Durga Puja: The Queen of All Festivals

India is a place where there is celebrations. Being a common nation, there is no shortage of things to celebrate in this place where there is ponders. From Christmas to Eid ul Zoha, Independence Day to the Cricket World Cup, there is not really anything that Indians don't care for celebrating. Basically point us towards an event and we are for it. Be that as it may, covered up among this not insignificant rundown of festivities is a diamond as Durga Puja, something celebrated in its full magnificence in the Bengali people group.

All in all, what precisely IS the Durga Puja?

All things considered, for clearness, Puja alludes to a religious celebration. Nonetheless, for us Bengalis, Durga Puja is to a lesser extent a 'Puja' and a greater amount of the exemplification of the soul of merriment. What precisely does that mean? All things considered, let us backpedal a couple of millenniums to answer that inquiry.

The custom of conjuring the goddess Durga (or the mother, known as 'Mama') is first considered to have been finished by Lord Ram before he went forward to fight Ravana, as recorded in the epic Ramayana. In any case, the convention lay torpid till about the late 1500s, when the proprietors in Bengal took it up. It was at last given its last frame in the eighteenth century as Baroyaari (or 12 companions') puja, a term which at long last came to allude to group supported Durga Pujas held in Kolkata.

Basically, all parts of India commends this period, yet as Navratri. It constitutes of 9 days of fasting, which closes with Dussehra, a day where a model of Ravana is scorched as an approach to demonstrate that disasters are constantly championed by great as Lord Ram had championed above Ravana.

In Bengal

In Bengal, in any case, the significance of these 10 days are very unique.

My most punctual recollections of Durga Puja are that of awakening amidst the night to tune in to Mahalaya on the radio. It is a program that has been airing on the main day of the Bengali month Ashwin for over 7 decades and 4 ages of Bengalis, compelling them to get up at 4 am, something despite everything I do religiously consistently on that specific day. In spite of the fact that the enchantment of the aroma, the half awoken self and knowing Ma is coming has to some degree decreased with the years, the possibility of something so by and large effective that it influences an entire group to anticipate despite everything it holds a lot of appeal in any case.

Mama

We regard Ma Durga as something more than simply the goddess. While beyond any doubt she encapsulates the crude power (or Shakti) that conquered insidious by killing the malevolent devil Mahisasur (consequently the term Mahisasur-mardini), she is a whole lot something other than that. The ten days that begin with Mahalaya mean her yearly visit to her fatherly home in Bengal with 4 of her youngsters. As such Ma seems to be, in the meantime, a mother, a spouse, a goddess, and in particular, an individual from our family. We spoil her, we regard her, we cherish her and we worship her. She is something other than a godliness.

To us Bengalis, she typifies our most genuine nature. Regardless of where a Bengali may be, come Durga Puja, he/she feels an association with his/her family.

THIS is celebrating Pujo (an informal term for Durga Puja).

To be honest, it can't be contrasted with whatever else on the planet. Be that as it may, recollect the harmony one gets when going to the family, or the glow amid Christmas, or the inclination you get when you visit your family following a year away? That is the thing that Pujo intends to a Bengali. It is more than praising a religious celebration. The possibility of Pujo is uniting everybody. Furthermore, what preferable path can there be over a mother encouraging all that? We eat, we cry, we talk, be cheerful and commend something that is basically unbelievable anyplace else on the planet. It doesn't make a difference what you religion is. Regardless of whether a Muslim, a Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jain or anything in the middle of (counting nonbelievers), on the off chance that you are a Bengali on a fundamental level, Durga Puja is for you. From going to the a huge number of alternative platform (or pandals) for raising Ma Durga to having some tea amidst the night (under a tree in the nearby shop since it appears to unavoidably rain amid Puja evenings nowadays, particularly in the event that you are out at 2 am) to moving amid the symbol drenching service (called Bhashan), Durga Puja is something that you need to involvement with slightest once in your life.

Goodness, and did I say flavorful luchi and khichudi as lunch amid Ashtami and the perfect women who elegance the pandals? Pujo is justified, despite all the trouble... trust you me.

Also, It all Ends

Also, once Pujo is done, while we are for the most part dismal, we petition God for Ma to return securely to her great habitation the Himalayas. In this manner starts the sit tight for the following Puja. One more year to spend before our dear mother returns. Since Pujo never closes, it essentially gets moved by one more year. All things considered, Ma resembles the mother who needs you to be upbeat notwithstanding when she is no more.

Come, be a piece of this awesome celebration of harmony.