India is a land of festivals. Being a secular country, there is no shortage of things to celebrate in this wonderland. From Christmas to Eid ul Zoha, from Independence Day to the Cricket World Cup, there is hardly anything Indians don’t like to celebrate. Just sign us up for an occasion and we’re all for it. But hidden among this long list of celebrations is a gem in the shape of Durga Puja, something celebrated in all its glory in the Bengali community.

So what exactly IS Durga Puja?

Well, for the sake of clarity, Puja refers to a religious festival. However, for us Bengalis, Durga Puja is less a ‘Puja’ and more the embodiment of the holiday spirit. What does that mean exactly? Well, let’s go back a few millennia to answer that question.

The tradition of invoking the goddess Durga (or mother, known as ‘Ma’) is considered to have been performed by Lord Ram before going out to fight Ravana, as documented in the epic Ramayana. However, the tradition remained dormant until the late 16th century, when the Bengal owners adopted it. It was finally given its final form in the 18th century as the Puja de Baroyaari (or 12 friends), a term that eventually came to refer to the community sponsored Durga Pujas held in Calcutta.

Essentially, all parts of India celebrate this period, but in the form of Navratri. It constitutes a 9-day fast, ending with Dussehra, a day when an effigy of Ravana is burned as a way of showing that evils are always defended for the good as Lord Ram had defended above Ravana.

In bengal

In Bengal, however, the meaning of these 10 days is quite different.

My earliest memories of Durga Puja are waking up in the middle of the night to hear Mahalaya on the radio. It is a show that has been airing on the first day of the Bengali month Ashwin for over 7 decades and 4 generations of Bengalis, forcing them to wake up at 4am, something I still do religiously every year on that particular day. Although the magic of scent, the half-awake me, and knowing that Ma is coming has waned a bit over the years, the idea of ​​something so collectively powerful that it makes an entire community look forward to it still has a lot of charm nonetheless. .

Me

We treat Ma Durga as more than just a goddess. While it is true that she embodies the raw power (or Shakti) that overcame evil by killing the evil demon Mahisasur (hence the term Mahisasur-mardini), it is a lot MUCH more than that. The ten days that begin with Mahalaya signify his annual visit to his parental home in Bengal with 4 of his children. As such, Ma is, at the same time, a mother, a wife, a goddess, and most importantly, a member of our family. We pamper her, respect her, love her, and adore her. She is more than a divinity.

For us Bengalis, she personifies our true nature. No matter where a Bengali may be, come on Durga Puja, he / she feels a connection with his family.

IS It is what it means to celebrate Pujo (a colloquial term for Durga Puja).

Frankly, it can’t be compared to anything else in the world. But do you remember the bond you get when you visit family, or the warmth at Christmas, or the feeling you get when you visit family after a year of absence? That is what Pujo means to a Bengali. It is more than celebrating a religious holiday. The idea of ​​Pujo is to unite everyone. And what better way than a mother facilitating all that? We eat, we cry, we talk, we are happy and we celebrate something that is practically unheard of anywhere else in the world. It doesn’t matter what your religion is. Whether you are Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jain or anything else (including atheists), if you are Bengali at heart, Durga Puja is for you. From visiting the tens of thousands of makeshift podiums (or pandals) to lift Ma Durga to having a cup of tea in the middle of the night (under a tree at the local store because it seems like it inevitably rains during Puja nights These days, especially If you go out at 2am) to dance during the idol immersion ceremony (called Bhashan), Durga Puja is something you must experience at least once in your life.

Oh and did I mention the delicious luchi and khichudi as lunch during Ashtami and the beautiful ladies adorning the pandals? Pujo is worth it … believe me.

And everything ends

And once Pujo is over, while we are all sad, we pray that Ma will return safely to her heavenly abode on the top of the Himalayas. Thus begins the waiting for the next Puja. Another year to pass before our dear mother returns. Because Pujo never ends, it is simply changed one more year. After all, mom is like the mother who wants you to be happy even when she is away.

Come be a part of this wonderful union festival.