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Durga puja is famous all over India, but it is majorly celebrated in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Odisha and Bihar with full enthusiasm and zeal. This festival signifies the victory of good over evil. According to my mythological beliefs, it is said that Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasur on this auspicious day.
Durga Puja is a 10-day celebration. The festival commences on the sixth day. It is believed that on this day, only Goddess Durga came to Earth.
Each day of Navmi has its own meaning and significance. It is said on the first day of Durga Puja there was a clash between the demons and devas. Other than Goddess Durga, deities of Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Ganesha, and Karthik are also worshipped.
Below are the dates when Durga Puja is celebrated in 2023:
Name of the Day | Day | Date |
Mahalaya | Saturday | 14 October 2023 |
Maha Panchami | Sunday | 15 October 2023 |
Maha Sashti | Tuesday | 16 October 2023 |
Maha Saptami | Saturday | 21 October 2023 |
Maha Ashtami | Sunday | 22 October 2023 |
Maha Navami | Monday | 23 October 2023 |
Vijaya Dashami | Tuesday | 24 October 2023 |
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh
As per Hindu mythology, the festival marks Goddess Durga's visit to her natal home along with her children. Durga Puja is preceded by Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Durga's journey to her home. The actual puja starts from "Maha Sashthi" or the sixth day where devotees welcome the Goddess with pomp and gusto. On this day, Durga's deity is unveiled in front of the public. Several rituals are performed while the "dhakis" keep the mood and spirit of the puja alive by playing the "dhak"—a kind of drum that's associated with the puja and Bengali culture.
The 7th day marks the commencement of "Maha Saptami". On this day, just before dawn, a banana tree is immersed in the water as a part of the ritual. After the ceremonial bath, the tree or "Kola Bou" (as called in Bengali) is draped in a saree, usually a red-bordered one, and placed on the right-side of Ganesha, thereby implying that "Kola Bou" is actually the bride of Ganesha. However, several cultural revisionists and historians have different views on this as some believe that "Kola Bou" is another representation of Durga. Hence, they refute the theory that "Kola Bou" is the bride of Ganesha.
Another different view is that "Kola Bou" is a symbolic representation of nine types of plants that form a sacred complex. Priests tie a bunch of eight plants on the trunk of the banyan tree before performing the ritual. The nine different leaves combined together form "Kola Bou"-often considered as the plant form of Durga.
"Maha Ashtami" marks the 8th of the puja and is considered as the day when the Goddess defeated "Mahisasura". Prayers are offered in the form of "Anjali" while feasts are organised in different localities. Khichdi and other delicacies are prepared on this day.
The 9th day is dubbed as "Maha Navami". As soon as the "Sandhi Puja" ends, Maha Navami commences. Maha Aarti is performed as a closing ritual. Huge queues are common on this day as people flock in to take part in "Maha Aarti".
The 10th day or "Maha Dashami" marks the final day of Durga Puja. On this day, Durga and the other deities are immersed in the river Ganga. Before the immersion, married women take part in "Sindoor Khela" where they smear vermillion on each other's faces. On the day of immersion, also called "Visarjan", huge processions are common. People dance and cheer on the road to celebrate the spirit of the puja. After the immersion, a typical custom is followed where people visit their relatives' house to wish "Bijoya Dashami".
Schools, colleges, and government offices are closed during the puja. People indulge in shopping for the puja just after Mahalaya. During this time of the year, most shops offer discounts on clothes and other products. On "Maha Ashtami" men usually wear Kurta Pajamas while women drape themselves in sarees.
Cultural events are organised in different localities while puja organisers compete against each other through theme-based puja pandals. The beauty of Durga Puja is that every pandal has a story to tell through its art and décor. People stand in queues just to enter the pandal so that they can enjoy the magnificent artwork and décor.
Food stalls are set up in every nook and corner while special Durga Puja dishes are prepared in restaurants. Streets are decorated with different lights to capture the festive mood. More police personnel are deployed than the usual to keep the traffic under control.
Durga Puja is the biggest festival for the Bengali community. Other than the celebrations, the festival calls for a family get-together. It's a time when people bridge their differences and come together to celebrate unity. To be precise, Durga Puja transcends the boundaries of religion and celebrates the spirit of humanity.
Many exciting festive activities are organised on the eve of the festival of Durga puja. Some of these are:
Durga puja is one of the mostly grandly celebrated festivals in the country with the celebrations carrying over for more than a week. Each day has its own special meaning and different activities are carried out every day. Some of these are:
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