Rituals
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Durga Puja is basically a
festival with a series of rituals & Puja. The making of Durga idols is also
governed by rituals. The elemental ritual, which is most commonly followed, is
that the ingredients that are used to make the idol of goddess Durga come from
the holy river Ganga. The idol of Durga is generally flanked by the idols of
Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh. The image of Durga is framed at the
centre, and the background behind the whole group is called the chaal-chitra.
The goddess sits atop a lion, which is her vahan. The favourite tableau is of
her stabbing Mahishasura, the demon. It symbolizes the victory of goddess over
the demons. It is celebrated in different parts of India in different styles.
But the basic aim is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her aspect as Power,
to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge, and all
other potent powers.
Traditional and household Durga Pujas festivities last till ten days. But the
main ritual of Durga Puja spans a period of four days. Debi-Pakkha is the name
given to the fortnight from the new moon till the next full moon. This is the
most propitious time for performing holy rites. The ritual of drawing the eyes
on the image of the goddess is called chakkhu-daan. Symbolising the process of
infusing the image with the power of vision, this is done on Mahalaya, the day
of the new moon. The main puja starts from Shasthi, which is the sixth day after
the new moon. On Saptami, the image of the goddess is infused with life through
a process called Bodhon. Early in the morning, the pran of the Devi is put
inside the image after it is brought from a nearby river through the medium of a
banana plant. The banana plant (Kola Bou) bathed and draped in a new yellow
saree, resembles a newly wed bride. Ashtami is universally accepted as the
culminating point of the four day celebrations. It was on this day that Durga
had killed Mahishasura. The ritual of Sandhipuja marks Sandhikkhan, the juncture
between Ashtami and Nabami. The main attraction of Nabami is the Maha-Arati held
in the evening. On Dashami, the image is immersed in a river. Bijoya is a
special ritual whereby peace and good relations are reaffirmed. Families
exchange sweets and people embrace each other, vowing brotherhood. Bijoya
continues till the next new moon, when Kali Puja is held.
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