinox. Nominally, they commemorate the victory of Durga, wife of Shiva over a buffalo headed demon Mahishasura. The form under which she is adored is that of an image with ten arms and a weapon in each hand, her right leg resting on a lion and her left on the buffalo demon. This image is worshipped for nine days following on the sixteen sraddha of the Pitri Paksha and then cast into the water.
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| Durga Puja |
It is conjectured that this puja began in Bengal in approximately 12th century. Durga Puja is chiefly a festive occasion. The fame and development of this Puja are related to the prosperity of medieval feudalism of Bengal. Due to the festive character of this puja, Durga has not been able to establish herself as an object of meditative cults. Kalika manifestation of Durga in that sense reigns supreme over the hearts and minds of Bengalis. Kali Puja is being described later. Durga is not one of the Vedic deities. She is one aspect of Mahadeve Shakti, who manifests herself in different forms as Prithivi, Parvati, Sati, Uma, Chandrika, Kalika. The lion mounted Durga is the warrior goddess. Durga, fully armed, was created out of the breath of the most powerful gods of Hinduism. She has a beautiful feminine shape whose splendour over spread the three worlds. Each deity contributed his best virtue and weapon to create and arm her. Shiva's trident, Agni's fire dart, Indra's thunderbolt, Varuna's conch shell, Vishnu's discus, Vayu's bow, Kuber's club, Yama's iron rod, Vasuki's snake, Surya's shield and sword invested the devi's ten arms. In this aspect, she is worshipped during Durga puja. Devi proceeded to the Vindhyas and demolished Mahishasura, in spite of the latter battling her in many guises.
According to Chandi Purana, Mahishasura the buffalo headed demon, by his austere meditation compelled Brahma to grant him the boon of invincibility. Brahma announced that the demon would die at the hands of a woman. Deeming this an impossibility; Mahisasura terrorized earth and heaven. Vishnu and Shiva were enraged. Durga was created to massacre Mahisasura. On the advice of Brahma, Rama of Ayodhya, undertook an elaborate and dedicated worship of devi Durga. At the climax of the puja, one out of 108 lotus flowers for puja, was found missing. Rama offered to pluck out his eye to make up the missing flower. The goddess appeared and granted him victory over demon king Ravana. The victory day is thus celebrated as Dusshera and as Durga puja, both festivals on the same day (Vijaya Dashami). This festival creates a conviction that evil has been vanquished and a benevolent deity Trinayani Durga (Three eyed Durga) smiles upon the world. In this new fresh season, the human soul bursts into celebrations.
It is possible that in ancient times, a deity like Goddess of vegetative abundance was worshipped, who emerged into the Puranic Goddess Durga, the concept of Uma, Parvati, the wife of Kailashapti Shiva. This fierceness of Durga has been overlaid by wifely and maternal tenderness creating a complex image of the Goddess.
Durga puja or Navaratri (nine nights), commencing on the 1st and ending on the 10th day of the light half of Ashvin (September-October) are celebrated in various parts of India, specially Bengal. In Assam, the great festivity to invoke the blessings of Durga, the Mother goddess in her most benign and protective aspects, is celebrated with great ceremony. Illumination, beautifully painted clay images of the deity, dances and plays, keep thousands entertained over the puja holidays, until, the images are taken in procession and immersed in the great river.
There are two most important Navratri's (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada and Ashvin Shukla Pratipada): Counting a fortnight of fifteen days in 360 days of the year, there come 40 Navratri's. Out of these only two viz. Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (Vasantik) and Ashwin Shukla Pratipada (Shardiya) are important. During these two Mahamaya Durga and Kanya Pujan (maiden worship) are done. Hymns from Durga Saptashati should be recited. There is a custom of growing corn in small vessels. Ashtami (8th day) and Navami (9th day) are auspicious days. Fast is undertaken on all nine days.
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| Devi Durga |
A king called Surath because of luxurious life and dependency on his unfaithful ministers, lost his kingdom and was exiled. There, he met a merchant named Samadhi. Both, under distress, reached a hermitage, where their query was answered by saint, that it was only by invoking Bhagwati, mother Goddess, that one could set himself free from worldly bondage of kith and kin, relatives, royalty; love and affection.
Seeking to know the importance and supremacy of the Shakti (power) of the Goddess; the saint Megha narrated the story of Sumb and Nishumbh, as described in Markandey Purana and published in details in author's book 'Durga'. The saint explained that Sakti has two forms; illiteracy and literacy. Literacy gives knowledge and illiteracy depicts ignorance. This illiteracy and ignorance are the cause for longing, affection and attachment. Therefore those persons, who recognize Bhagwati (mother Goddess) as the primordial power of the world and invoke her during Navaratri by devotion and worship, to them she imparts salvation by her blissful form of literacy.
In Tripura, at Agartala, this festival of the mother goddess Durga in her benign and protective form, is celebrated as in Bengal. It is celebrated for four days with great enthusiasm and ends when images of the goddess are taken out in procession and immersed in the river.
In Imphal, this festival is known as Kwak Yatra when goddess Durga is propitiated with pomp and ceremony. Animal sacrifice used to be an obligatory requirement of Durga puja (worship of warrior goddess Durga). This practice is now defunct all over India. At the pujas, now, symbolic slashing of pumpkins and sugarcane, is done.
Formally puja begins with the dawn recitation from the Chandi Puran on Mahalaya. The creation of Mahisasura Mardini in these days is broadcast resoundingly over AIR and Doordarshan at 5 a.m. on Shasta, the next day the goddess is invoked in bodhan ceremony. From Saptami onwards, for three days, fasting worshippers offer pushpanjali.
In the evenings, an elaborate arti is performed. After the arti, young men perform dhunuchi nritya before the goddess. Holding aromatic smoking censers in each hand, they dance to the beat of dhak drums. The deep percussion of the dhak, embellished sometimes with long white or multicoloured feathers, and rhythmic movement of the dhakis, is an inseparable part of the puja celebrations. More solemn but less public is the sandhi puja.
In the afternoon, the bhog offered to the goddess is distributed amongst the faithful. Since community participation and enjoyment have been integral to this puja, bhog is often partaken in the pandal or a hall out of leaf plates, where all sit together on the floor. On ashtami, households send specially offerings in the name of the householders to be offered to the Devi.
On Dashami, it all ends with the aforementioned Sindoor Khela and baran or arti of the devi. Then, in a crescendo of shouting and dancing, the image is carried by bullock carts or trucks to the nearest river or pond and immersed. The worshippers return to the puja pandal for Shanti jal, without which no religious ceremony is complete.
Cultural activities during Durga puja consist of Jatras, plays, songs and variety programmes to cater to the needs of the modern public. Night entertainment's are the norm. Show of films and videos on the occasion, has been discarded.
The common people, in great distress have, inevitably been drawn towards the source of life and energy, the universal mother, Shakti Durga, who had delivered, the earth from Mahisasura, is worshipped increasingly to inspire courage for the struggle against forces of evil. Devi Durga, appears once in a year, to share her force and hearten her devotees to endure another year, till she descends from Kailash again.
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