Durga puja a social festival of the Hindus. The festival of Durga Puja starts with Mahalaya, in Aswin. Prayers are offered to their ancestors at the river banks, a ritual called Tarpan. The inauguration of the Goddess idol starts on Mahashasthi. The main puja is for three days – Mahasaptami, Mahaastami, Mahanavami. The puja rituals are long and very detailed and complicated. Three days of Mantras and Shlokas and Arati and offerings – the whole atmosphere is filled up with a festive mood.
Meaning Of Durga
Durga is perhaps the most widely worshiped deity of Shakti. Maa Durga’s divine characterization include entire Devibhagavatham is dedicated to her. Durga means one who is difficult to approach. However since she is the mother of universe she is the personification of tender love, wealth, power, beauty and all virtues. Goddess Durga is a form of Sakti worshiped for her dynamism and her power to overcome the evils. She is the mother of the Universe. She is the destroyer of the demons a divine power which has protected the world from the evils.
The Bengal villages have strong belief of some of the goddess that are from Chandi Mangal, Manasha Mangal, Goddess like Shasti, Manasha, Mangal Chandi had been the celebrating goddess. They are the power “Shakti” and have been protecting the people from various disaster and problems so they are the form of Durga (Mahisasurmardini). The blend of urban bengal is the theme of Naba Durga this year. Below is the nine forms is which Durga will be celebrated this year.
1.Bipattarini : Goddess “Bipatarini Chandi” is worshiped mainly in south24parganas. Goddess Bipattarini Chandi is a mixed form of Durga and Kali . She protects from all sorrows and problems in our lives .
2.Rajballavi : Goddess is celebrated in Jangipara and Rajbalhat in Hoogly district . She has been the goddess of power for many centuries .She is the mixed form of Durga , Kali and Saraswati.
3.Ola Devi or Olai Chandi : Goddess “Manasha”has been worshiped so that people of Bengal remain safe from snake bite,like wise “Devi Shitala”has been worshiped for the disease “Chicken Pox” like wish people in Bengal worship Ola Devi to remain safe from Cholera .Then diseases attacked frequently in the past in the villages of Bengal . So people relayed much on goddess . She is mainly worshiped in south 24parganas and also known us Bibima.
4.Manasha-Jagatgouri : Jagjiban Ghoshal who has been a poet in North Bengal described Manasha as a daughter and wife of “Dharma” (the god of religion) .The creation of this universe ,Dharma created Brahma,Vishnu and Maheswar,After that he created Manasha (a beautiful daughter).Manasha was beautiful in her youth when “Dharma”married her daughter .But he realised what wrong he had done .But Manasha transformed herself to a baby of 3days and she was floated in the water in a cascade by three brothers Brahma,Vishnu and Maheswar. Rishi Hemant brought up in the name of Durga. So this is a story of Durga and Manasha blending up in its unique form.
5.Mahisashurmardini (Devi Jogadya) : This story is in the satyayug when “Shiva”terminated “Sati”with chakra in pieces . The right great toe of sati fell in the “Khirgram”of Burdwan District .Devi is worshiped in the form of “Jogadya”(Mahamaya). “Maa Jogadya” is a historical ,social , spiritual blending that still remains today . The form in which devi is worshiped is made of black stone which was created by artist “Sri Nabin Chandra Sen”.Historian and writer Sri Nirad Baran Sarkar has given a picture of this devi form which is rare today .
6.Rankini: “Rakini”is worshiped all over Bengal but specially in “Chotonagpur” “Western Rar”area. The people of that regions beliefs that “Rankini” is a form of Devi Durga and Kali or Bhairavi. Amarendranath Majumder has written “Bhairav Rankini Mahatto”.Local people believes that though Rankini is very powerfull and full of fiery , she is very pleased when worshiped with devotion .
7.Baram Chandi: The tribal people of Medinipur ,Bankura and Hooghly district of Bengal worships this Devi with devotion .She is a local goddes and worshiped with much pride specially in Medinipur .She is worshiped once a year .But the tribals call “Baram Parab” (festival). She is a form of Devi Durga.
8.Bhandali or Bandurga: She is local goddess of North Bengal . In Coochbehar district, there is a village called Gopalpur , in Jalpaiguri district Padamati village and Bhandali village ,here devi is worshiped with much pride. She is a mixed form of Durga , Kali and Bahishnav Power .
9.Mangal Chandi: Devi Mangal Chandi is worshiped in Bengal and is a form of “Adya Shakti Durga” In Chandi Mangal Devi killed the demon Mangal and became Mangal Chandi . But some of the Pandits believe Mangal Chandi is a form of Devi Durga . Sometimes she is fiery , sometimes she is sober and she protects and does good who worships her (Mangal Chandi).
Image Courtesy : Sayan Biswas (Please do not use without permission)
