Durga Puja is the biggest festival of the followers of traditional religions. This festival is celebrated in remembrance of Goddess Durga. It is celebrated once a year in the spring. Rama worships prematurely [autumn] before going to fight with Rama Ravan. So this puja is also called premature worship.
The famous festival durga puja:
The famous festival durga puja of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. but this festival is mainly popular among the people of Bengal, and Bengalis all over the world. Durga puja became a biggest religious festival of eastern region of India. Millions of people celebrate Devi Durga's arrival from heaven to earth. Durga puja during the season of Autumn is famous as a kal bodhan or untimely awakening of Devi Durga. Devi Durga is an aspect of Devi Parvati or Adi-shakti. Adi Shakti is the supreme spirit with out form. Adishakti is the goddess of Eternally limitless power. and Goddess Durga is considered to be a united front of all Divine forces against the evil. According to Indian mythology, durga puja during autumn was actually started by Ramchandra.
He worshiped Goddess Durga before going to war with Ravana. Rama had performed "Chandi Homa" and invoked the blessings of Durga and get secret knowledge of the way to kill Ravana.
The durga puja celebrated:
The Durga Puja has been celebrated since the medieval period but it was not so popular and was worshiped in some private residences only in early days, Durga Puja was more of a status symbol. Grand celebrations, gala feasts and huge fanfare was part of the very first 'Sharadiya Durgotsab'.
This kind of transformation of a sacred puja was first organized by Raja Kangsa Narayan of Taherpur and Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya in 1606 AD. The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in zamindars of Bengal and Assam. First such puja was organized by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of the Shobhabazar Rajbari of Calcutta in honor of Lord Clive in the year 1757. The puja was organized because Clive wished to pay thanks for his victory in the Battle of Plassey. He was unable to do so in a Church because the only church in Calcutta at that time was destroyed by Siraj-Ud-Daulah.
Indeed, many wealthy mercantile and Zamindar families in Bengal made British officers of the East India Company as guests of honor in their Pujas after the battle of Plassey and boxer. Almost 100 years later the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India. She became an icon for the Indian independence movement. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Barowari or Community Puja was popularized due to this. And after independence, it goes far beyond religion. One can only say that Durga puja is the largest outdoor art festival on earth.The music, dancing, and art displayed and performed during the Durga puja played an integral part in connecting the community in Bengal, and eventually across India and the world.
It is impossible to say the exact time this festival started. But a statue of Durga is found 1500 years old. So the idea is that this festival has been going on for a long time.
In different countries where Durga Puja is performed in different countries including Bangladesh and India, people used to join the festival irrespective of religion and caste.
Durga puja in bangal:
Shakti is associated with Maa Durga, the Goddess who is worshiped for destroying all forms of evil from earth. Maa Durga is believed to be vested with powers from all the Gods and she is the force behind all creations, preservations and destructions in the world.
She is known as Triyambake this refers to her three eyes.Her left eye represents the moon signifying desire, her right eye represents the sun signifyingaction and her middle eye represents fire signifying knowledge. Portrayed as a figure mounted on a lion, the idol of Durga is worshiped by every Hindu Bengali in the festival of Durga Puja.
Durga Puja is the largest annual festival for all the Bengalis of West Bengal, they build beautiful Pandals and worship the life sized idols of Durga for four days with great enthusiastic fervor. The first day of Durga puja is called Saptami, the second day is called Ashtami, the third day is called Navami and the last day is called Dhashami when the idols are immersed.
The beating of the dhak is an important part in the celebration of Durga Puja as it symbolizes power and victory. The origin of Durga Puja goes back to the 17th century when the Raja of West Bengal had organized an elaborate puja in the honourof the then Lord for his victory in the Battle of Plassey. This was followed by many othere lite Bengali families who organized Durga puja and invited the officers of the East India Company, as guests.
By the 20th century, the entire communityor Sarbojani started organizing Pujas leading to the participation of large number of people from all caste and creed. Since then, Durga Puja has been celebrated by all communitiesand neighborhoods of West Bengal making it the most important festival of the state.
Worship materials:
The most important materials in Durga Puja are - Shakha, Sidhur, Alta etc. Because Goddess Durga will be decorated with these.
At the end of the puja formalities, the women join in the game of Sidhu. Dances, songs etc. are performed. To please the goddess, the speakers devote themselves to the goddess's praise.
This puja is completed in a few steps. After the puja begins, the formality of the puja ends with the immersion of the goddess on the seventh, eighth, ninth and finally on the Maha Dashmi.
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