Author: Team of EventEve.com

Durga Puja Celebrations

Durga puja is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India. Although it is celebrated across the entire country in various forms, the celebrations in the West Bengal, particularly Kolkata, are the most spectacular. It is a grand occasion in the city that goes on for many days and is celebrated by everyone together with great enthusiasm regardless of their age or social status. Families and friends get together to celebrate it in their households. On the social level, huge statues of Goddess Durga are worshipped. Elaborate decorations with dazzling lights and beautiful flowers are seen everywhere. The whole city is energized with the spirit of celebrating the festival of their beloved Goddess.

Mythological significance Durga Puja Celebrations

The festival of Durga puja, has a mythological significance. In one of the stories, Lord Rama performed a puja to please Shakti in order to defeat Ravana, the mighty demon king. When he was going to offer his eye at the Goddess’s feet, she appeared and granted him blessings due to which Rama defeated Ravana. In another story, a demon king called Mahishasura had become invincible due to a boon granted by Lord Shiva. To defeat him, all the gods combined their powers to create Goddess Durga or Shakti who then killed the demon. The festival is celebrated in the memory of these mythical events depicting victory of good over evil.

Durga puja celebrations

The festival begins on the Maha Shashti and ends on Bijoya Dashmi which is the tenth day. On the first day, statues of Goddess Durga are brought to households with great honor and are worshipped for five days with mantras, shlokas and prayers full of praises of the Goddess. Beautiful pandals are erected on different places where statues of the Goddess are worshipped on a community level. People clean and decorate their houses, buy new clothes and offer blessings, good wishes to friends, relatives and neighbors. People visit each other’s places and offer different kinds of gifts to each other.

Sweets and Delicacies

Various types of sweets and delicacies are a major part of any festive celebration in India. Primarily sweets are prepared in every household during Durga puja celebrations as the sweet taste is considered most appropriate for a happy occasion. West Bengal is particularly famous for its sumptuous sweet delicacies. Besides the popular Rasgullas there are many other types of sweets that are enjoyed by people during the festival. Many other types of delicacies are also prepared. Most of these delicacies are made in households by women, however, they can also be bought from local markets.

Immersion of the statue of Goddess Durga

On the last day of the festival the statues of Goddess Durga are immersed in the holy water of Ganges river. The smaller ones can be submerged along the bank of the river while the larger ones are carried further into the river and submerged at a distance from the banks in deep water. It is an emotional moment for people who have to say farewell to their beloved Goddess after worshipping her in their houses for days. This custom is created to make us aware of the transient nature of life itself. Whatever comes into existence has to go back into it one day is the deeper message behind it.