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Importance of Durga Puja – Celebration in Kolkata

Durga Puja

Durga Puja is also called Durgotsav. It is a Hindu festival that honours Goddess Durga. This famous festival is celebrated mostly in West Bengal and particularly in Kolkata.

Durga puja is a festival that marks the battle of Goddess Durga with the demon Mahishasura. Goddess Durga got victorious thus marking the victory of good over evil.

Durga Puja is also a harvest festival that signifies Maa Durga’s motherly love. There is the practice of including a bundle of nine different plants called Navpattrika. This symbolizes Durga as a form of nature and her importance to agriculture.

Along with Durga, prime deities such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kartikeya are also worshipped during this festival.

Durga Puja Dates 2023: Calendar and Events

EventsDayDate
Maha PanchamiThursday19 October 2023
Maha SasthiFriday20 October 2023
Maha SaptamiSaturday21 October 2023
Maha AshtamiSunday22 October 2023
Maha NabamiMonday23 October 2023
Bijaya DashamiTuesday24 October 2023

Importance of Durga Puja 10-day Celebration

First Day

The festival begins with Mahalaya, a day where Shakta Hindus remember the loved ones who have died, as well as the advent of Durga. This is typically also the day when the eyes of all deities on the Durga Puja stage are painted, bringing them to a life like appearance.

The festival opens at twilight with prayers to Sarasvati and Ganesha. People also visit several Durga temples.

Second To Fifth Day

The aspects of Goddess Durga:- Kumari (Goddess of Fertility) Maa(mother) Ajima(Grandmother) Lakshmi(Goddess of wealth) Saptamatrikas(seven mothers) Navadurga(nine aspects of Durga) are remembered and worshipped.

Sixth Day (Shashti)

This is the beginning of major festivities and social celebrations Goddess Durga is welcomed and celebrations begin in temples and pandals. This is called Bodhana.

The puja rituals are long and complicated. Three days of Mantras, Shlokas chants and Arati. Also, offerings are made which include Vedic chants and multiple recitations of the Devi Mahatmya text in Sanskrit.

The Seventh Day (Saptami)

On this day following rituals are performed:- Bathing of the Goddess, Selection of Priest, Aarti, Recitation of texts describing Durga heading to war, Group meditation and Screams like crying at high points by women.

Eighth Day (Mahasthami)

The celebrations are almost similar to the seventh day. It is a significant day because the moment when the eighth day ends and the ninth day begins is considered the moment when Durga kills the demon, Mahishasura.

Sandhi Puja, It is forty an eight-minute high-point ritual that celebrates the climax of the war. The ritual is performed during the last 24 minutes of Mahashtami and the first 24 minutes of Mahanavami.

Ninth Day (Mahanavami)

It is similar to the seventh day the only difference is it is a celebration after the victory of Goddess Durga.

Tenth Day (Vijaya – Dashami)

The festival ends on this day. It begins with Sindoor Khela where married women smear Sindoor on Durga’s forehead and feet then on each other. A procession is initiated by Shakta Hindu communities with drum beats of music and mantra chants. A colourful clay statue is carried and then immersed in a river or sea.

Durga is thus believed to return to Mount Kailash with Shiva.  

Durga Puja

Celebrations At Many Places

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengalis and one of the major social events in India. It is particularly popular in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Odisha, Assam and Tripura. There’s an official holiday of five days in these states.

It is also a very important festival in Nepal and Bangladesh. The festival is also celebrated by Bengali communities in Europe and U.S.A. It is truly a delight for the eyes to watch the magnificent Pandals of Durga Puja and amazingly carved goddess idols. For the complete 10 days of celebration, a spurt of fanfare is easily sensed and too especially on the last 5 days of the festival.

Bengalis consider Durga Puja as a beautiful festival celebration to reconnect with family and friends.

Durga Puja Celebrations in Kolkata

Preparations for Durga Puja Fest

Durga Puja festival preparations commence one or two months prior to the celebration dates. In Kolkata, Puja Bonus is offered to employees. Shops get a huge amount of sales during the festival. The festival is in fact welcomed with great enthusiasm by every household.

The Making of Durga Idol

Now Durga Puja has turned into a community festival that is celebrated at Puja pandals. In Kumartuli which is a place near Kolkata, amazing idols of goddess Durga are given shape. It is a famous place for the production of beautiful idols of gods and goddesses. Here the expert artisans show their talent in making idols.

Magnificent Decorations of Durga Puja Pandal

Innovative ideas of making Pandal setups and goddess idols are done with great devotion and a lot of money is spent on Puja Pandals which are all decked with mesmerizing artwork. In fact, many pandals are also built in the shape of world-famous monuments or structures.

Celebrations

Moreover, there are many cultural activities held such as dance and song competitions. Games are also organized during the last few days of the festival celebration. Many professional artists like singers, dancers, and musicians are also called to sing the bhajan and stuti of Goddess Durga. Apart from pandal decorations, the city is also illuminated and decorated with displays of colourful and sparkling lights.

Durga Puja 2023

Top 10 Pandals of Kolkata 2023

  • Sreebhumi Durga Puja Pandal
  • Singhi Park
  • Chaltabagan
  • Jodhpur Park
  • Baghbazar Sarbojanin
  • Bandhu Mahal Club in Baguiati
  • Santosh Mitra Square
  • Pally Mangal Samity, Taltala Ground
  • Ekdalia Evergreen Club
  • Badamtala Ashar Sangha

Reasons Why You Must Attend Durga Puja At Kolkata

There is nothing enough to compare to the Five-day festival at Kolkata.

  1. It is a grand celebration where everyone is ready to welcome Durga.
  2. Kolkata turns into a virtual walk-through gallery with fantastically decorated pandals
  3. The people are so enthusiastic that the festival is compared to the famous Carnival of Rio-de-Janerio.
  4. There’s a huge surprise of auspicious paintings like Rangoli of about 1 km along Lake Road by almost 400 art students.
  5. The pandals are so beautifully decorated by artisans. They have turned every possible imagination into reality.
  6. A variety of food such as rolls, momos, puchkas, bhel and a lot more is available on the streets of Kolkata.
  7. Colourful lights and elaborate lightning turn Kolkata into a fairy town at night during Durga Puja.

Accommodation in Kolkata

Are you looking for a pleasant stay in Kolkata? Yatradham will provide the best accommodation places with all the facilities to make your stay comfortable at reasonable prices. Here are the options.

  1. Kolkata – Phool Chand Mukim Jain Dharamshala
  2. Hotel Stay Hub
  3. Udupi Sri Puthige Matha Pejawar Mutt
Mehul limbani
Mehul Limbani a passionate Blogger and SEO Analyst, is dedicated to helping people through his insightful travel blog.

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Otto
Otto
4 years ago

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