Durga Puja Festival

Durga Puja, the most happening festival of the Bengalis can be sensed with its spurt of fanfare on all the four days of the festival. This autumnal festival recalls the power of female Shakti symbolized by the Goddess Durga who slays asura to reestablish peace and sanctity on earth again. Bengalis all over the world during these days of Durga Puja rejoice to their heart's content reconnecting with friends and relatives. Durga Puja is an occasion when the familiar sound of Dhak, Dhunuchi nachh,the mild fragrance of Shiuli, gives a familiar tug to every Bengali heart.



Durga Puja is an important Hindu festival which is marked by worshipping Goddess Durga during a period lasting 9 days. Celebrations of Durga Puja are visible throughout the country especially in the state of West Bengal where the festivities take gigantic proportions. Many pandals (makeshift structures) are decorated during the Durga Puja festival in honour of Goddess Durga. Fasting, festival dishes, devotional songs, decorations are some of the main aspects of the Durga Puja festivals.

Durga Puja is a festival which epitomises the victory of Good over Evil. Today, the festivities associated with Durga Puja can best be enjoyed at the various Durga Puja pandals which come up across the country. These pandals play various music and devotional songs in honour of Goddess Durga and are aesthetically decorated to provide for an ideal setting to offer prayers to Goddess Durga.
Durga Puja Festival
Durga Puja festival is known and celebrated with different names in various parts of India. In Bengal, Durga Pooja is also known as Akalbodhan (untimely awakening of Durga), Durgotsab (festival of Durga), Maayer Pujo (worship of the Mother). Durga Puja festival is also called Navratri Puja in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi. It is celebrated as Kullu Dussehra in Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh.
Durga Pooja
Durga Pooja is celebrated twice a year, once in the month of Chaitra (April-May) and then in Ashwin (September-October). On both Occasions nine different forms of Goddess Durga is worshipped threfore called Durga Navratri (nine nights). According to the Hindu Calendar Durga Pooja festival starts on the first day and ends on tenth day of bright half (Shukla Paksha) of Ashwin month.