Tell me abt Durga Puja in Kolkatta?

Answer 1

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus. The worship of Durga in the autumn is the year's largest Hindu festival in West Bengal, and other parts of East India as well as in Bangladesh. Puja means "worship," and Durga's Puja is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Ashshin, which is the sixth month in the Bengali calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, these dates correspond to the months of September/October.

In the Krittibas Ramayana, Rama invokes the goddess Durga in his battle against Ravana. Although she was traditionally worshipped in the spring, due to contingencies of battle, Rama had to invoke her in the autumn. Today it is this Rama's date for the puja that has gained ascendancy, although the spring puja, known as Basanti Puja, is also present in the Hindu almanac.

The pujas are held over a five-day period, which is traditionally viewed as the coming of the married daughter, Durga, to her father, Himalaya's home. It is the most important festival in Bengal, and Bengalis celebrate with new clothes and other gifts, which are worn on the evenings when the family goes out to see the pandals (temporary structures set up to venerate the goddess). Although it is a Hindu festival, religion takes a backseat on these five days: Durga Puja in Bengal is a carnival, where people from all backgrounds, regardless of their religious beliefs, participate and enjoy themselves to the hilt.

In Kolkata alone more than ten thousand pandals are set up, all clamouring for the admiration and praise of the populace. The city is adorned with lights. People from all over the country visit the city at this time.

Durga puja mood starts off with the Mahishasuramardini' – a radio programme that has been popular with the community aired on Mahalaya day to listen to the enchanting on All India Radio. as they recite hymns from the scriptures from the Devi Mahatmyam or Chandi.

During the week of Durga Puja, in the entire state of West Bengal as well as in large enclaves of Bengalis everywhere, life comes to a complete standstill. In play grounds, traffic circles, ponds -- wherever space may be available -- elaborates structures called pandals 'are set up, many with nearly a year's worth of planning behind them. The word pandal means a temporary structure, made of bamboo and cloth, which is used as a temporary temple for the purpose of the puja. While some of the pandals are simple structures, others are often elaborate works of art with themes that rely heavily on history, current affairs and sometimes pure imagination.'

Somewhere inside these complex edifices is a stage on which Durga reigns, standing on her lion mount, wielding ten weapons in her ten hands. This is the religious center of the festivities, and the crowds gather to offer flower worship or pushpanjali on the mornings, of the sixth to ninth days of the waxing moon fortnight known as evi Pakshya. Ritual drummers – dhaakis, carrying large leather-strung dhaakis –– show off their skills during ritual dance worships called aarati. On the tenth day, Durga the mother returns to her husband, Shiva, ritualised through her immersion into the waters –– Bishorjon also known as Bhaashan and Niranjan.At the end of six days, the idol is taken for immersion in a procession amid loud chants of 'Durga mai-ki jai' (glory be to Mother Durga') and 'aashchhe bochhor abar hobe' ('it will happen again next year') and drumbeats to the river or other water body, and it is cast in the waters symbolic of the departure of the deity to her home with her husband in the Himalayas. After this, in a tradition called Vijaya Dashami, families visit each other and sweetmeats are offered to visitors (Dashami is literally "tenth day" and Vijay is "victory").

Durga pandal in New Delhi.Durga Puja is also a festivity of Good (Ma Durga) winning over the evil (Maheshasoora the demon). It is a worship of power of Good which always wins over the bad.-

Answer 2

Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Bengal and one of the most important Hindu festivals, is not just a time for worship and rituals. Of course, those are inseparable from any festival, but Durga Puja means much more than these.

Climatically, the month of Ashvin (the time of Durga Puja) is a relatively ‘good’ one for India. The height of summer and the floods of the monsoon are both past, giving way to clear skies and a crisp air.

Durga is the chief Indian goddess, and the one with the most colourful personality. She is a multifaceted persona, turning effortlessly into the benign Gauri, the remote Hemavati or the energetic Durga.

It is no wonder that in a conservative, male-oriented society such as India’s, the weapon-wielding, tiger-riding, demon-slaying Durga evokes unbridled admiration.

Answer 3

Hi, Durga Puja is the Sacred 9 Days festival of worshipping goddess DURGA, The days are called Navratra, The Bengali puja is the most popular, and the bengali celebration is worth seeing at KOLKATTA.

THANKS

Answer 4

Bengalis wait for this festival all the year long, it is to bengali as Id is to Muslims, Christmas is to Christians. One more thing the name of the vivacious city is "Kolkata" and not Kolkatta.

Answer 5

In USA there is no Goddess recognized and no celebration of life because of the main religion here, all of mans material wealth has brought only sadness and a desire of wanting more and with it a fear of losing what one has, greed and fear are common place, Durga is needed but who knows this, it's very sad. As for the vermillion and kumkum I will guess that being the color red it represents the blood of the Divine Feminine for its life giving proprieties.

Answer 6

The biggest festival of bengal and the bengalis, goddess kali is worshiped for nine days with entire bengal participating.

Answer 7

The onset of autumn signifies the homecoming of the Mother Goddess and brings with it the aura of festivity and celebration
Kolkata is probably the most happening city in India nowadays. Reason: Durga Puja is in the air. Though the festival is yet to kick off, preparations have been enough to envelop the city in a medley of ornamentation, illumination and the aroma of mouth-watering delicacies.
For the business traveller who is in the vicinity, it will be the experience of a lifetime. For him/her, Kolkata offers unlimited shopping options, a culinary fare which is about as Bengali as it gets, huge discounts at hotels, nights which are brighter than day considering the hectic nightlife and the all-pervasion of devotion and exuberance.
Though Durga Puja is celebrated in the month of October (‘Ashwin’ as per the Bengali calendar), celebrations start weeks ahead. The city strikes a different chord altogether echoing the music of bonhomie, brotherhood and festivity.
The onset of autumn signifies the homecoming of the Mother Goddess and brings with it the aura of festivity and celebration. There is a Bengali saying that there are 13 festivals in the Bengali calendar of 12 months. Durga Puja is undoubtedly the biggest of them all. To say that it is being celebrated with fanfare and gaiety in this part of the country is an understatement.
Huge idols of the ten-armed Goddess Durga destroying the ‘Buffalo Demon’ accompanied by her two sons, Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya, and two daughters Goddess Laxmi and Saraswati painstakingly created by artisans, mainly at Kumartuli area of north Kolkata, are placed at the puja pandals (makeshift temples) erected for the purpose.
The much acclaimed pandals reflect the engineering skills of the craftsmen. Innovative illumination of these pandals by the famed electricians of Chandannagar, a suburban town, is another attraction of the Durga Puja.
Altogether, being in the midst of Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata is an unforgettable experience. And why not, the four days of festivity (though it’s a ten-day festival, the last four days are celebrated in grandeur), is an experience which one treasures.
The rituals start with ‘Bodhan’ (the invocation of the Mother Goddess on the first day) on Sasthi and ‘Naba Patrika Sthapan’ (the important ritual of setting up a giant banana tree clad in a saree beside Lord Ganesha and worshipping her as his ‘wife’) on Saptami. Then there is the ‘Pushpanjali’ (floral offerings to the Goddess) in the morning and the ‘Sandhya Arati’ in the evening of Ashtami, the most important day of the festival. And then the animal sacrifice on Nabami (the third day of the festival and the ninth according to the Bengali almanac) and the ‘Sindoor Khela’ (the ritual of putting vermilion on the forehead of the Goddess by the married womenfolk). Finally, the tearful immersion of these huge images on Dashami (the tenth or the last day of the festival) in the Ganges.
On Ashtami, the devotees have to follow a vegetarian diet but on Nabami, the Goddess is offered non-vegetarian items which are later distributed among the devotees as ‘bhog’.
The Durga Pujas, whether it is at the traditional family houses or the big community ones, have a charm of their own. The ambience, rituals and glitter associated with the pujas at Sovabazar Rajbari, Sabarna Roy Chowdhury’s ancestral house at Behala and in several houses in north Kolkata are unforgettable experiences.
The festival has attained a social character over the years. Kolkata witnesses an upsurge in business activities at least a month ahead of the festival. The Bengali community especially gears up for the festival weeks ahead of D-day. The shopping centres in Kolkata dole out fabulous discounts and offers to the people. Most Bengalis virtually embark on a shopping spree during the festival.

Dressing material, sarees, clothes and furnishings worth crores of rupees are sold during the month ahead. From wristwatches to washing machines, from jewellery to journals, anything sells. Starting from the multinationals down to the roadside ‘misthiwala’ (sweetmeat shop) all vie with each other to have a pie of the cake. The multinationals sponsor big community pujas, dole out gifts; organise lucky draws and contests to attract the attention of the gullible revellers, while the ‘para’ (locality) sweetmeat shop prepares mouth-watering desserts and sweets. Some even prefer to move out of the din and bustle of the city and enjoy the pujas, holidaying in the snow-capped hill stations or sun-kissed sea-beaches. While some move out of the city, thousands of non-resident Bengalis and tourists from all over the country and world visit Kolkata during this time to be a part of the revelry and celebrations. The hospitality industry in the state waits in anticipation for this season as the occupancy level in their hotels skyrockets. During this time, luxury hotels in the city offer their choicest dining and staying experience. Eating joints of the city, including the restaurants of luxury hotels, organise authentic Bengali food festivals to attract the crowd. Almost all the corporate houses do something or the other to make its presence felt during this period. Several Bengali periodicals and local newspapers come out with special ‘Durga Puja’ commemorative issues, which sell as ‘hot cakes’; not only in Bengal, but also in neighbouring Bangladesh and Tripura where too Durga Puja is celebrated with much fanfare and gaiety. Even singers and artistes release ‘puja’ albums which prove to be instant hits. The airline companies too offer attractive packages to its valued customers. The state tourism department, has also been promoting ‘Durga Puja-The Celebration of Life’ in a big way and wooing tourists to visit the city during the four days of festivity. To sum it up, besides the ‘revelry’ and ‘ritual’ associated with Durga Puja, the four days of festivity means sale of goods and wares worth crore of rupees. ‘Durga Puja-The Celebration of Life’ is Kolkata’s open invitation to the rest of the world. Come be a part of this festivity, pamper your senses, go ‘pandal’ hopping with your loved and dear ones and even clinch your business deal. Because, according to Hindu mythology, the Mother Goddess comes down to the ‘Earth’ once in a year from her eternal home to bless her ‘children’.

Answer 8

Durga puja (Bengali: ‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava (Bengali: ‘Festival of Durga’), is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Bijoya Dashami. The dates of Durga Puja celebrations are set according to the traditional Hindu calendar and the fortnight corresponding to the festival is called Devi Paksha (Bengali: ‘Fortnight of the Goddess’). Devi Paksha is preceded by Mahalaya and is ended on Lokhi Puja (Bengali: ‘Worship of Goddess Lakshmi’).

One of the Asuras, Mahishasura, in the form of a buffalo, grew very powerful and created havoc on the earth. Under his leadership, the Asuras defeated the Devas. The world was crushed under Mahishasura's tyranny, the Devas joined their energies into Shakti, a single mass of incandescent energy, to kill Mahishasura.

A very powerful band of lightning emerged from the mouths of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and a young, beautiful female with ten hands appeared. All the Gods gave their special weapons to her. This Shakti coalesced to form the goddess Durga. Riding on a lion, who assisted her, Durga fought Mahishasura. The battle raged for nine days and nights. Finally on the tenth day of Ashvin shukla Paksha, Mahishasur was defeated and killed by Durga.

Daksha, the Lord of the Earth, and his wife Menaka, had a daughter called Sati. As a child, Sati started worshipping Lord Shiva as her would-be-husband. Lord Shiva was pleased with the Sati's worship of him and married her. Daksha was against their marriage but could not prevent it. Daksha arranged a yagna to which everyone except Lord Shiva was invited. Sati, feeling ashamed of her father’s behavior and shocked by the attitude meted towards her husband, killed herself. Lord Shiva was anguished when he discovered this.

In her next birth, Sati was born as Parvati or Shaila-Putri (First form of Durga), the daughter of Himalaya. Lord Narayana asked Shiva to forgive Daksha. Ever since peace was restored, Durga, with her children Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kartikeya, Ganesh and her two `sakhis` - Jaya and Vijaya - visit her parents each year during the season of `Sharatkal` or autumn when Durga-Puja is celebrated. In the Krittibas Ramayana, Rama invokes the goddess Durga in his battle against Ravana.

In West Bengal it is the biggest festival of the year. Not only is it the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the State, but it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali society. The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal. After the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the Indian independence movement. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Baroyari or Community Puja was popularized due to this. After independence, Durga Puja became one of the largest celebrated festivals in the whole world.

Initially the Puja was organized by affluent families since they had the money to organize the festival. During the late 19th and early 20th century, a burgeoning middle class, primarily in Calcutta, wished to observe the Puja. They created the community or Sarbojanin Pujas.

These Pujas are organized by a committee which represents a locality or neighborhood. They collect funds called "chaanda" through door-to-door subscriptions, lotteries, concerts etc. These funds are pooled and used for the expenses of pandal construction, idol construction, ceremonies etc. Major Pujas in Calcutta now derive almost all of their funds from corporate sponsorships. Community fund drives have become a formality. Pujas in Calcutta and elsewhere experiment with innovative concepts every year. Communities have created prizes for Best Pandal, Best Puja, and other categories.

Durga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Saraswati and Kartikeya. Modern traditions have come to include the display of decorated pandals and artistically depicted idols (murti) of Durga, exchange of Bijoya Greetings and publication of Puja Annuals.

In Bengal, Durga Puja is also called Akalbodhan (Bengali: 'untimely awakening of Durga'), Sharadiya Pujo (Bengali: ‘autumnal worship’), Sharodotsab (Bengali: ‘festival of autumn’), Maha Pujo (Bengali: ‘grand puja’), Maayer Pujo (Bengali: ‘worship of the Mother) or merely as Puja or Pujo.

The actual worship of the Goddess Durga as stipulated by the Hindu scriptures falls in the month of Chaitra, which roughly overlaps with March or April. This ceremony is however not observed by many. The more popular form, which is also known as Sharadiya (Autumnal) Durga Puja, is celebrated later in the year with the dates falling either in September or October. Since the Goddess is invoked at the wrong time, it is called "Akaal Bodhon" in Bengali.

While the most recent revival of the Autumnal worship of Goddess Durga can be traced to revivalist tendencies in the early freedom movement in Bengal, the first such Puja was organized by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of the Shobhabazar Rajbari of Calcutta in honor of Lord Clive in the year 1757. The puja was organized because Clive wished to pay thanks for his victory in the Battle of Plassey. He was unable to do so in a Church because the only church in Calcutta at that time was destroyed by Siraj-ud-Daulah.

Today, the culture of Durga Puja has shifted from the princely houses to Sarbojanin (literally, "involving all") forms. The first such puja was held Guptipara - it was called barowari (baro meaning twelve and yar meaning friends)