We went to a couple of Durga Pujas this year. The one in Hayward that we’ve been to a couple of times and a new one in Foster City. Here is the email Anupam sent to my mom about the puja…
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About Durga:
Maa Durga is the embodiment of creative feminine force (Shakti) and is usually depicted with 10 arms with various armaments in each one of them. She manifests fearlessness and patience and is the warrior aspect of the divine mother.
According to the legend, Mahisasur was terrorizing the earth, heavens and the nether worlds and could not be defeated by any god or man. After many wars, the gods went to Brahma, the supreme being for help, who could d nothing since he himself had given Mahisasur all his powers. Brahma went to Vishnu and Shiva, two other gods with this tale of despair. On hearing the full story of what was going on, the gods were enraged and a fierce white light emerged from their bodies. From this light emerged Durga.
She then engaged Mahisasur in fierce battle for many days where many died on both sides. Mahisasur had the capability of changing form and it was during one transformation from a raging buffalo to his real form she stuck a spear through his heart killing him. Since then she was given the name Mahisasurmardini i.e. Mahisasur Killer
Durga in all her forms have been seen in Indian art and culture starting from the 1st century BCE. She has been depicted with 2, 4, 6, 10, 12 arms. But it is in the Gupta dynasty/empire during CE 300-600 she evolved into what we currently see.
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Durga Puja:
This is an annual festival. The name translates to “Festival (or Worship) of Durga”. It is celebrated across India but is most popular in Eastern India and is the primary festival of West Bengal, the state I’m ethnically from. The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj when Goddess Durga was identified with India and she became the icon of the Indian Independence Movement. Over the last 250 years, Durga Puja has become the one of the largest celebrated festivals across the world. It is often called the Rio Carnival of the Eastern Hemisphere.
During Durga Puja, over 5 days, the entire state of West Bengal comes to a standstill. It is a public holiday. In any and all public places, grounds, parks, stadiums, traffic circles, schools etc a pandal (temporary structure made from bamboo) is setup. Some can be rather simple and some can be very elaborately decorated, drenched in history. Inside this structure there will be a stage with Durga astride her lion, with her 4 children (also gods/goddesses) flanking her. Bengalis dress up in traditional clothes over the 5 days. The men wear a Dhoti (The long fabric that is wrapped to create pants) and a long kurta which is usually tied together with strings. Women wear saris with red hues. The main part of the puja is a pushp-anjali (flower-worship); the priest hands out flowers to the attendees gathered around the stage and leads them in a prayer that lasts about 3-5 minutes. After the prayer, the attendees toss the flowers at Durga to bless her because she saves them from evil. Earlier in the day a young priest will demonstrate Aarti, which is a ritualistic worship dance often carrying a couple of container with smoking coconut husks to enhance the mysticism.
On the last day of the Puja, the goddess is immersed in a large body of water so she can leave her avatar and go back whence she came to protect the people. After that, the married women put sindoor on each other foreheads in the parting of their hair. The sindoor symbolizes marriage. Bengalis will then call upon each other to wish “Shubo bijoya” or auspicious victory. As kids, my sister and I used to write letters to all our relatives to wish them Shubo Bijoya. I used to consider it quite a chore, but as time has passed, I’ve grown to romanticize it…
