Durga Puja - Rituals

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Durga Puja - Rituals

The Durgotsava continues for three days and for three days and the

places are mad with joy and excitement. On the fourth day the

immersion ceremony takes place. The images of Devi Durga are immersed

in the nearest river or tank. After this younger people bow down to

their elders who in their turn embrace and bless them. Friends

embrace and greet one another.

Durgotsava has a special significance for women who look forward to

this auspicious occasion to buy sarees and dresses for themselves and

their family. During the Vijay Dashmi or Dasserra to the outsider

married ladies participate in the sindoor utsav women smear the

parting of Durga's hair with vermilion and again smear each other's

hair parting with cermillions, the sign of marriage for a Bengali

women.

 

The alpana designs on the floor with rice flour paste are made by

girls. To them Durga is treated as a loving mother or as a daughter

of the family. They see the autumn festival as the annual home coming

of Durga, the married daughter returning home to her parents from her

husband's house for a period of four days. Women arrange everything

from buying sarees, goods and gifts to clicking new delicacies etc.

 

The festivities start with the first day called Mahalaya. It is also

the day of the beginning of the countdown to the Durga Puja, which is

celebrated in most households apart from the gaily-decorated puja

mandaps that are erected in almost every locality.

 

It is a common belief that Ma Lakshmi brings peace and prosperity

to the households that celebrate the puja.

Mahalaya precedes Durga Puja when all the members of the family

remember their ancestors. This ritual is called Tarpan. Various

shlokas are chanted early in the morning in almost every home as well

as in the puja mandaps. The week that follows the Mahalaya is called

Debi-pokhsha. The puja actually starts on the day of saptami or the

seventh day and goes on till dashami or the tenth day. All mothers

keep a fast on sashthi, the day preceding saptami, to pray for the

well being of their children. The eighth day or ashtami is a day for

vegetarian diet. Sandhi-pujo is also held on that day. Finally, the

day of navami arrives which is the last night for the Mother Goddess

to stay in her father's home. The next day, the day of dashami, she

goes back to her husband's house. People bid a tearful farewell to

her and present great barans with candles, fruits and garments.

 

During the period the spirit transports one's soul into ecstasy of

delight and one is struck with awe, and wonder when one delves deeper

in Puja consciousness because it is more than a religious festival.

It is a part and parcel of Bengal's life style.