Durga Puja
Durga Puja , Kolkata happens to be the most important festival of Bengalis. Images of Durga Puja, Kolkata are closely associated with sound of Dhak, Dhunuchi nachh, the mild fragrance of Shiuli. Goddess Durga is worshipped through elaborate rituals and prayers. According to the traditional Hindu custom, before offering prayers one must take a bath in the morning. Hindu custom also dictate that you should fast in the morning before offering the anjali to Goddess Durga.
Mythological history of the Durga Puja , Kolkata- The myth surrounding the evolution of goddess Durga goes like this. Mahisasur, the Buffalo Demon through years of hard meditation received blessing from Lord Bramha that no male power can kill him because he is unvanquishable. But soon after receiving these divine powers he started ravaging the whole world and also the heaven. This led to the Birth of Goddess Durga a beautiful maiden with enormous power. Goddess Durga is portrayed as riding a lion. Her ten hands are adorned with weapons gifted by the other gods. Infact, their combined divine power gave birth to Goddess Durga.The tableau of Durga with her four children - Kartik, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi, is the popular form in which she is worshipped every year in the Bengali month of Ashwin.
Celebration of Durga Puja, Kolkata- Mahalaya marks the beginning of the festival of Durga Puja. The arrival of Goddess Durga is marked by singing a number of Aagamani songs. Even All India Radio airs a number of Aagamani songs every year. The oldest Puja in Calcutta dates back to 1610. The tradition of publicly organizing Durga Puja first happened in Guptipara of Hoogli district when twelve men were stopped from taking part in a local household puja. Balaram Bose Ghat Road in 1910 housed the first community Puja. The Durga Puja, Kolkata is the greatest festival in Kolkata. The three days of festivities surrounding Durga Puja come to a halt when the idol is immersed in the sacred river of Ganges. A grand send off is arranged during the final farewell.
