ALTHOUGH Durga puja is widely celebrated all over the world wherever Bengalees reside, it is Bangladesh and West Bengal where one can enjoy the beauty of conducting the festival. This letter describes Durga Puja in a brief manner and written especially for those who want to know about this festival and it's background.
Major Hindu festival of Bangladesh is Durga Puja. Durga is a powerful goddess (Devi) as per Hindu mythology. Devi Durga is the goddess for energy and power. She conquered a powerful evil (demon) with her ten hands. All other gods and goddesses had given their entire arsenal of weapons and power to Devi Durga to fight against energetic evil "Mahishasur" (buffalo-powered demon). As per belief of the devotees, Devi Durga resides in her in-laws house at Himalayan mountain with her husband god Shiva and during autumn season she comes to her father's house situated on plain land for four days. Every year astrologers declare four days in advance and these dates vary from year to year. She comes to her father's house along with her two daughters (Goddess of Treasure, Laxmi and Goddess of Education, Saraswati) and two sons (God of Prosperity, Ganesh and God of Youth, Kartik). However, as per other schools of thought, Laxmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik are not her sons and daughters, rather they are her colleagues.
Today's most authentic form of the Durga Puja is that of a goddess with ten hands, modelled out of clay, astride a lion. Each of those hands carry a separate weapon in them except two, which holds the spear which has been struck into the chest of the demon, Mahishasur. In her right side, idols of Ganesh and Laxmi are placed. On her left side, idols of Saraswati and Kartik are placed. Nowadays new form of Durga is also evolving, thanks to creativity of artists.
In Bangladesh and elsewhere, not only Hindus celebrate this festival, all other people including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs etc. attend the festival. So Durga Puja is a symbol of unity in diversity. Durga Puja is less of a religious occasion for Bengalees, rather it is more of a joyous and festive occasion. It is a part of culture and sentiment.
Gopal Sengupta
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- Friday, 22 November 2024 |
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