Durga Puja

Durga Puja, is also known as Durgotsava, is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of Hindu goddess Durga. This refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Bijoya Dashami. Dates for Durga Puja celebrations are set according to the traditional Hindu calendar, and the two weeks that correspond to the festival is called Devi Paksha. Devi Paksha preceded by Mahalaya, the last day of the previous fortnight Pitri Paksha, and ends at Kojagori Lokkhi Puja.
Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tripura where it is a five-day vacation. In West Bengal and Tripura with the majority of Bengali Hindus it is the biggest festival of the year. Not only is it the biggest Hindu festival celebrated by the state, but it is also the most important socio-cultural event in Bengali society. Apart from eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Karnataka and Kerala. Durga Puja is also celebrated as a major festival in Nepal and Bangladesh, where 10% population are Hindus. Day, many diaspora Bengali cultural organizations arrange Durgotsab in countries like USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, France, Netherlands, Singapore and Kuwait, among others. In 2006, a major Durga Puja ceremony held in the Great Court at the British Museum.

The prominent Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal. Under 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 popularized because of this. After independence, Durga Puja one of the most famous festivals in the world.

Durga Puja includes the worship of Shiva, the Durga's Consort, and the worship of mother nature through the nine types of plants (called "kala bou") representing nine divine forms of Goddess Durga is also done in addition to Lakshmi, Saraswati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, considered to be Durga children. Modern traditions have come to include the display of decorated pandals and artistically depicted idols (Murti) of Durga, exchange of greetings Bijoy and publication of Puja Annuals.


Durga Puja Celebrations

Celebration of Durga Puja goes very far back in history and there are abundant references to it in India literature from 12th century onwards. But today Durga Puja generally a community festival. The Puja celebration over the years has changed color often. Previously, the most expensive of all festivals and could only be done by the rich and powerful like feudal lords, rajas and big businessmen. But it always evoked great enthusiasm and popular support.
But in the ethos of today, the evolution of many clubs, societies and associations made the Puja cosmopolitan character. The social and ritual significance of the Puja has also been adapted to a great degree. Today, this festival has become an occasion for pageantry and extravaganza. Ancient conch shells and drums have given way to high film songs and sometimes the goddess is modeled on popular film actresses. On the other hand, animal sacrifices, an earlier, have been seeing in many places and shrines.

As previously Durga was worshiped alone, now it is more often than not, the goddess with her family. Durga is portrayed as the supreme head, and the presence of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Shiva etc marks a wholesome picture of divinity. In southern India celebrations constitute a display of images of God and playing at home in nine days. But despite the various ways in which this festival is celebrated on the feature that is common is that the worship of mother goddess.


Maha Ashtami Durga Puja