|
Durga Puja: The Victory of Good Over Evil
Durga
Puja is a nine-day festival, celebrated in the state of West Bengal,
from the first to the tenth day in the month of Ashvina
(September/October). This period is celebrated as Navaratri
in most parts of India. Durga Puja is the most important and the most
eagerly awaited festival of West Bengal. It commemorates the victory of
Durga over the demon Mahishasura.
According
to the Purana, Mahishasura was a buffalo demon. After severe penance
lasting many years, he procured a boon from Brahma granting that he
would not be slain by gods, men, spirits or any aspect of nature.
Convinced that he was invincible, he terrorized the entire world,
vanquished the gods and ruled in their place. The gods appealed to Shiva
for help. He suggested that the three great gods, Brahma, Vishnu and
himself, should combine their energies to create a woman. She would be
powerful enough to vanquish Mahishasura, as he had foolishly forgotten
to mention women while asking for the boon.
The
three gods then combined their energies to create Durga, a beautiful
woman with 10 arms. Each god presented her with his special weapon and a
lion was to be her vehicle. When Mahishasura heard of Durga's beauty, he
wished to marry her and sent a proposal. Durga replied that she would
marry him on condition that he defeats her in battle first. Enraged,
Mahishasura accepted the challenge and a fierce battle ensued. The demon
fired a barrage of deadly of weapons at her, and transformed himself
into various animals to attack her. But Durga repulsed every attempt.
Finally, using the discus Vishnu had given her, she cut off
Mahishasura’s head. Flowers rained on the goddess as the gods
rejoiced. Shiva declared that the ninth day of the bright half of the
month of Ashvina would be celebrated as the great day of victory
of good over evil.
In
West Bengal, it is commonly believed that
Durga comes to the earth, her parents’ home, during this time.
She arrives on the sixth day of the month and returns to her heavenly
abode on the 10th day. For the four days that she is here, she is
welcomed and honored as a family would its married daughter.
Preparations
for the festival begin many months in advance. Local artisans are
involved in making beautiful clay images of the goddess. The idol is
then adorned in a traditional red sari and ornaments, as befitting a
married Hindu woman. Kumartuli and
Krishnanagar, two small towns on the outskirts of Calcutta, are well
known for their Durga idols.
This
festival is mostly a
community affair and almost every colony or locality in Bengal erects
tents for the grand puja. Artisans use all their artistic and creative
talents to create beautiful pandals or tents, which also include
replicas of well-known buildings. Some of the interesting pandals
include the White House, the Titanic, Tirupati temple, etc.
On the sixth day,
called Mahashashti (the great sixth day), the idol of the goddess
is placed on a raised platform in a previously erected enclosure. The
goddess is also believed to arrive on the same day, accompanied by her
children Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The Sandhi puja is
performed between the eighth and ninth days.
The tenth day is called Vijayadashmi (the victorious tenth day). It was on this day that the goddess slew the demon and
rid the earth of his evil, but it is also the day when she returns back
to her home. The idol of the goddess is taken to the river to be
immersed on this day. With the immersion, the ten-day festivities come
to an end. This festival celebrates the victory of good over evil.
The yearly visit of the goddess is thought to bring well-being and
happiness to the people. Because of her auspicious presence, no meat,
or alcohol is consumed at this time. Bengalis typically wear new
cloths on all the four days of puja. The city of Calcutta almost never sleeps during the last five
days. All, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, participate in
this great festival, giving rise to a brotherly spirit. Many cultural
events are also organized during this period. 'Dhunuchi naach' or
'the dance with effervescent smoke' is a traditional dance form from
Bengal, which is performed in front of the idol to the beat of the dhak,
the traditional drums. On the tenth day people visit each other's
houses. |
