Durga Puja Celebrations in India

Durga Puja 2011
3rd October 2011 - Saptami
4th October 2011 - Ashtami
5th October 2011 - Navami
6th October 2011 - Vijaya Dasami

Maa Durga, the patron deity is the Goddess of Power.Come September, preparations to celebrate Durga Puja, begin with great enthusiasm all over country. The six day festival begins with the installation of beautifully sculptured Durga idols in homes and pandals (large tents), fully decorated depicting religious themes or scenes portraying the life maa Durga. The goddess idols are worshiped with friends and families. Lot of cultural events are organized and people love to participate in them with keen interest.

Durga puja also known as Durgotsab is the biggest festival of Bengali's in India. Apart from Bengal, it is also widely celebrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi, Kashmir, Karnataka and Kerala. Duga Puja refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi , Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Bijoya Dashami.

Story of Durga Puja : According to the Hindu mythology, Maa Durga is personified as Maa Shakti – the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. According to the legends, see entered the earth to kill monster demon – Mahishasura, who wants to conquer the earth with his caesarism and unbeatable power. The Gods, got disheartened, and decided to combine their power to create a beautiful maiden, and so each one of them placed his or her most powerful weapon in one of her hands and made her seated on lion. After fighting hard, maa Durga killed Mahishasura and restored the heaven to the Gods, which was earlier acquired by him.

Since then, Goddess Durga is worshiped for protection from the power of evils. The victory of Goddess Durga over the demon symbolizes the victory of good over the evil.

Celebrations of Duga Puja : Preparations for Durga Puja starts well in advance. Employees in private and government organizations, get extra pay or bonus to celebrated this auspicious festival. Huge idols of ten armed Durga accompanied by her two sons, Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya, and her two daughters – Goddess Laxmi and Saraswati, killing the buffal demon are created by professional artisans in Kumartuli area of north Kolkata and are placed in Durga pandals.

The celebrations of Durga festival start with ‘Bodhan’ on Sasthi (the ritual of setting up a giant banana tree adorned in a saree beside Lord Ganesha and worshipping her as his ‘wife’) on Saptami. After that there is the ‘Pushpanjali’ paying homage to Maa Duga followed by foral offering during the morning time and Maha Sandhya Aart.

Ashtami, is the biggest day of the festival. The third day called Nabami is the day of animal sacrifice. There is on more occasion called ‘Sindoor Khela’ (the tradition of putting vermilion on the forehead of the Maa Durga).

Finally, on the last day, the immersion of these huge idols of Goddess Durga in the ganges.

Durga Puja Aarti or Puja Bhajan or Song :

Jai Ambe Gauri maiya, jaa Shyama Gauri
Nishdin tumko dhyavat, Hari Brahma Shivji,
Jai Ambe....
Mang sindur birajat, tiko mrigmadko,
ujjvalse dou naina, chandravadan niko,
Jai Ambe....
Kanak saman kalevar, raktambar raje,
Raktapushp galmala, kanthhar saje,
Jai Ambe.... Kehari vahan rajat, khadg khappar dhari
sur nar munijan sevat, tinke dukhahari,
Jai Ambe....
Kanan kundal shobhit, nasagre moti
Kotik chandra divakar, samrajat jyoti,
Jai Ambe....
Shumbh- nishumbh vidare, MahishaSur ghatia
Dhumra-vilochan naina, nishdin madmati
Jai Ambe....
Brahmani, Rudrani tum Kamala Rani,
Agam-nigam bakhani. turn Shiv patrani,
Jai Ambe....
Chaunsath yogini gavat, nritya karat Bhairon,
Bajat tab mridanga, aur bajat damru,
Jai Ambe...
Tum ho jag ki mata, tum hi ho bharta,
Bhaktan ki dukh harta, sukh sampati karta,
Jai Ambe....
Bhuja char ati shobhit, var mudra dhari,
Manvanchhit phal pavat, sevat nar nari,
Jai Ambe....
kanchan thal virajat, agaru kapur bati
Malketu men rajat, kotiratan jyoti,
Jai Ambe....

Aparana Chauhan