India is a land of festivals. Being a secular country, there is no shortage of things to celebrate in this land of wonders. 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 point us towards an opportunity and we’re all for it. But hidden among this long list of celebrations is a jewel in the form of Durga Puja, something that is celebrated in all its splendor 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 festive 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 the mother, known as ‘Ma’) is considered to have been first performed by Lord Ram before he went out to fight Ravana, as documented in the epic Ramayana. However, the tradition lay dormant until the late 16th century, when Bengal landlords adopted it. It was finally given its final form in the 18th century as Baroyaari (or 12 friends), a term that eventually referred to community-sponsored Durga Pujas held in Kolkata.
Essentially all parts of India celebrate this period, but in the form of Navratri. It consists of 9 days of fasting, ending with Dussehra, a day when an effigy of Ravana is burned as a way of showing that evils are always defended by good as Lord Ram had defended 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, being half-awake, and knowing Ma is coming has waned somewhat over the years, the idea of something so collectively powerful that it makes an entire community yearn for it still has plenty of charm. .
Me
We treat Ma Durga as more than just the goddess. While it is true that she embodies the pure power (or Shakti) that she defeated evil by slaying the evil demon Mahisasur (hence the term Mahisasur-mardini), she is much more MUCH more than that. The ten days beginning with Mahalaya signify her annual visit to her parental home in Bengal with 4 of her children. As such, Ma is, at the same time, mother, wife, goddess and, most importantly, a member of our family. We pamper her, we respect her, we love her and we adore her. She is more than a divinity.
For us Bengalis, it embodies our most authentic nature. No matter where a Bengali is, they come to Durga Puja, he feels a connection to his family.
THIS 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 closeness one feels when visiting family, or the warmth at Christmas, or the feeling one gets when visiting family after a year away? That is what Pujo means to a Bengali. It is more than celebrating a religious holiday. The idea of Pujo is to bring everyone together. And what better way can there be than a mother facilitating all of that? We eat, we cry, we talk, we are happy and we celebrate something that is hardly heard anywhere else in the world. It doesn’t matter what your religion is. Whether you are a Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jain or anything else (including atheists), if you are a Bengali at heart, Durga Puja is for you. From visiting the tens of thousands of makeshift podiums (or pandals) to hoist 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 will inevitably rain during Puja nights these days, especially if you go out at 2am) to dance during the idol dipping ceremony (called Bhashan), Durga Puja is something you have to experience at least once in your life.
Oh, and did I mention delicious luchi and khichudi for lunch during Ashtami and the beautiful ladies who adorn the pandals? Bidding is worth it… believe me.
and everything ends
And once Pujo is over, while we are all saddened, we pray that Ma will return safely to her heavenly abode on top of the Himalayas. Thus begins the wait for the next Puja. Another year to pass before our dear mother returns. Because Pujo never ends, it just gets changed for another year. After all, Ma is like the mother who wants you to be happy even when she is not around.
Come, be part of this wonderful union festival.