Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, is one of the most revered festivals in Hinduism, traditionally held for 10 days in the month of Ashvin. Although it holds great significance for the Bengali community, it is also celebrated with great pomp in other eastern Indian states like Assam, Odisha, Tripura, Jharkhand, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The geographic footprint has expanded across urban centers in northern India, including Delhi, where there is a significant Bengali population, as well as outside India.
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Historically, the evolution of Durga Puja from a private, domestic affair to a public, community event took place over centuries, but is largely undocumented. In literature from around the 16th century, the first Durga Puja mentioned was at Nadia, West Bengal around 1606, under the supervision of Maharaja Krishnachandra’s ancestor Bhavananda. But different scripts point to different rajas (kings) and Zamindars who celebrated and financed the puja for the whole village. The Boendo Barir Pujo (puja in the house of Zamindars) still remains a custom in Bengal. The bigger households place the idol in their courtyards for people to come and pray to the Goddess Durga. The oldest puja mentioned in Calcutta is the family puja of Savarna Chowdhury of Barisha which began in 1610 and is still conducted in a very traditional style. Later, it became a fiesta among Kolkata’s new urban business elite. After getting recognition by UNESCO, in 2021, Kolkata’s Durga Puja has made its place in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is the first Asian festival to receive the prestigious recognition.
While it is the most important festival of West Bengal, it has been also celebrated in Assam since time immemorial. The adoration of Goddess Durga was first started in 1620 under the aegis of Raja Kabi Shekhar at Rangamati, but was shifted to Gauripur at Shaktirupini Mahamaya Peetha by King Pratap Chandra Barua in 1850. And from then until now, the 10-day festival celebration with its traditions and rituals has been kept intact.
According to some historians, Durga was worshiped by Bali Narayan, the king of Darrang in 1614 AD. They worshiped instead of celebrating festivals like today. Maharaja Naranarayana started Durga Puja by making a clay idol for the first time in Assam. The Ahoms came to know about the worship of Durga, and the earthen idol of the Koch kingdom when the friendship between Naranarayana and the Ahom Swargadeu Chufamfaa was established. After this, the clay idol of Goddess Durga was worshiped at Bhatiapara village on the banks of Namdang River in the Shivasagar district. With this began a new awakening in the Brahmaputra valley and the practice of worshiping the earthen idol of the goddess was introduced. Ahom Dynasty has a major role in building of the Mother Durga temples across the state including some parts of the Kamakhya temple and Ugratara Devalaya of Guwahati. Guwahati being a very old city, few of the oldest Durga Puja celebrations have aged way over hundred years.
I grew up enjoying the Durga Puja festivities in Guwahati, adoring the magnificent clay sculptures of Goddess Durga, pandal hopping, admiring the artistically decorated and themed puja pandals decked up in vibrant lights in different areas of Guwahati, which often represents contemporary sociopolitical themes, fun at melas, relishing the Prasad (offering to God), usually made in the form of khichdi and payasam and gorging on jalebis. People, irrespective of caste or creed, come out in large numbers to participate in the festive events. It’s also been observed over the years, a vibrant economy has sprung up around the celebrations, generating significant revenue through crafts and design, retail, food and beverage sales, advertisement, fundings and this is among the city’s primary tourist attractions during this period.
Durga Puja is more than a festival; it’s a celebration of faith, unity and triumph of good over evil. This elaborate puja is characterised by intricate rituals and ceremonies, each holding a unique significance. Each ritual deepens the connection between devotees and the divine, fostering a sense of community and devotion that transcends boundaries. People begin their preparations to welcome the goddess on Mahalaya. The arrival of the goddess is preceded by the ceremonial painting of Durga’s eyes on the clay images to be worshipped in the pandals. Celebrations and worship begin on Shashthi, the sixth day. The last five days of the festival form the primary period of veneration. A number of incantations, Sanskrit verses, readings from the text Devi Mahatmya and recitation of the Durga Saptashati, verses dedicated to the goddess, accompany each rite. Ashtami, the eighth and most auspicious day, is marked by anjali, a tribute of flowers by devotees, and shondhi puja, a rite held at the transition of Ashtami to Navami. Anjali is now commonly held on more than one day. Most evenings end with an arti. Kumari puja also sometimes takes place, in which a prepubescent girl is worshipped as a living goddess. The Spirited Dhunuchi naach occurs on Navami which involves lighting charcoal within claypots and dancing to the beats of the dhaak, a traditional drum. Sindoor khela, one of the most colorful customs, takes place on the morning of Vijayadashami, when married women apply sindoor, or vermilion (placed in the parting of the hair to signify the married state), to an image of Durga and to one another. The festivities conclude with the visarjan, the submersion of Durga in a body of water, symbolizing her return to Mount Kailas, marking the end of Durga Puja and the nine-day long Navratri celebrations where Vijay Dashami marks the triumph of Durga over the demon king Mahishasura.
Durga puja is a time to celebrate the power of the divine feminine and the energy within us. Along with the religious side, the festival embraces the cultural construct of the community. It is the occasion that brings freshness and rejuvenation in our lives, helping us to defeat the negative qualities inside us. It is a celebration of women’s strength but what makes it ironic is the fact that women are treated in a way in India that is far from divine. As Goddess Durga is the giver of strength, prosperity, bounty and men apparently do not have the power to succeed without her blessings, let her courage and strength motivate women to be independent and strong.
(The author is practising medical professional. All thoughts and views expressed are the author’s own.)