Durga Puja

Rituals

Durga Puja is celebrated with pomp and geity in West Bengal and among the Bengalis all around the world.
People enjoy all the ten days of the festival with a lot of fun and religious observance. In fact, Durga Puja is the
most important festival for Bengalis. Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, immerses itself in a week of
amazing festivity. Pooja pandals (big tents) are set up in almost every street of the city. The seventh, eighth,
ninth and the tenth day of the ten-day festival are prominent, when the important rituals of the occasion are
conducted. Go through the following lines to learn about the rituals of Durga Pooja.

Customs Of Durga Pooja

Maha Shashti

According to the mythology, Goddess Durga arrives to the mortal world from her heavenly adobe, with her
children. Her arrival on earth is welcomed by the devotees with much fanfare, amidst the beats of dholak. The
main ritual carried on this day is the unveiling of the face of the idol of Goddess Durga. The rituals of Bodhon,
Amontron and Adibas are performed before the commencement of the puja.

Maha Saptami With the first rays of the sun on Maha Saptami (the seventh day), a tree is dressed as the
Goddess Durga herself in yellow silk cloth with a red border. The tree deemed to be the Goddess then
becomes the spotlight attraction for the rest of the festival. The priest carries the tree in a grand procession to
the Durga Puja pandal (big tent) accompanied by the drummers to welcome the Goddess. A platform is set up
with an idol of Lord Ganesha already seated there. The tree-goddess is then installed beside the God of good
fortune and then worshipped. The Kola Bow or Nabapatrika receives a holy bath, which is performed well
before the dawn, on saptami. In this ritual, nine types of plants are worshipped as a symbol of Goddess Durga.
Kalparambho and Mahasnan are preceded by the mahasaptami puja.

Maha Ashtami The next day or Ashtami was traditionally the buffalo sacrifice day to commemorate the victory
of the Goddess over the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. However, there are no more sacrifices on the day,
except for a few incidents that may occur at the orthodox villages in the remotest areas but the Indian
government and the modern wave of animal love and compassion discourage them too. The devotees of
Goddess Durga start the celebrations of Maha Ashtami with the recital of Sanskrit hymns in community puja
pandals. They offer anjali to the deity. The worship of little girls, called 'kumari puja, is the main attraction of
the day. In the evening, Sandhi puja is conducted, which marks the inter-linking of the Maha Ashtami with
Maha Navami.

Maha Navami Maha Navami, the ninth day, is the main day of Durga Puja. The day begins after the end of
Sandhi puja. 'Maha Arti' that is considered a formal end of religious customs. Merriment, music and dance fill
the rest of the day. On Maha Navami, the navami bhog is offered to the deity. This food takes the shape of
Prasad, which is partaken by the devotees.

Dashami Dashami is the last day of Durga Puja, when a tearful farewell is offered to the deity. This process is
called Visarjan, wherein a grand send-off is arranged by the devotees. The idol of Goddess Durga, amidst a
long procession of devotees, is brought to the nearest river or lake, to immerse it. This event is also called
Vijaya Dashami.

Celebration of people

The greatest festival of the Bengali community, Durga Puja ranks among the popular festivals in India. It is
widely celebrated in West Bengal and other parts of eastern India. It is a four day festival and is dedicated
to the worship of Goddess Durga. Immense fanfare and celebration takes place during the Durga P uja
celebrations.
Durga Puja in West Bengal is usually celebrated in the period between September and October. The start of
the festival is marked with Mahalaya, which takes place seven days prior to the main festival. The main
festival takes place after seven days. The festival consists of Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, and
Maha Nabami. The last day of the festival is Bijoya Dashami when the immersion of the Durga idol takes
place. On the day of Bijoya Dashami, people meet each other and exchange greetings and young people
pay their respects to the elders.
Huge celebrations and fanfare take place all over West Bengal and other parts of eastern India. People of
all age groups wear new clothes and go for pandal hopping. Plenty of durga pujas take place all over
Kolkata and other cities in West Bengal. The pandals are designed and decorated according to various
themes and cultures. Durga Puja is a fine example of the rich culture, heritage and liveliness of the state.
To celebrate Durga Puja, all offices, educational institutions and business houses remain closed in West
Bengal. Friends, colleagues and well wishers exchange gifts between themselves. Companies and business
houses offer gifts to the customers and employees as a gesture of goodwill. The main shopping sale also
takes place during this period. Plenty of shops and markets offer heavy discounts and rebates on a wide
range of items. The hotels also offer discounts on the accommodation facilities to lure more people during
the festive season. Thousands of people come out in the streets and enjoy to the fullest. Traditional
Bengali food and other dishes are also cooked during the festival.
Apart from Kolkata, Durga Puja is also celebrated with wide fanfare in other places like Siliguri, Guwahati,
Mumbai, Patna, Jamshedpur, and Bhubaneswar and so on. Plenty of non-residential Bengali cultural
organizations arrange Durga Puja in the various places in United States, United Kingdom, Australia,
Germany, France, Kuwait and other countries.
People attitude
The local folks’ vitality amid Durga Puja is essentially supreme. The tremendous burst of vitality out onto the
lanes is irresistible. The city wakes up amid the jubilee. It is also an event for individuals to meet up from
various parts of the nation and even the world for a period when the chief topic is satisfaction for all and a
positive attitude for everybody is in the air.

Holi
Rituals : Rituals of the ancient festival of Holi are religiously followed every year with care and enthusiasm.
Preparations
Days before the festival people start gathering wood for the lighting of the bonfire called Holika at the major
crossroads of the city. This ensures that at the time of the actual celebration a huge pile of wood is collected.
Holika Dahan Celebrations
Then on the eve of Holi, Holika Dahan takes place. Effigy of Holika, the devil minded sister of demon King
Hiranyakashyap is placed in the wood and burnt. For, Holika tried to kill Hiranyakashyap's son Prahlad, an
ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana. The ritual symbolises the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of
a true devotee.
Children also hurl abuses at Holika and pray pranks, as if they still try to chase away Dhundhi who once
troubled little ones in the Kingdom of Prithu. Some people also take embers from the fire to their homes to
rekindle their own domestic fires.
Play of Colors
Next day, is of course the main day of Holi celebrations. The day is called Dhuleti and it is on this day that the
actual play of colours take place. There is no tradition of holding puja and is meant for pure enjoyment.
The tradition of playing colours is particularly rampant in north India and even in that region, there can be no
comparison to the Holi of Mathura and Vrindavan. In Maharashtra and Gujarat too Holi is celebrated with lot
of enthusiasm and fun. People take extreme delight in spraying colour water on each other with pichkaris or
pouring buckets and buckets of it. Singing Bollywood Holi numbers and dancing on the beat of dholak is also a
part of the tradition. Amidst all this activity people relish gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional Holi
delicacies with great joy.

Customs: Holi is a colorful festival and marks the commencement of spring. This is the perfect festival to let
your hair down, play pranks and revel in the pool of colors that will be thrown across. One of the most popular
lines used during Holi is 'Bura na mano, Holi hai!' (Don't be sad/angry, it is Holi!), which pardons you and can
help you get away with almost anything on this day. The festival is celebrated on the full-moon night of
'Phalgun', which falls in the month of March and marks the onset of spring, which signifies, freshness, beauty
and color. Just like every festival in India signifies something, Holi is associated with the holiday spirit and
symbolizes the victory of 'good' over 'evil'. According to ancient customs, a bonfire is lit in the memory of the
event and burning of the evil Holika and the victory of Prahlad, the son of demon king, Hiranyakashyap. Apart
from lighting the fire there are various other customs such as using the ashes from the fire to light the burner
at home, the preparation of certain sweets and playing with colors.

Celebration of people
Holi is being celebrated in Indian since time immemorial but the popularity of Holi celebrations seems to be
rising with every passing year and so is the level of hoo-ha. As no other festival gives so much liberty to the
people to let their hair loose and enjoy their hidden crazy self.
Differences of any sort are drowned in the coloured waters of Holi and people just enjoy being a play animal.
To further enhance the festive spirit of Holi celebrations we have a social sanction to get a kick with the
tradition of bhang. Then there is total wildness as people dance to the rhythm of dholak and sing traditional
folk songs in loudest possible pitch.
Children particularly enjoy the festival as they throw water filled balloons at passersby...and if anybody
stares..they have ready answer, 'Bura na mano Holi hai..' and evoke a smile on the irritated face. Besides, they
have their water missiles, called pichkaris to drench the person from far and escape further drenching.

People Attitude Holi is celebrated with great joy and enlightnment. People prepare sweets and enjoy them.
They also worship gods. Everybody puts on new clothes. Small and young boys manage small parties, sing and
dance. People smear their faces with different colours. They throw coloured water on one another. All the
participants get wet. Thus, the days of Holi are merry making. In order to create fun, they also exchange and
crack funny jokes. Everybody forget sorrows and deserves complete glee and happiness.
Christmas Day:

Rituals: Christmas traditions vary from country to country. Christmas celebrations for many nations include
the installing and lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of Advent wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes,
setting out cookies and milk, and the creation of Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas
carols may be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus, St Nicholas, Santa Claus, Father
Christmas, Christkind or Grandfather Frost. The sending and exchange of Christmas card greetings, observance
of fasting and special religious observances such as a midnight Mass or Vespers on Christmas Eve, the burning
of a Yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents. Along with Easter, Christmas is one of the most
important periods on the Christian calendar, and is often closely connected to other holidays at this time of
year, such as Advent, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, St Nicholas Day, St. Stephen's Day, New Year's,
and the Feast of the Epiphany.

Custom: Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ observed on December
25.[9][10][4][11][12] as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the
world.[2][13][14] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the
Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and
culminates on Twelfth Night;[15] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave.[16] Christmas Day is a
public holiday in many of the world's nations,[17][18][19] is celebrated religiously by a majority of
Christians,[20] as well as culturally by many non-Christians,[1][21] and forms an integral part of the holiday
season centered around it.

The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was
born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies.[22] When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city,
the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels
proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.

Celebration of people: People celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. It is often combined with customs from
pre-Christian winter celebrations. Many people decorate their homes, visit family or friends and exchange
gifts. In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day, many people decorate their homes and gardens with
lights, Christmas trees and much more. It is common to organize a special meal, often consisting of turkey and
a lot of other festive foods, for family or friends and exchange gifts with them. Children, in particular, often
receive a lot of gifts from their parents and other relatives and the mythical figure Santa Claus. This has led to
Christmas Day becoming an increasingly commercialized holiday, with a lot of families spending a large part of
their income on gifts and food.

People attitude: It is believed that Santa comes to every house in the night and gives gifts to the children.
Children eagerly wait for Santa to fulfill their wish. They also write their wish, keep in socks and hang it outside
hoping Santa will fulfill their wish. There is also a tradition of giving gifts like sweets, chocolates, greeting
cards, Christmas trees, decorative items etc to the family members, friends, relatives and neighbours. People
start Christmas preparations well in advance with great enthusiasm and joy.

Diwali

Custom: Many interesting rituals and traditions have been attached to the celebrations of Diwali. It is a five-
day long festival, which is celebrated with fun and fervor. The blissful festival calls for the exchange of gifts,
sweets and heartfelt wishes. Fire crackers are burst and people enjoy wearing new clothes, on the auspicious
day. Although the way of merrymaking is different and the customs are different, the feel among the people
across the length and breadth of the country remains the same - to spread good cheer. It is the time to
celebrate brotherhood. In the following lines, we have provided complete information on the customs of
Diwali.

Rituals of Dipavali

First Day of Diwali The first day of Diwali is known as 'Dhanteras'. People renovate, decorate their houses and
workplaces on this day and make traditional 'Rangoli' motifs on the entrance, to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.
Lamps and candles are lit throughout the night. It is considered auspicious to buy gold and silver on this day.
Many people opt for buying new utensils on this day. In Maharashtra, offerings of lightly pounded dry
coriander seeds with jaggery are made to the Goddess. Rural people revere their cattle on this day and cows
are considered especially auspicious.

Second Day of Diwali On second day, people take bath before sunrise, anoint themselves with oil and 'Ubtan'
(scrub made up of gram flour and fragrant powders). Bengalis believe that Goddess Kali killed the demon
Raktavija on this day. A general customs followed during the second day of Diwali is to burst crackers. People
illuminate their homes with diya, as to welcome the set the mood for celebrations in the following day.

Third Day of Diwali The third day is the main day of the Diwali festival. Jains have their own religious
significance of the day, because they believe that Lord Mahavir attained 'Nirvana' (or Eternal Bliss) on the day.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the great saint who gave rise to Hindu Renaissance, also left the mortal world on
this day. On this day, people wear new clothes and share gifts and sweets with their friends and relatives.
Women prepare delicacies and whole house is illuminated with 'diyas' and candles. Fireworks and crackers are
the kids' favorites on this day.

Fourth Day of Diwali On the 4th day is the 'Govardhan-Puja' or 'Annakoot'. In the temples of Mathura and
Nathadwara, the deities are bathed with milk and adorned with precious clothes and ornaments. Then
offerings of a large variety of delicacies are made to them

Fifth Day of Diwali The 5th day or the last day of this festival is called ' Bhai Duj '. On this day, sisters invite
their brothers and their family to their homes and treat them with delicacies. In turn, brothers offer them with
gifts and sweets.

Celebration of people: The festival is marked by large firework displays, to remember the celebrations which,
according to the legend, took place upon Rama’s return as locals set off their own version of fireworks. Those
celebrating the festival also light traditional earthen diyas (candles) and decorate their houses with colourful
rangoli artworks – patterns created on the floor using coloured rice or powder. During Diwali, families and
friends share sweets and gifts and there is also a strong belief in giving food and goods to those in need. It is
also traditional for homes to be cleaned and new clothes to be worn at the time of the festival.

People attitude: People visit their relatives, neighbours and friends. They exchange gifts and spend time with
each other. Many people host Diwali parties to celebrate the festival with their loved ones. The joy of
celebration doubles up this way. Many residential societies organize Diwali parties to celebrate the occasion. It
is a great way to rejoice in the festival.