Thursday, Dec 20 2007

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By Debabrata Banerjee Source: Free Press Journal A kindly reception to Goddess Durga The Durgapuja - a national festival of the Hindus takes place in the month of Aswin or Kartik i.e. months of September and October according to the English calendar year when melow sun treads softly in Bengal landscape. The spirit of excited festivity is omnipresent throughout Durga Puja in Bengal and elsewhere when the image of the ten headed, a beautiful but fierce goddess on her lion charger is worshipped with great gusto. Little flames, symbols, drums that fill the atmosphere according to expectation and incredibly decorative materials that adorn the clay image of the Goddess. In the evening 'Aarti' is performed with great rejoicing. Many coloured electric lights turn the places worship into scenes of fairy lands. The sweet smell of incense adds to the charm. The endless busy streets in Calcutta & suburbs. The Durgotsava continues for three days and three days and the places are mad with joy and excitement. On the fourth day the immersion ceremony takes place.

The images 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. On the Vijaya Dashmi day. Durgapuja, over the years, has outgrown its religious connotations to a large extent as people all over the state celebrate it with a gusto that's even shared by the Bengali Hindu living abroad. With feelings come to the consciousness of ourselves as inheritors of century old tradition and practice intermingling with historical ethos. A legacy that will last itself as long as festival exists, an awareness that will persist long after the origins of Durgotsava are drawn in the passage of time. 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. 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. Source: Free Press Journal.