We are not a Puja Committee...
We are a Legacy
The Durga Puja Festival
Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, ManipurL Odisha and Tripura where it is a five-day annual ritual. In West Bengal and Tripura, which has a majority of Bengali Hindus, it is the biggest festival of the year. Not only is it the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the state, it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali Hindu society. Apart from Eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Durga Puja is also a major festival in Nepal and in Bangladesh.
Over the years several Bengali diaspora in other countries have started Durga Puja in their countries. such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Singapore and Kuwait, to name a few.
In 2006, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was held in the Great Court of the British Museum.
The Emergence of Durga Puja in India
Durga Puja Mythology: Ram's 'Akal Bodhan'
Mythology has it that it started with Lord Ram’ s invocation of the goddess before going to war with the demon king Ravana. This autumnal ritual was different from the conventional Durga Puja, which is usually celebrated in the springtime. So, this Puja is also known as 'Akal-Bodhan' that is, out-of-season ('akal') worship ('bodhan'). Thus goes the story of Lord Ram, who first worshipped the 'Mahishasura Mardini' or “the slayer of the buffalo-demon”, by offering 108 blue lotuses and lighting 108 lamps, at this time of the year. Durga Puja is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September-October) to coincide with Ram’s worship of the Goddess.
According to legend, Durga was created for the slaying of the buffalo demon Mahisasura by Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the lesser gods, who were otherwise powerless to overcome him. Embodying their collective energy (shakti), she is both derivative from the male divinities and the manifested representation of their power. The Hindus believe that whenever there is anarchy, suppression and evil, Maa Durga, the incarnation of “Shakti” would again arrive to drive away the evil forces.
The prominence of Durga Puja increased greatly during the British Raj and India’s Freedom Movement when Hindu reformists identified Maa Durga with Mother India and she became an icon for the Indian Independence Movement, inspiring thousands of freedom fighters to lay down their lives in the cause of freedom.
The Start of Community Durga Pujas
In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Baroyari - meaning a Puja started by 12 friends (“yaars”) or Community Durga Puja was popularized. After independence, Durga Puja became one of the largest celebrated festivals in the whole world.
Modern traditions have come to include the display of decorated pandals and artistically depicted idols (Murti) of Durga, Cultural festivals of Dance, Music and Theatre, exchange of Bijoya greetings and publication of Puja Annuals. The Pujas span 5 days, starting with “Sasthi” and ends with “Dashami” with the Immersion of the idol.