The festival of Durga Puja is celebrated yearly in September or October. It is commonly celebrated in Kolkata, West Bengal of India, but it is also celebrated across India and internationally amongst the Bengali diaspora.
As part of the Hindu religion, this festival commemorates the ten-day worship of Durga. While the festival's origins are unclear, no documentation is available, although surviving manuscripts from the fourteenth century provide guidelines for the Durga Puja festival. During the British Raj, the prominence of Durga Puja increased in the provinces of Bengal, Odisha, and Assam. Since at least the 16th century, large Durga Puja celebrations have been sponsored by royal families and wealthy families.
The ten-day festival of Durga Puja includes several rituals and practices during its last five days. In the months before the festival, small artisanal workshops construct images of the goddess and her family using unfired clay and water from the Ganga River.
The festival starts with Mahalaxmi, on which Hindus perform tarpana or offerings of water and food to their dead ancestors. It also marks the advent of Durga from her mythological marital home. On the first day of the festival, the goddess is worshipped by painting eyes onto clay images to bring the goddess to life. Another important day of the festival occurs on the sixth day when devotees welcome the goddess and festive celebrations commence.
On the seventh day of the 7-day festival, the goddess along with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya are revered, and these days mark the main days of worship with the recitation of scripture, puja, legends of Durga in the Devi Mahatmya, social visits to elaborately decorated and illuminated pandals (temporary structures created to host the puja).
At the end of the tenth day, the images are immersed in the river where the clay was originally collected. Therefore, this festival has also come to mean ‘homecoming’ or a seasonal return to one’s roots. It is also characterized by the presence of large-scale installations in urban areas, as well as traditional Bengali drumming and the veneration of the gods.
Over the years, Durga Puja has become one of the most significant festivals in India. In addition to being a religious festival for Hindus, it is also a time for family reunions and rejuvenation, as well as a celebration of traditional culture and customs. It is a thriving ground for collaboration among artists and designers. During these events, the barriers between classes, religions, and ethnicities begin to crumble as large crowds of people walk around admiring the exhibits.
The festival of Durga Puja is celebrated yearly during the month of September or October. It is commonly celebrated in Kolkata, West Bengal of India, but it is also celebrated across India and internationally amongst the Bengali diaspora. As part of the Hindu religion, this festival commemorates the ten-day worship of Durga. While the festival's origins are unclear, no documentation is available. During the British Raj, the prominence of Durga Puja increased in the provinces of Bengal, Odisha, and Assam. Since at least the 16th century, large Durga Puja celebrations have been sponsored by royal families and wealthy families. Surviving manuscripts from the fourteenth century provide guidelines for the Durga Puja festival.
A ten-day festival, Durga Puja includes a number of rituals and practices during its last five days. In the months before the festival, small artisanal workshops construct images of the goddess and her family using unfired clay and water from the Ganga River. The festival starts with Mahalaxmi, on which Hindus perform tarpana, or offerings of water and food to their dead ancestors. It also marks the advent of Durga from her mythological marital home. On the first day of the festival, the goddess is worshipped by painting eyes onto clay images to bring the goddess to life. Another important day of the festival occurs on the sixth day when devotees welcome the goddess and festive celebrations commence. On the seventh day of the 7-day festival, the goddess along with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya are revered, and these days mark the main days of worship with the recitation of scripture, puja, legends of Durga in the Devi Mahatmya, social visits to elaborately decorated and illuminated pandals (temporary structures created to host the puja). At the end of the tenth day, the images are immersed in the river where the clay was originally collected. Therefore, this festival has also come to mean ‘homecoming’ or a seasonal return to one’s roots. It is also characterized by the presence of large-scale installations in urban areas, as well as traditional Bengali drumming and the veneration of the gods.
Durga Puja, the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most significant festivals in India. In addition to being a religious festival for Hindus, it is also a time for family reunions and rejuvenation, as well as a celebration of traditional culture and customs. Among the major manifestations of Durga Puja, the most notable is its public performance of religion and art. It is a thriving ground for collaboration among artists and designers. During these events, the walls between classes, religions, and ethnicities begin to crumble as large crowds of people walk around admiring the exhibits.
References
[1] [[2] [3] |Subject=Ritual |Country=India |SDG=(03) Good Health and Well-being, (08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions }}