DURGA PUJA 2019 : FEST FOR THE SENSES || CARNIVAL OF EAST INDIA ||
THE DURGA PUJA || FEST FOR THE SENSES || DURGA PUJA WEST BENGAL IN KOLKATA 2019 || CARNIVAL OF EAST INDIA || DURGA PUJA 2019 ||
Durga Puja is a Hindu festival of the Mother Goddess and the triumph of the loved warrior Goddess Durga over the underhanded bison evil presence Mahishasura. The celebration respects the incredible female power (shakti) in the Universe.
Durga Puja is celebrated in a parallel to the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The festival starts with huge, elaborately crafted statutes of Goddess Durga being introduced in homes and beautifully decorated podiums and all over the city.
At the end of the festival, the statues are marched through the lanes, joined by music and moving, and afterwards, and then immersed in the water.
The preparations begin for the great festival in honour of the goddess Durga. It has already been going on for some time of Durga Puja in Kolkata in India.
People celebrate the Durga Puja in Kolkata adjoined West Bengal and Assam. The most impressive is the festival in Kolkata Durga Puja 2019, the capital of West Bengal.
This festival is also referred to as the "carnival" of the East. Because of the large, colourful and opulent processions during the Durga Puja. Singing and dancing, lots of sweets and joyful festivals characterize the festival. But in India, the religious roots of the festivities are much deeper than they were at the carnival in Rio.
Related: Top five Durga puma pandals 2018
Still, the Durga Puja is not only religious but also an important social event. In all the villages and towns, people dress in new clothes. They celebrate the goddess with concerts, dance and splendid processions.
There is festive food and special sweets made. The houses are being plastered out, and everywhere people build small altars. The festival preparation happens for many weeks in advance.
Durga Puja Mythological Background
Durga is the mother goddess that embodies, among other things, power, action, and wisdom. In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was always the victor against the Deva kings. Shiva and Vishnu asked all the other Deva kings to unite their forces.
Durga was a lady of absolute beauty. She kills Mahishasura when the beautiful young man tries to seduce her. Durga remains hard and pierces him with her sword.
Durga Puja Rituals
The festival begins with Mahalaya, On this day thousands of people pray to their ancestors. People consecrate the images of the goddess. The main puja lasts three days on Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, and Maha Navami.
On the event of the Mahalaya, the Goddess is welcome to go to the earth. In this, eyes are drawn on the icons of the Goddess Durga as in a favourable custom called Chokkhu Daan.
In 2019, Mahalaya this will occur on September 28.
Prayers are offered to the Goddess consistently during the celebration, and she is loved in her different structures. On Ashtami, Goddess Durga is loved as a virgin young lady in a custom called the Kumari Puja.
The word Kumari is gotten from Sanskrit Kaumarya, signifying "virgin." The girls are worshipped as indications of the perfect female vitality, with the point of developing the virtue and heavenly nature of women in society.
After the night aarti custom on Ashtami, it's custom for the reverential Dhunuchi people move to be performed before the Goddess to satisfy her. the musical pounding of drums, holding an earthen pot loaded up with consuming coconut husk and camphor.
Worship is finished up on Navami with a maha aarti (extraordinary flame custom), which denotes the part of the arrangement ceremonies and petitions.
In 2019, this will occur on October 7.
On the most recent day, Durga comes back to her her husband's abode and the statutes are taken for immersion. Married women offer red vermilion powder to the Goddess and smear themselves with it (this powder denotes the status of marriage and fruitfulness and orientation of youngster) and ask Durga to return next year.
The puja rituals celebrated on these days are long and very complicated. For three days, priests recite mantras (sacred verses) and Shlokas (ancient Indian verses). People perform Aarti.which is excited and joyful.
Most spectacular during the Durga Puja, yet, is Dashami. It is the last day of the festival. This day is especially devoted to married women. Each goes to the altar, swings the butter lamp before Durga.
Then small and large parades take place. People carry the large and small Durga statues to the river or to the nearest pond on trucks. Sometimes they carry the idol only on bicycles, accompanied by music and dancing. There, the statues get immersed in the water.
Durga Puja Tips for Travelers
The best is to go to Kolkata for at least one week before the main holiday. At Mahalaya you can see how the sculptors make the great Durga statues in Kumartuli. On this day, they paint the eyes on the figures, an important ritual called Chokkhu Daan.
Seven days later, the priests instil life energy of the god in the idols. One takes a small banana plant, a Kola Bou. Under drums and mantra chants of a Hindu priest, bathe the Kola Bou in the river. Then she gets a kind of small sari. People carry it to the pandals in a procession and place it next to Ganesha, the son of Durga.
To see this show, you have to get up early. You should already be there at 6.00 am, in north Kolkata to the Bagbazar or Ahiritola Ghat.
In many places in the city, pandals exhibit Durga figures in various designs. The Pandal hopping during the Durga Puja is very popular. They are most beautiful at night when lights come on. But then most people also hop to the pandal.
There are literally thousands of Kolkata Durga Puja pandals but some stand out more than others, as a result of their captivating decorations. Every year they compete to outdo each other with the most elaborate and innovative themes.
The pandals in north Kolkata Durga puja tend to be more traditional, whereas the ones in south Kolkata are contemporary and showy.
Do be aware that the popular, award-winning pandals get crowded though! It's not uncommon for serpentine lines to stretch a mile in the evenings on Saptami (seventh day of Navaratri), Ashtami (eighth day of Navaratri) and Navami (ninth day of Navaratri).
However, these days many pandals open early and accept visitors from Sashthi (sixth day of Navaratri) or even earlier. See Navaratri dates here. Much of the crowd can also be avoided by visiting the pandals during the daytime. You'll miss out on seeing the spectacular lighting though.
As with all celebrations in India, the food plays an important role. During the Durga Puja, you will have the opportunity to get to know the Bengali cuisine.
The restaurants offer special Durga Puja menus at the time, but also on the pandals or snack bars on the street.
The highlight of the festival is finally the sinking of the idols in the river. This event is Dashami. One of the most popular ceremonies takes place at the Babu Ghat near Eden Garden. The best way to see the spectacle is from the boat on the Hugli River.
In India (West Bengal, Assam), Durga Puja also marks the beginning of the rice harvesting season. Children and servants receive new clothes.
What's in store During Durga Puja 2019
The Durga puja celebration is a very social and showy occasion. The show, move, and social exhibitions are generally held. Sustenance is a colossal piece of the celebration, and road slows down bloom all over Kolkata. In the night times, the lanes of Kolkata load up with individuals, who come to appreciate the statues of Goddess Durga, eat and celebrate.
