Durga Puja 2019: Date, significance and how Bengalis celebrate it

New Delhi, September 26: Durga Puja or Durgostav, one of the most awaited festivals especially by Bengalis is round the corner. The festival which is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is festival which marks the win of good over the evil.

Months in advance the preparations for Durga Puja begins. Durga Puja coincides with Sharad Navratri.

This year Mahalaya (homecoming of Goddess) falls on September 28, but the festive of Durga Puja begins on October 3rd, that is Panchami and ends on October 8th on Vijaya Dashmi.

While each day has its own significance, the eighth day or Maha Ashtami is considered the most significant during Durga Puja.

Significance

This is a festival which celebrates the victory of good over evil. The legend goes as, with the blessings of goods and with their collective energy goods Durga was born to fight the demon King Mahishasura. Mahishasura was blessed with immortality and the gods or man were unable to kill him. It is said that Goddess Durga would different forms and faught demon Mahishasur for Nine days and nights, finally on the tenth day or last day of Durga Puja she killed him, that is the day devotees bid farewell to Ma Durga.

Dates for Durga Puja

• Panchami 3rd October 2019
• Shashthi 4th October 2019
• Saptami 5th October 2019
• Ashtami 6th October 2019
• Navami 7th October 2019
• Dashami 8th October 2019

How Durga Puja is celebrated

Durga Puja is celebrated with great fervour in states like West Bengal, Tripura and almost all places where there is huge Bengali community.

Months in advance the preperations begin in form of construction of huge pandals where the colourful idols of Goddess Durga are unveiled on the sixth day (Shashthi). These pandals have beautiful decorations sometimes based on a theme. On the following days Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped.

On the day of Maha Ashtami which is the most important day during Durga Puja, nine pots with nine different forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped.

Many also perform the Kumari Puja, which is worshipping the unmarried young girls. In this, the young girls feet are washed and later Alata (red paint) is applied. Once the ritual ends they are fed with sweets and other food.

All the rituals and prayers end on Navami. On the 10th day the is Vijaya Dashmi, the goddess returns to her home and in big processions idols are taken for immersion.

During the Durga Puja the community celebrates with setting up food stalls for Anand Melas, they also enjoy dance performances and games.

The delicious food for Ma Durga

The goddess is offered bhog, a sort of Prasad. The same bhog is offered to the devotees in the pandal. Bhog includes Khichadi, Begun bhaji (eggplant fritter), labra (mixed vegetables), Payesh and roshagolla (sweets).

In addition to this the pandals are lined with food stalls with various Bengali savouries like fish cutlet, Kathi rolls, ghugni, Mughalai Paratha and many varieties of sweets.