Durga Puja is not just a religious event in Kolkata, it is a cultural phenomenon and changes the whole town into the bright and colorful mosaic of religion and art and bonding together. The City of Joy transforms into the center of the stage in the next 5 days of one of the most incredible celebrations in India during which ancient traditions are blended with the modern passion, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
The Sacred Beginning: Mahalaya
Gupta Pathao This marks the start of the Mahalaya which is the end of Pitru Paksha and the beginning of Devi Paksha. The Bengali families all over Kolkata are awakened with waves of Birendra Krishna Bhadra renowned radio version of the Chandipath at the pre-dawnings.
The religious atmosphere of the festival is set by this ninety-year-old tradition since believers believed that it awakened Goddess Durga who is peacefully resting. Artisans practice this ritual on this day by a ceremony known as Chokkhu Daan (bestowing eyes) when the last lines are applied to the clay idols of the Goddess Durga.
This is one of the moments that are considered very sacred because it is believed that the goddess is being entertained by the painting of her eyes.
Read also: Lucknow Local Artisans Creating Goddess Idols
Shashthi: The Ceremonial Inauguration
The first day of Durga Puja commonly referred to as sash thi starts with the ceremonies of Bodhan and Kalparambha. This ceremony of the opening goods likens the performance of the elaborate rites by the priest as a way of invoking the presence of the goddess in the clay idol.
When Ma Durga visits her paternal home, the Aagomoni songs welcome her into the home, which is referring to the Bengali tradition of viewing the goddess as a daughter making visits to her parents. This day poses important significance to the Nabapatrika ritual.
The nine varieties of plants symbolising the various aspects of Goddess Durga are collected together, ritual bathed in the Ganges and dressed in sari with white border. This budget is the consort of the goddess and may be seen as the Kola Bou (banana bride), which is considered the goddess with the idol of the main location.
Saptami: The Divine Invocation
Saptami means the true beginning of the main puja ceremonies. This day starts with the day Mahisnapan whereby the goddess is immersed in a ceremony. The most important ceremony, which is performed by priests, is the Pran Pratishtha, the supreme ceremony, during the course of which the divine life force is invoked into the idol using the Vedic mantras and detailed performance.
It takes the form of the so-called Saptami Puja which consists of sixteen traditional offerings (Shodashopachara) to the goddess. Bringers offer flowers, fruits, sweets, and the offering of god, bhog. The harmonious beat of dhaks (yoga drums), conch shells and ulu-dhvani (ululation by women) gives the air of godly euphoria that fills the pandal.
Ashtami: The Peak of Devotion
Ashtami is considered to be the most auspicious day of Durga Puja. It is a day that starts earlier than dawn with Mahasnan- the great bath of the goddess. Ashtami is chiefly attended by the Kumari Puja where the young girls are worshiped by of horific occurrences of being treated as an incarnation of the Divine Mother.
It is a Tantric ritual which gives the right to worship unmarried girls between the age of two and sixteen but preference is made to those girls who are still below puberty stage. Sandhi Puja would be situated at the border of Ashtami and Navami which are usually at the last twenty four minutes of Ashtami and also at the first twenty four minutes of Navami.
This period of thirty-eight minutes can be taken as the most powerful period wherein Goddess Darma Durga killed the demon Mahishasura. There are a hundred and eight lotus flowers and a hundred and eight oil lamps that are presented to the goddess in this period with the climactic drumbeat and chanting.
Read also: Best Karwa Chauth Celebration Places In Lucknow
Navami: The Climactic Worship
Navami represents the fulfillment of the victory of the goddess against evil. The ceremony begins with the Navami Hom which is also called a conflagration offering by the priests that preside over the ceremony. The Mahanavami Puja comprises of a complex set of rituals which are offered by those who want peace, affluence and the eventual domination of good over evil.
The most remarkable tradition followed among the Navimo is the Balidan (sacrifice), but modern traditions make it mostly ceremonial. Remarkably, the devotees offer pumpkins, bananas or sugarcane instead of live animals thus preserving the ceremonial import but fitting the current sensibilities.
Dashami: The Bittersweet Farewell
Dashami, the last day is celebrated by the Visarjan, the immersion ceremony. Before the departure of the goddess, married women perform the Sindur Khela, which is an earnest ceremony, during which the wives apply vermilion to each other, and request the goddess to extend the lives of their husbands and also lead to the prosperity of their homes.
Before the immersion, the things are covered with the Aparajita Puja that pleads with the goddess to bring luck in all undertakings. The devotees also ceremoniously take leave as they say Asche bochor abar hobe (it will happen again next year) and thus reiterate that they hope the goddess will come back.
The Cultural Tapestry
In addition to the rituals of the religious aspect, the Durga Puja of Kolkata has a rich cultural aspect. The well known pandals in the city which are temporary structures on which the idols are displayed, turn into the places of artistic activities, social gatherings, performances and cultural attributes.
The para, which is the local community area, in every neighborhood celebrates their own puja and thus helps in building a community and also conserves the traditional values. Durga Puja stands out as a rare blend of the religious and the worldly because of the festival of bhog, pandal hopping, cultural programmes and the overall festival atmosphere.
Examples of traditional desserts are kheer and payesh as well as bhog made using time-honored recipes since generations.
Read also: Durga Puja Patna: Top Pandals You Can't Miss This Year
Preserving Tradition in Modern Times
Even when the Durga Puja attracted by Kolkata has adopted certain things of modernity in its themebased pandals as well as modern attractions; its basics of the traditional rites have never seen a change. The way the city upholds these centuries-old customs and lives in the time of modernity makes Durga Puja a breathing legacy which will keep changing regardless of time and preserve its spiritual valor.
Durga Puja activities in the traditional order of things in Kolkata are more of a soul rather than a characteristic that signifies a religious activity; it is all about its power of bonding in a community and the enduring order of the divine grace. Since the goddess comes back annually, she comes with her with the promise of a new beginning, the overcoming of evil over good and the inseparable unity between the divine and the devotee.
All these traditional rites still take place every year in the froggy lanes of the old Kolkata, and the spectacular pandals of the new localities with the help of which it is done and that the spirit of Durga Puja is still as bright and significant today as it used to be in centuries past. The festival is a monument to the ever-present strength of tradition and the undying loyalty that Bengal people have to Ma Durga, the much-adored goddess who comes back every year and gracefully showers her children with love, safety and godly fertility.
