What is Durga Puja?

• Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsav, is an annual festival of Hinduism that reveres and pays homage to goddess Durga.
• The festival is observed in the form of Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Vijayadashami. The festival marks Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura
• Historical Evolution of Durga Puja Celebrations
  • The historical origins of Durga Puja are unclear but the guidelines for Durga Puja are given in 14th century manuscripts.
  • The 11th or 12th-century Jain text Yasatilaka by Somadeva mentions the celebration of an annual festival dedicated to a warrior goddess by the king and his armed forces. The description of the festival is similar to that of Durga Puja. 
  • Since the 16th century, there is evidence of wealthy families sponsoring major Durga Puja festivities in the region of present-day West Bengal.
  • The prominence of Durga Puja increased greatly during the British Raj in the provinces of Bengal, Odisha and Assam. 

Myths, Rituals and Celebrations Associated with Durga Puja:

• The killing of Mahishasura: The main story associated with Durga Puja is the battle that took place between goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura.
  • Mahishasura was gifted with immortality and could be killed only by a woman. Gods came together to create Goddess Durga to kill Mahishasura.
  • The battle lasted nine days and nights and hence the festival is celebrated for nine days and nights. Durga Puja festival ends with Dashami, which marks the victory of good over evil.
• Celebrations:
  • Durga Puja festival is associated with scripture recitations, performance arts, revelry, gift-giving, family visits, feasting, and public processions, fairs. 
  • The festival begins on Mahalaya, and commemorates Durga’s visit to her maternal home with her beloved children. The primary rituals begin on the sixth day and continue till the tenth day.
  • The idol of goddess Durga is installed at homes and also public places, where families visit to pay respect to the goddess. 
• Worshiping Rituals: The Durga puja rituals involve mantras (words manifesting spiritual transformation), shlokas (holy verses), chants and arati, and offerings. 
  • Bodhana: These are the rites undertaken to awaken and welcome the goddess to be a guest, typically done on the sixth day of the festival.
  • Adhivasa: Symbolic offerings are made to Goddess Durga, with each item representing her subtle form.
  • Pushpanjali: This ritual involves offering flowers to the goddess on the eighth day of the festival. The goddess’ fight with demon Mahishasura is marked with a forty-eight minutes long ritual commemorating the climax of battle.
  • Homa: It is carried out on the ninth day of the festival. It involves a fire sacrifice ceremony.
  • Sindoor Khela: On the Vijayadashami day, women smear vermillion on the sculpture-idols and also smear each other with it. 
  • Dhunuchi naach: It is a ritual in which women perform a dance with dhunuchi (incense burner) during the arti. 
  • Immersion of Idols: The tenth and the final day of Durga Puja end with a procession where the clay sculpture-idols are ceremoniously immersed in water bodies.

A Festival of Religious, Economic, and Social Significance

• Religious Significance: Apart from worship of Goddess Durga, major deities of Hinduism such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya are worshiped during the festival.
• Economic Significance: Durga Puja festival is especially important for the economy of states such as West Bengal. The festival helps the state to earn more tax revenues and also boost local business.
• Gender Equality: Goddess Durga, who represents the feminine power, is worshiped during the Durga Puja festival. Mahishasura’s killing by goddess Durga shows that women can also destroy evil apart from being the protector and care-giver.
• Socialization: The Durga Puja is an opportunity for family and friends to gather and celebrate the festival together. People living in far-off places visit their loved ones during Durga Puja.

Creative Expressions in Durga Puja: Idol-making and Pandal Decorations

• Durga Idol-making: The festival of Durga involves art of Durga idol-making. Expert sculptors design aesthetic idols of goddess Durga. The art of idol-making is inherited from generation to generation and is highly revered in the community.
• Durga Pandal Decorations: Families or associations celebrating Durga Puja build pandals centered around a theme. This theme may depend on events that may have occurred recently.
  • Some pandals have also been replicated on existing temples, structures, and monuments.

Durga Puja as a Cultural Event: UNESCO Recognition and Bengali Heritage

• Durga Puja is an important festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. It is closely associated with Bengali culture. In December 2021, Durga Puja in Kolkata was inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO.
  • Intangible cultural heritage represents the practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and people recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

Conclusion:

The Durga Puja festival is an important cultural event for people of India, especially in the eastern part of the country. It is not just its religious significance of Durga Puja that matters but also the cultural influence it exerts on the people of the region.