View allAll Photos Tagged GoddessDurga
From left : Ganesh ( God for business ), Lakshmi ( Money goddess ), Ma Durga ( The Supreme Power ), Saraswati ( Goddess of art & education ), Kartik.
Indomitable fighter against evil and a symbol of supreme
power.
Goddess Durga represents the power of the Supreme Being that preserves moral order and righteousness in the creation. The Sanskrit word Durga means a fort or a place that is protected and thus difficult to reach. Durga, also called Divine Mother, protects mankind from evil and misery by destroying evil forces such as selfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego.
The worship of Goddess Durga is very popular among Hindus. She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. There are many temples dedicated to Durga's worship in India.
In Her images, Goddess Durga is shown in a female form, wearing red clothes. She has eighteen arms, carrying many objects in Her hands. The red color symbolizes action and the red clothes signify that She is always busy destroying evil and protecting mankind from pain and suffering caused by evil forces.
At kumortuli, called the "colony of potters", artisans are busy completing clay deities as Durga Puja, Bengal's biggest festival, is approaching. From the potter quarter, I am showing you some unfinished artworks of Gods and Goddesses. Most of these will take a few more days to give a complete look. In this photo, I love how the creator ( artisan) of creators (God) is taking a nap after a late night of hard work.
We bid farewell to Maa Durga, where she is being immersed in the Ganges river. To save Ganga, there are people waiting to remove her structure
One of the Important and Biggest Festival of BENGALI'S as well as INDIANS, DURGA PUJA is Celebrated in September / October of Every Year. This Year DURGA PUJA is Being Celebrated, But Taking Several Precaution like Devotees Not Allowed Near the Idol Due to the Outbreak of COVID-19. Also Different Clubs Organizes the Pandals with Various Themes for the Festival of 10 Days with Puja Takes Place for 5 Days. This Year People Enjoying the Puja Festival in a New Normal Way either Virtually from Home or Going Out Pandal Hoping with Prior Safety Precaution. BENGALI'S Enjoy the Festival by Buying New Clothes and other Accessories Before Puja to Celebrate the 5 Days. In Picture, GODDESS DURGA and Her Siblings in MATRI MANDIR of KAMARPUKUR, Birth Place of SRI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHANSADEV in HOOGHLY District of WEST BENGAL.
Only few days left in Durga Puja festival. Work is in progress in full fledged at Kumortuli - the artists den.
These are freshly painted idols of Goddess Durga, where the color splashes from the brushes has fallen in the trampoline behind the idols and resulted in a glowing kind of effect around the idols.
Pardon me guys for that transparent watermark in the centre, but picture poachers are on the rampage this season.
(c)Amitabha Gupta
Unauthorized use or reproduction for any reason is prohibited. Please contact me personally for any use of this photograph
On her way to get immersed into the water. From there, Goddess Durga would return to her husband Lord Shiva.
Shakhari Bazar, Old Dhaka
One of the Important and Biggest Festival of BENGALI'S as well as INDIANS, DURGA PUJA is Celebrated in September / October of Every Year. This Year DURGA PUJA is Being Celebrated, But Taking Several Precaution like Devotees Not Allowed Near the Idol Due to the Outbreak of COVID-19. Also Different Clubs Organizes the Pandals with Various Themes for the Festival of 10 Days with Puja Takes Place for 5 Days. This Year People Enjoying the Puja Festival in a New Normal Way either Virtually from Home or Going Out Pandal Hoping with Prior Safety Precaution. BENGALI'S Enjoy the Festival by Buying New Clothes and other Accessories Before Puja to Celebrate the 5 Days. In Picture, GODDESS DURGA and Her Siblings in MATRI MANDIR of JOYRAMBATI, Birth Place of MOTHER SARADA DEVI in BANKURA District of WEST BENGAL.
Goddess Durga in a Worship place at Deewanji Haveli, World Heritage, Ahmedabad, Gujarat State, India.
Goddess Durga symbolizes the divine forces known as divine shakti that is used against the negative forces of evil and wickedness. She protects her devotees from evil powers and safeguards them. It is believed that Goddess Durga is the combined form of powers of Goddesses Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati.
Durga Puja is one of the largest Hindu festivals that involves worship of Goddess Durga symbolising power and triumph of good over evil in Hindu mythology.
Vijaya Dashami
Also known as Dashain or Tenth day of Navratri or Durgotsav, Vijaya Dashami commemorates the day that Durga appeared riding a lion to slay the Mahisasura. Statutes of Durga are paraded through the streets, then immersed in water.
Navaratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights.During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra" (also spelled Dasara). Navaratri is an important festival and is celebrated all over India and Nepal.
Source : Wikipedia
Low lights, narrow space and to top it all I had 18-200mm DX lens and a D90 body. I think it was a perfect combo of challenges. I tried my best and could manage this.
However, within next 2days of shooting, I was infected with COVID-19. Now after almost 3weeks, I have recovered and posting this image
it was already dark and I was on my way out from Kumartuli, the famous lacality where clay artists put life to their sculptures of Goddess. i have spotted this artist engrossed in drawing facelines of small idols. it took sometime to make him comfortable with my presence; and then cane the moment when I took a series of pictures. Low light, human elements and absence of any support made it quite difficult to take a steady and presentable image. this was the best amongst the series.
Navratri (nine nights) is one of the greatest Hindu festivals. It symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. Navratri festival is celebrated for nine days. Navratri is also known as Durga Puja. During this period, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshiped as three different manifestations of Shakti, or cosmic energy. The festival is dedicated to Durga, the mother goddess who also represents power. Durga annihilated the demon Mahishasura after a relentless battle lasting nine days and nights.
Navratri is a festival in which God is adored as Mother. To celebrate a good harvest and to propitiate the nine planets, women also plant nine different kinds of food grain seeds in small containers during these nine days and then offer the young saplings to the goddess.
During Navratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. A period of introspection and purification, Navratri is traditionally an auspicious time for starting new ventures. Navratri is celebrated by communities getting together for dances and nightly feasts. Feasts of great variety and delicacy are offered to guests and family during the nine days.
For women, Navratri is a time for shopping for new clothes and new pots. It is an auspicious time to buy gold or jewelery and the gold markets are open late each night. Women dress elaborately each day for the puja or rituals and nightly dances. Another part of the puja/rituals may involve designing puja-thalis or aartis which are decorated plates in honour of the mother goddess, Amba (Ambika).
The tenth day of the festival is called Dussehra, and marks the triumph of good over evil, and also the motherhood of God.
In northern parts of India, Hindus also celebrate Rama's victory over Ravana during this time. This festival is called Dussehra. The ten days represent the ten heads of Ravana, and each day is used by Hindus to get rid of bad characteristics, such as lust and jealousy. The tenth day is known as the Day of Victory.
Took this shot with my cellphone on a recent visit to temple:)
Wishing you all Happy Navratri:)
For more information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri
For best view: View On Black
Chhau, a mask dance, performed by the male dancer in certain areas of West Bengal, has a distinctive character of its own. Although this dance is part of the folk cultures of Bihar and Orissa as well, the Bengal Chhau, which has received international acclaim in recent years, has scaled a rare height of beauty and perfection.
Chhau Masked dance initiated in the Baghmundi area of Purulia district, West Bengal, India. Chhau Dance is performed in Bengal to celebrate the sun festival. The colorful masks that are used by the Dancers during the performance have a unique artistic appeal. Themes of Chhau Dance are based on two historical Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata.
While the faces of the Chhau Dancers are covered with masks of various mythical characters, the expressions of the form are shown through movements of the hands and feet. Vigorous jumps, hops and other similar energetic moves of the Dancers set the mood of Chhau.
From a very early age, Chhau Dance is occupying a significant position in the Dance tradition of Bengal and today it is seen as one of the most popular artistic excellence of Bengal.
Not only the studio, the ambience of Kumortuli can also be the part of composition and make an image more interesting. I loved all the elements and lighting in this picture.
Introduction
Kumortuli (Kumartuli, or the archaic spelling Coomartolly) is a traditionally potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata (or Calcutta), the capital of the east Indian state of West Bengal. By virtue of their artistic productions these potters have moved from obscurity to prominence. This Kolkata neighbourhood, not only supplies clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses to barowari pujas in Kolkata and its neighbourhoods, but a number of idols are exported.It is one of the seven wonders in Kolkata.
Myth
One of the various legends associated with its origin is the legend of Lord Rama (the incarnation of Lord Vishnu). When lord Rama was fighting a battle with Ravana (the demon king) to rescue his wife Sita whom Ravana abducted and held as hostage in Lanka, his kingdom. That time a fierce battle ensued. In that battle Ravana could not be defeated. So Lord Ram decided to seek the blessings of Shakti (Goddess Durga) in order to defeat the demon. For that puja, which lord Ram was performing 108 blue lotus were needed for the worship of Goddess Durga but Rama could manage only 107. But without that one lotus his puja would be incomplete so he was on the verge of laying one of his eyes that was lotus-shaped and blue in color at the Goddess's feet when Goddess Durga appeared and satisfied with his devotion, granted her blessing and eventually he won the battle against Ravana. The time he worshipped was Spring season so from that time onwards Durga puja is celebrated.
Another legend, which is associated with the celebration of Durga puja is the story of the defeat of the demon king, Mahishasura at the hands of Goddess Durga, the incarnation of Shakti (the power). This demon was almost invincible because of a boon granted by Lord Shiva whereby no male could defeat him. So to find a solution to this all the God amalgamated their power and gave birth to Shakti (the power) in the form of Goddess Durga. She defeated the demon king and killed him. That's why she is called Mahishasuramardini (the slayer of Mahishasura). The holy battle symbolizes the victory of Good over Evil. However, according to another legend about Durga, she was a manifestation of Parvati, Shiva's wife.
Legend
In those days, instead of buying the idols from the market at Kumortuli, families invited the kumor or artisan home to stay as a house guest weeks before the Puja, during which time he sculpted the idol. The idol at our Puja was known for its magnificent size. It used to be over 10 feet tall. Every morning as the kumor started his work, we children gathered around him and gaped in awe as he gradually turned a fistful of straw and a huge mass of clay into a perfectly formed, larger-than-life figure. And then came the most intriguing part — the painting of the third eye of the goddess. The artisan would sit in meditation sometimes for hours and then suddenly in one swift stroke of his paint brush, it would be done.
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Initiated in the Baghmundi area of Purulia district, Chhau Dance is performed in Bengal to celebrate the sun festival. The colorful masks that are used by the Dancers during the performance have a unique artistic appeal. Themes of Chhau Dance are based on two historical Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The general structure of Chhau Dance in Bengal comprises of a group of men some of whom enact the divine characters while some others play the role of demonic figures. The Dance primarily depicts the dynamic victory of the good spirits over the evil ones.
While the faces of the Chhau Dancers are covered with masks of various mythical characters, the expressions of the form are shown through movements of the hands and feet. Vigorous jumps, hops and other similar energetic moves of the Dancers set the mood of Chhau.
Performed during the night hours, Chhau Dance of Bengal demands an open area, generally village grounds, where the Dancers can freely make movements with their limbs. Chhau Dancers generally wear bright shades of clothes like that of green, red, yellow and black. Men who play the role of Gods use red, green and yellow colors, while those who enact the devils’ part wear black costumes.
Dhol and dhamsa are the prime musical instruments played during the Chhau performance. While the Dance starts with the beating of Dhol, Dhamsa catches the beats in between the performance.
From a very early age, Chhau Dance is occupying a significant position in the Dance tradition of Bengal and today it is seen as one of the most popular artistic excellence of Bengal.
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On Sunday i got this chance to visit-"Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan" being held in "Devi Talab temple" of Jalandhar city which is 45 minute drive from my home town.
Devi Talab temple in Jalandhar is an ancient temple which is situated just 1 km from the railway station of the city. The temple is believed to be more than 200 years old. The old structure of the Devi Talab has been renovated and a number of new changes have been made. In the center of the temple premises a new temple has been recently constructed.
Devi Talab temple in Jalandhar is very famous for the'Hariballabh Sangeet Sammelan' which is celebrated every year in the month of December. It is the oldest festival of Indian Classical Music in the world.
This musical festival is being celebrated for the past 134 years in the Devi Talab temple premises.
Well known classical music proponents belonging to both the fields of instrumental and vocal participate in this festival and perform at this Hariballabh Sangeet Sammelan.
This music festival which has grown from strength to strength in the last 134 years has been attracting audiences and artists from all across the country and abroad. This festival was declared as one of the National Festivals by the Department of Tourism, Govt. of India. The festival attracts thousands of music lovers from all over the India and abroad every year.
©Sekitar --- All rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
This photo is of Indian Hindu Durga Ma Temple situated at the Hatu peak in Distt. Shimla of Himachal Pradesh. Follow my fb page www.fb.com/Sidhant.crtnz
Durga, meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible", is the most popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti in the Hindu pantheon. Durga is the original manifested form of Mother Parvati or Adi-Parashakti. Durga is Adi-Parashakti herself. The Devi Gita, declares her to be the greatest Goddess. Thus, she is considered the supreme goddess and primary deity in Shaktism, occupying a place similar to Lord Krishna in Vaishnavism. According to Skanda Purana, the goddess Parvati accounted the name "Durga" after she killed the demon Durgamaasura. Goddess Parvati is considered to be the complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti or Goddess Durga, with all other goddesses being her incarnations or manifestations. Adi Parashakti or Mahadevi, the supreme power, is called Durga Shakti as per Devi-Mahatmya. Adi Parashakti or Devi Durga is a Hindu concept of the Ultimate Shakti or Mahashakti, the ultimate power inherent in all Creation. This is especially prevalent in the Shakta denomination within Hinduism, which worships the Goddess Devi in all her manifestations. She is Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati in her mild form; Goddess Kali and Goddess Chandi in her wrathful form. Durga is also called Padmanabha-Sahodari and Narayani, the sister of Lord Vishnu. According to Shaivism and Shaktism She is supreme, but to bring back lord Shiva in Sansar, she was reborn in human form (Sati and Parvati) to marry Shiva. Durga gave birth to his first child Kartikeya.
ORIGINS & DEVELOPMENT
Ramprasad Chanda writes the following about the development of Durga from primitive goddess to her current form:
"...it is possible to distinguish two different strata – one primitive and the other advanced. The primitive form of Durga is the result of syncretism of a mountain-goddess worshiped by the dwellers of the Himalaya and the Vindhyas, a goddess worshiped by the nomadic Abhira shepherd, the vegetation spirit conceived as a female, and a war-goddess. As her votaries advanced in civilization the primitive war-goddess was transformed into the personification of the all-destroying time (Kali), the vegetation spirit into the primordial energy (Adya Sakti) and the saviouress from “samsara” (cycle of rebirths) , and gradually brought into line with the Brahmanic mythology and philosophy."
It is not possible to date her The delusion of the supreme soul is otherwise called Shakti (power). From this power, generates all forms of knowledge of the world and it is accepted as vital cause of creation, existence and destruction. According to 'Shree Durga Shaptshati- Rahasyam', the original power is Mahalaxmi that created three pairs of Supreme Powers. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as male and Saraswati, Laxmi and Parvati as female, and they married respectively. Maha Saraswati is well known as Brahmani, Mahalaxmi as Vaishnavi and Mahakali as Maheswari. Durga Shakti is the original cause of all the present or past worldly occurrences. Durga Shakti is called as Adhyashakti, Paramatma Shakti or Ati Prakrutika Shakti. She is creating and controlling other two powers: Natural and General. Natural Power is called as Atma Shakti, Prakrutika Shakti, Pancha Mahabhuta Shakti etc. This Shakti creates and controls the General Energy. General Energies are called Jada Shakti or Tamashakti. By the blessings of Durga Shakti, the mother of the Universe, man is able to get his emancipation or salvation and indulge in enjoyments in performance of his daily activities. So Vyasadev, the eminent poet of "Devi Bhagwat", has aptly described "Rudrahinam Vishnuhinam na vadanti janastatha Shaktihinam Yathasarbe probodhanti Naradhamam". The powerless persons are despised as mean persons. So, by being devoted to the Supreme, we should be strong and powerful by her grace.
STORIES
Shiva Purana gives an account of the origin of Durga. At the beginning of time, Lord Shiva invoked Durga, the primordial energy from his left half to create. Together they created their eternal abode, Shivaloka, also known as Kashi. Thereafter, they created Vishnu and Brahma.
As per Shiva Purana and Devi Mahatmyah, Mahishasura, the son of demon Rambha, unleashed reign of terror on earth. When gods intervened, Mahishasura defeated gods and banished them from heaven. Vanquished gods went to Trideva- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. As they narrated their woeful tale, immense mass of light manifested from Lord Vishnu's mouth, which was joined by similar rays that emerged from the enraged faces of gods. This mass of light transformed into a woman. Then all the Gods gave their devine weapon to that supreme power. Adishakti re-manifested as Durga to slay Mahishasura. Armed with celestial weapons of all deities and decked with divine ornaments, Durga rode into the battle field and challenged demons for battle. Mahishasura's entire army, led by demons like Chikshur, Chamar, Asiloma, Vidalaksha, Durdhara, Durmukha, Mahahanu and many more attacked Durga at once. But Durga slew all of them with unparalleled cruelty. An enraged Mahishasura attacked Durga in guise of a buffalo. But Durga bound it with ropes. The buffalo morphed into a lion and lept on Durga, but she beheaded it with her sword. At this, Mahishasura began to fight in form of a swordsman. Durga pinned him down with a torrent of arrows. Mahishasura now assumed form of a giant elephant and tugged at Durga's lion. Durga lopped off its trunk with her sword and freed her lion. The elephent turned into a buffalo and charged at Durga. Sipping from her wine cup, Durga flung her trident and beheaded Mahishasura, finally killing him.
WORSHIP
The four-day-long (Saptami to Dashami) Durga Puja is the biggest annual festival in Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal, where it is known as Dashain. It is celebrated likewise with much fervour in various parts of India, especially the Himalayan region, but is celebrated in various forms throughout the Hindu universe.
The day of Durga's victory is celebrated as Vijayadashami (Bihar, Bengali), Dashain (Nepali) or Dussehra (Hindi) – these words literally mean "the Victory on the Tenth (day)".
In Andhra Pradesh she is also worshipped as Kanaka Durgammathalli,where there is also famous temple for Goddess Kanaka Durga in Indrakeeladri,Vijayawada.She is also known by the name of Bhavani.
In Kashmir she is worshipped as shaarika (the main temple is in Hari Parbat in Srinagar).
The actual period of the worship however may be on the preceding nine days (Navaratri) followed by the last day called Vijayadashami in North India or five days in Bengal (from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing-moon fortnight). Nine aspects of Durga known as Navadurga are meditated upon, one by one during the nine-day festival by devout Shakti worshippers. Durga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort (Durga is an aspect of Goddess Parvati), in addition to Lakshmi, Saraswati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga's children. Worship of mother nature is done, through nine types of plant (called "Kala Bou"), including a plantain (banana) tree, which represent nine divine forms of Goddess Durga. In South India especially, Andhra Pradesh Dussera Navaratri is also celebrated and the goddess is dressed each day as a different devi – Saraswati, Parvati, Lakshmi etc. – for the nine days.
In North India, the tenth day, is celebrated as Dussehra, the day Rama emerged victorious in his battle against the demon, Ravana – gigantic straw effigies of Ravana are burnt in designated open spaces (e.g. Delhi's Ram Lila grounds), watched by thousands of families and little children.
In Mysore (which originated from Mahishasooru) in Karnataka, she is worshipped as Chamundeshwari, the patron goddess of the city during Dussehra (Dasara).
In Gujarat it is celebrated as the last day of Navaratri, during which the Garba dance is performed to celebrate the victory of Mahishasura-mardini, Durga.
The Goddess Durga is worshipped in her peaceful form as Maha Gauri, The Fair Lady, Shree Shantadurga also known as Santeri, is the patron Goddess of Goa. She is worshipped by all Goan Hindus.
In Maharashtra, Tulja Bhavani,Hedavde Mahalaxmi and Ambabai are worshipped as Mahishasur Mardini, who is the patron goddess of the land. Bhavani is known as Tulaja, Amba, Renuka, Yamai Saptshrungi and Jogai in different places of Maharashtra. She is the inspirational goddess of Raja Shivaji. As per legends, Bhavani appeared after Shivaji prayed to her and blessed him to be able to make Hindustan or the then India (ruled by the Mughals) independent – the kingdom he established eventually became the Hindu Pad Padshahi (sometimes also called the Maratha Empire), which comprised all the land ruled by the Mughals and brought India back under Hindu sovereignty.
In Bangladesh also, the four-day long Sharadiya Durga Puja (Bengali: শারদীয়া দুর্গা পুজো, ‘autumnal Durga worship’) is the biggest religious festivals for the Hindus and celebrated across the country with Vijayadashami being a national holiday.
The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal.[8] After the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the Indian independence movement.
WESTERN REFERENCES
Some early Western accounts refer to a deity known as Deumus, Demus or Deumo. Western (Portuguese) sailors first came face to face with the murti of Deumus at Calicut on the Malabar Coast and they concluded it to be the deity of Calicut. Deumus is sometimes interpreted as an aspect of Durga in Hindu mythology and sometimes as deva.
It is described that the ruler of Calicut (Zamorin) had a murti of Deumus in his temple inside his royal palace. The temple was two paces wide in each of the four sides and three paces high, with a wooden door covered with gods carved in relief. At the centre of the temple, there was a metal idol of Deumus placed in a seat, which was also made of metal.
Western accounts also describe the ruler of Calicut worshiping an ultimate god called Tamerani ("Tamburan"). The accounts also describes a misunderstood form of the "hook-swinging" ritual once commonly performed as part of some popular Hindu religious festivals.
NOTABLE TEMPLES OF DURGA
IN INDIA
Assam
Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam
Deopani Temple, in Golaghat district, Assam
Andhra Pradesh
Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada
Bihar
Shitla Mata temple at Patna Bihar
Delhi
Kalka Mandir, near Nehru Place, New Delhi.
Goa
Shanta Durga temple in Goa
Gujarat
Arasuri Ambaji Temple in Gujarat
Haryana
Shitla Mata temple at Gurgaon Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Bala Sundari Temple Trilokpur in District Sirmaur Himachal Pradesh
Shoolini devi temple at Solan Himachal Pradesh
Jammu
Bahu Fort Temple in Jammu
Bala Sundri Temple in Billawar Jammu
ChiChi Mata Temple in Jammu
Kol Kandoli Temple in Jammu
Mahamaya Temple in Jammu
Sukrala Mata Temple in Jammu
Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra Jammu
Karnataka
Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore Karnataka
Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple, near Mangalore, Karnataka
Kollur Sri mookambika Temple, near Udupi, Karnataka
Kerala
Adichikkavu Sree Durga Devi Kshetram, Pandanad, Kerala
Ammathiruvadi Temple, Thrissur, Kerala, India
Vengoor Sree Durga Devi Temple, near Perumbavoor- Kerala
Kumaranalloor Devi Temple, Kottayam, Kerala
Bhagavathinada Sree Durga Temple, Venganoor, Trivandrum, Kerala
Sankhumugham Durga Temple, Trivandrum, Kerala
Aruvikkara Durga Temple, Trivandrum, Kerala
Kalarivathikkal Devi Temple, Kannur, Kerala
Maharashtra
Tulja Bhavani Temple, in Tuljapur, Maharashtra
Odisha
Biraja Temple, Jajpur, Odisha
Durga Temple, Baideshwar, Odisha
Katak Chandi Temple, Cuttack, Odisha
Kichakeshwari Temple, Odisha
Manikeshwari Temple, Bhawanipatna, Odisha.
Rajasthan
Ambika Mata Temple in the village of Jagat near Mount Abu in Rajasthan
Shila Devi temple at Amber, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
Sri Kaliamman Temple, Matrimandir, Auroville, Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Udaipur, Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Vindhyachal temple at Mirzapur
West Bengal
Kanak Durga Temple, Chikligarh, Medinipur, West Bengal
Nava Durga Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal
23 Palli Durga Temple, Kolkata, West Bengal
Kalighat Temple, kolkata, West Bengal
Tarakeswar, Hooghly District, West Bengal
Tarapith, Birbhum, West Bengal
Sarbamongala Mandir, Burdwan, West Bengal
OUTSIDE INDIA
BANGLADESH
Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka,
INDONESIA
Prambanan Temple,
MALAYSIA
Sri Santha Durga Devi Army Camp in Sungai Petani,
Sri Thurgha Parameswary Amman Alayam,
Kampung Tumbuk Pantai, Tanjong Sepat, in Selangor
WIKIPEDIA
Sandhi Puja, an important ritual of Durga Puja, lasts from the last 24 minutes of Ashtami till the first 24 minutes of Nabami. During this juncture (the "Sandhikhan"), Durga is worshiped in her Chamunda form. Goddess Durga killed, Chando and Mundo, the two asuras at "Sandhikhan" and thus acquired the name of "Chamunda". Most of the Durga Puja performed in prominent houses follows strictly the traditional rituals and involves every family member. 108 Earthen lamps are placed on banana leaves are placed in front of the idol and are being lit by mainly female members of the family.
To know about such houses at Kolkata where Durga Puja is celebrated for over 100 plus years , check out my blog.
amitabhagupta.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/durga-puja-of-bone...
(c)Amitabha Gupta
Unauthorized use or reproduction for any reason is prohibited. Please contact me personally for any use of this photograph
Navratri, Navaratri, or Navarathri (Hindi: नवरात्रि; Gujarati: નવરાત્રી; Tamil: நவராத்திரி; Sanskrit: नवरात्रम्; Marathi: नवरात्र; Nepali: नवरात्रि; Bengali: নবরাত্রি; Kannada: ನವರಾತ್ರಿ; Telugu: దుర్గా నవరాత్రులు; Malayalam: നവരാത്രി; Tulu: ನವರಾತ್ರಿ/നവരാത്രി) is a Hindu festival of worship of Shakti and dance & festivities. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights[2]. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussehra.
Navratri Golu depicting various forms of Hindu deities worshiped for 9 days.
Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Mother Goddess in her different forms. The Chaitra Navratri culminates in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navratri culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra. The Dussehra of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North. Navratri festival in Gujarat is one of the main festivals. Garba is dance which people use to dance after the Durga Pooja with the groups and live orchestra or devotional songs.
In Western India, particularly in the state of Gujarat, Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya-Raas dance. Since the past few years, the Government Of Gujarat has been organising the "Navratri Festival Celebrations" on a regular basis for the nine days of Navratri Festival in Gujarat. People from all over Gujarat and even abroad come to participate in the nine days celebrations. It is also popular throughout India and among Indian communities around the world including the UK, Canada and USA.
Recently visited Chintpurni Temple with my cousins. Chintpurni Temple is about one and half hour drive from my home town-Hoshiarpur here in Punjab.
Chintpurni Temple is one of the sacred pilgrimage destinations of Himachal Pradesh. One of the revered deities, Chintpurni Temple is one of the Shakti Peeth’s of Hindu Goddess Durga that draws a number of pilgrims every year during the festivals. The devotees believe that the Goddess of this temple fulfills the wishes of the pilgrims and takes away all their troubles & worries, Hence known as ....... "Chintpurni"
Dedicated to Goddess Chhinnamastika Devi and Goddess Chintpurni Devi, the Chintpurni Devi Temple is revered by people of Northern India. The image which is worshipped in the Chintpurni Temple depicts Goddess Durga without a head and therefore it gives her the name Chhinnamastika Devi which means ‘the Goddess without the head’. It is also believed Sati’s feet had fallen here after it was cut by Vishnu’s Chakra. There are other myths which say that the Goddess had asked one of her devotees to worship her in a temple over here.
Chintpurni Temple is visited by a number of devotees during its festivals. Especially during the Navratris held in the time of April and October and also during Shukalpaksh in August. The Chintpurni Devi Temple is also the venue for a number of other festivals of North India. The Sawan Ashtami Fair is also celebrated with great fervor in the Chintpurni Devi Temple.
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In this diptych: side view of "Chintpurni Temple" and a woman tie the sacred crimson thread on to the banyan tree in the sanctum of the 'Chintpurni Temple', The belief is that you tie the thread wishing for your heart's desire and when it is granted by the Goddess you come again to the temple to untie the thread and thank the Goddess for her blessings.
The lighting was all set fora geat image; the play of light and shades provoked me as always. I had to brave the scolding
and face the challenge of a very narrow spot to stand and compose. Finally I could manage this somewhat presentable picture
Sreebhumi Sporting Club.
Original Gold Ornaments. Tanishq (TATA Group) provided the 22-karat real gold!
Read, Divine Design: www.telegraphindia.com/1131008/jsp/t2/story_17434462.jsp