Synopsis of Durga Puja

Hi Friends,

Greetings to all.  We all started with Subh Mahalaya followed by Subh Navratri. Now we are all here getting ready to bid adieu Ma Durga, urging her to visit us again next year with more splendour, love and blessings.

Ritual drummers – dhakis, carrying large leather-strung dhak –– show off their skills during ritual dance worships called aarati. On the tenth day, Durga the mother returns to her husband, Shiva, ritualised through her immersion into the waters Bishorjon also known as Bhushan and Niranjan

At the end of six days, the sculpture is taken for immersion in a procession amid loud chants of 'Bolo Durga mai-ki jai' (glory be to Mother Durga') and 'aashchhe bochhor abar hobe' ('it will happen again next year') and drumbeats to the river or other water body. It is cast in the waters symbolic of the departure of the deity to her home with her husband in the Himalayas. After this, in a tradition called Vijaya Dashami, families visit each other and sweetmeats are offered to visitors (Dashami is literally "tenth day" and Vijay is "victory").

Durga Puja commemorates the annual visit of the Goddess with her children to her parents' home, leaving finally on the Dashami to be re-united with Shiva. This leaving ceremony is symbolised by the immersion of the sculptures on Dashami.

Durga Puja is also a festivity of Good (Ma Durga) winning over the evil (Mahishasur the demon). It is a worship of power of Good which always wins over the bad.

All throughout Kolkata, or rather, West Bengal, on the last day of Vijaya Dashami, people take earthen lamps called dhunachi which have lighted coconut husks in them and dance the traditional dhunuchi naachh in front of the goddess according to the ceremonial drumbeats (dhak). Married women smear each other with red vermillion powder, on Durga Puja's last day Bijoya Dashami at a Durga puja pandal before sending her to her husband (Shivaji’s house) and feeding her sweets. which is known as 'sindoor-khela' while exchanges of Bijoya greetings and sweets take place.

Durga Slokas (which is also known as Devi Mantra) praises Durga as symbol of all divine forces. According to the sloka, Durga is omnipresent as the embodiment of power, intelligence, peace, wealth, morality etc. A part of Durga Sloka is as follows:

Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Matri rupena samsthita

Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Shakti rupena samsthita

Ya Devi sarva bhutesu Shanti rupena samsthita

Namestasyai Namestasyai Namestasyai Namoh Namah

Translation:

The goddess who is omnipresent as the personification of universal mother

The goddess who is omnipresent as the embodiment of power

The goddess who is omnipresent as the symbol of peace

I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow to her

It feels really sad that all the preparations and decorations done to welcome Ma Durga will all now be dismantled and then the  immersion of Ma Durga.  Well this is the same that whoever or whatever comes to this earth has to go and that the is the ultimate truth.  I am sure you all will agree with me.

Take care and all the best till we meet again next year.  

“JAI MATA DI”

Parsan Narang

11th October 2016