Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Durga Puja

Durga Puja that symbolizes the dominance of Women power over the Asura power (the evil power) and the virtual extinction of the evil force from this earth is a festival packed with much fun fare. The four day Puja is the much coveted period to the Bengalis round the globe. Every Bengali whether in India or abroad rejoices after the heart's content being associated with friends and relatives. In a word Durga Puja is nothing but a Puja of gala get together.

During Durga Puja everyone irrespective of caste, creed and religion is beside himself with joy and tries to forget malice, hatred, ill feelings. Actually Durga Puja brings a sense of fraternity and imbibes with the idea of global friendship. With the rhythm of dhak (   a kind of drum) the dance with the dhunuchi (the pot where myrrh is burnt) is a well known sight in every pandal. The misery is thrown away for the four days and sheer mirth prevails. In the places inhabited by the Bengalis there is annual holiday for five days.

Durga Puja is celebrated for five days, Sasthi, Saptami, Astami, Nabami and Dashami. There are different mantras on different days and different rituals too. Everybody clad in new dress gathers in the Puja pandals to pay homage to the Goddess Durga. The joy of the kids and the youths knows no bound. This is a period of going after the own sweet will and to do anything without caring the frowns of the seniors. For four days there is the arrangement of dainty dishes at every home. The only aim for the four days is eat, drink and be merry. No restrictions, no red eyes of the doctors, no hard frowns of the elders only arrogance and zeal to go after the will prevails.

 Now Durga Puja is not limited with the small span of the Bengali courtyard. It has become a global Puja where every nation takes part to be motivated with the idea of slaying the evil power at any cost and be drifted in the ripples of sheer mirth and laughter.

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