Durga Puja, also known as Navaratra, begins on the first day of the bright fortnight in the month of Aswin (September-October) when the images of goddess Durga are installed.
A special feature associated with this occasion is music conference in different Puja campuses for three days, on 7th, 8th, and 9th day of the Puja when a good many artists of vocal and instrumental music and various dance forms are invited from all over India to give their performances. This has become an annual event for over the several years and adds to the joy of the festival, besides sustaining the popular interest in good music.
This festival symbolizes the fact that good finally overcomes the bad. Every image shows goddess Durga as Mahishasurmardini. According to Bengali tradition this festival signifies the home-coming of goddess Durga to her parents. Thus by analogy the home-coming of married daughters to their parents is an usual feature among the Bengali community and on this occasion parents give them gifts according to the capacity.
Dussehara, the final day of Durgapuja, is also known as Vijaya Dashami. According to tradition, on this day Ram set out on his journey to recover Sita and ultimately annihilated Ravan and his legions. Therefore, this day is regarded universally as very auspicious, particularly by Kshatriyas, to do anything new or even to go out somewhere.
The day is otherwise spent over visits to friends and relations and their reception at home. Giant effigies of Ravan, Kumbhakaran and Meghnaad are installed at various places and are burnt with a chain of loud explosions. Ram, Sita and Lakshman are simultaneously presented in a pageant to mark the victory of the good over the forces of the evil. This event draws a large number of spectator. In the night the images of Mahishasurmardini are taken out in procession and submerged into the Ganges or other rivers and ponds and thus the 10 day long festival concludes. Durga puja is again celebrated in some parts in the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra with the same gaiety.
A special feature associated with this occasion is music conference in different Puja campuses for three days, on 7th, 8th, and 9th day of the Puja when a good many artists of vocal and instrumental music and various dance forms are invited from all over India to give their performances. This has become an annual event for over the several years and adds to the joy of the festival, besides sustaining the popular interest in good music.
This festival symbolizes the fact that good finally overcomes the bad. Every image shows goddess Durga as Mahishasurmardini. According to Bengali tradition this festival signifies the home-coming of goddess Durga to her parents. Thus by analogy the home-coming of married daughters to their parents is an usual feature among the Bengali community and on this occasion parents give them gifts according to the capacity.
Dussehara, the final day of Durgapuja, is also known as Vijaya Dashami. According to tradition, on this day Ram set out on his journey to recover Sita and ultimately annihilated Ravan and his legions. Therefore, this day is regarded universally as very auspicious, particularly by Kshatriyas, to do anything new or even to go out somewhere.
The day is otherwise spent over visits to friends and relations and their reception at home. Giant effigies of Ravan, Kumbhakaran and Meghnaad are installed at various places and are burnt with a chain of loud explosions. Ram, Sita and Lakshman are simultaneously presented in a pageant to mark the victory of the good over the forces of the evil. This event draws a large number of spectator. In the night the images of Mahishasurmardini are taken out in procession and submerged into the Ganges or other rivers and ponds and thus the 10 day long festival concludes. Durga puja is again celebrated in some parts in the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra with the same gaiety.
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