The city of Kolkata has been called to be the city of Joy and it wears all the colors and lights and looks joyful during the Durga puja. People wait very eagerly for this festival and prepare in advance. The nine-day-long festival creates much stir among people, some visit their loved ones and some send their warm regards and wishes as Durga puja gifts. Some many customs and traditions follow this day and all of those make the day momentous and enjoyable. Each day is significant and each day has its different customs to follow and traditions that make the day important. To understand the festival and its significance in the lives of the people and the cultural impact it has one has to be aware of its history, customs, and traditions. If you wish to know more about the history of this festival then our blog on the history of Durga Puja will be interesting. For customs and traditions, we have tried to enlist everything possible in this article. So, read on to know more about the customs and traditions that intrigue you the most. But to understand the customs and traditions you also need to know about the day.
The mythological story states that Mahishasura the demon prayed to Lord Brahma and wished for a boon to be invincible. Lord Brahma said he would grant his wish on one condition that he will only be defeated by a woman. Being prideful Mahishasura agreed to this condition and went on to win over the three Lokas or the worlds. He defeated all the gods and created havoc, the Gods went to complain to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu along with Lord Brahma, and Lord Shiva decided to create Goddess Durga from the amalgamation of their powers. They created the Goddess and each and every God gave her a weapon with which she could fight Mahishasura. Goddess Durga with her weapons fought with Mahishasura who kept on changing his forms. The fight lasted for nine long days and it is on the tenth day when was able to slay the tyrant and restore peace again in the realm. It is also believed that Goddess Durga along with her children visits her parents’ home every year for ten days.
As we believe that we welcome the Gods and Goddesses in our house and we worship them we keep the house well prepared. Along with that, we wear new apparel throughout the ten days of the puja to celebrate and cherish the victorious days. It is on the fifth day of the puja also called Panchami that the face of the goddess is revealed. The commencement day of the festival is called Maha Shashti which marks the beginning of the celebration of the arrival of Goddess Durga. Maha Saptami is the seventh day of the festival and the rituals of this day include dressing a tree in a yellow silk saree with a red border. This is done to commemorate the importance of Goddess Durga who is believed to reside in the tree from the seventh day onwards. The rest of the celebrations involve this tree as well.
On the eighth day of the festival, that is Maha Ashtami, there are recitals of the Sanskrit hymns and Anjali is offered to Goddess Durga. Kumari puja, which is the worship of young girls, takes place on this day in the morning and it is the main highlight of the day. Sandhi Puja is held in the evening which is believed to serve as a link to the Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami which is the next day of the festival. Maha Navami is the ninth day of the festival and it is believed to be a day of merriment as there is only fun and frolic in the form of dance and music held throughout the day. The last day of the festival is marked with the farewell of Goddess Durga.
On the tenth day of the puja witnesses a grand celebration called the ‘Sindoor Khela’ where all the married women play with the crimson-colored powder. This is a tradition that has been followed ever since the beginning to celebrate the last day of the Goddess with them. It is believed that she must be escorted with a celebration so that she leaves for the Himalayas her home to return the next year again. Everyone celebrates with much enthusiasm with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. Sweets are exchanged and gifts are sent to convey warm regards to the loved ones.
The end of the festival starts the beginning of another hopeful year ahead. So, reconnect and rejuvenate this Durga puja, and don’t forget to send gifts to your loved ones and make them feel your presence and warm regards.
