pritom ghosh
Durge Durgatinashini
With every passing hour, Autumn comes near. For the large Bengali community around the world, it means only one thing. Their biggest festival, the Durga Puja, is drawing nearer and nearer. It is the time when the whole of Bengal pulsates with the unique philharmonic of conch shells, the rhythms of dhaks (drums), the "Ulu Dhani" (tongue sounds) of Bengali women, the burning of dhoop (incense), pushpanjalis (flower offerings) and of course, the chanting of hymns and prayers. Nature seems to join into the celebration with the sunny weather, clear blue sky and gentle breeze that blows time and again. The spirit of festivity breaks loose all over Bengal and wherever Bengalis have a presence.
Durga Puja is the biggest festival in Bengal. This is also known as Dussehra and Navaratri in other parts of India. Durga is the Goddess of divine power against all evils. The story goes that Mahisasur, the Buffalo Demon, through years of praying, received blessing from Lord Brahma, that no power can kill him which means he is invincible. But once gaining this power he started ravaging the whole world and killing people. And finally he wanted to uproot the Gods too. The Gods, in dismay, combined their powers to create a beautiful maiden, and each placed his or her most potent weapon in one of her ten hands riding a lion.
The tableau of Durga with her four children - Kartik, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi, representing respectively the Protector, the Initiator of the puja, Knowledge and the Provider - signifies the complete manifestation of the goddess.
Durge Durgatinashini
With every passing hour, Autumn comes near. For the large Bengali community around the world, it means only one thing. Their biggest festival, the Durga Puja, is drawing nearer and nearer. It is the time when the whole of Bengal pulsates with the unique philharmonic of conch shells, the rhythms of dhaks (drums), the "Ulu Dhani" (tongue sounds) of Bengali women, the burning of dhoop (incense), pushpanjalis (flower offerings) and of course, the chanting of hymns and prayers. Nature seems to join into the celebration with the sunny weather, clear blue sky and gentle breeze that blows time and again. The spirit of festivity breaks loose all over Bengal and wherever Bengalis have a presence.
Durga Puja is the biggest festival in Bengal. This is also known as Dussehra and Navaratri in other parts of India. Durga is the Goddess of divine power against all evils. The story goes that Mahisasur, the Buffalo Demon, through years of praying, received blessing from Lord Brahma, that no power can kill him which means he is invincible. But once gaining this power he started ravaging the whole world and killing people. And finally he wanted to uproot the Gods too. The Gods, in dismay, combined their powers to create a beautiful maiden, and each placed his or her most potent weapon in one of her ten hands riding a lion.
The tableau of Durga with her four children - Kartik, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi, representing respectively the Protector, the Initiator of the puja, Knowledge and the Provider - signifies the complete manifestation of the goddess.