This article is partly featured in The Statesman Festival 2024 Magazine.
In Bengal, Durga Puja is not only a religious tradition, but it is also a festival. It is called “Bangalir Shreshto Utsab” or the greatest festival of Bengalis. It is because, although it started as a religious festival, as we have discussed in the previous blogs, it turned out to be a representation of cultural unity and the freedom movement, as well as seeing her as the daughter returning home with her children. It is called a "Sarbojonin" Utsab or a festival meant for all and sundry. Durga Puja is inclusive of caste, creed, religion, as well as gender identities and professions. Thus, it is more than just a Puja. The traditions, rituals and ways of Durga Puja are hence very different from Navratri, which are observed in individual homes. Let's find out how.
The Pandals and idol:
As per Hindu tradition, four things are important when the idol of Maa Durga is prepared. These include clay from the banks of the Ganga (Ganga Mati), cow dung (Gobar), cow urine and soil from outside brothels, known as ‘Nishiddho Pallis’, without which the idol is considered incomplete. Poetic justice is served to the society, which otherwise looks down upon such a profession of women who ask for the clay from their courtyards, which is called "Punya Mati" or sacred clay. This ritual has been observed for many years, and no one has been able to trace it back to its origin. Traditionally, it is the priest who must go to a prostitute’s house and beg for Punya Mati to be used to bring Durga to a form. If the sex worker refuses, the priest must continue to beg until she relents. When the clay is collected and handed over, Vedic chants are recited by the priest and the clay is handed over to the idol makers (Kumars of Kumortuli), who now give the idol its shape. But nowadays, to make things easier, these idol makers themselves go to the Brothels to bring the clay. This is perhaps a tradition to include all women (as parts of the Devi herself) in the rituals. Many believe that the soil is considered to be blessed because people who visit the forbidden lanes leave behind their virtue and piety at the doorstep to enter the world of carnal sin. The soil then imbues all the virtues and becomes blessed. Another school of thought, based on the studies of the Vedas, believes that nine classes of women known as Navkanyas are to be worshipped during Durga Puja. The Noti (dancer/actress), the Vaishya (prostitute), the Rajaki (laundry girl), the Brahman girl, the Shudra girl, and the Gopala (milkmaid). According to the belief, the worship of the ten-armed goddess is incomplete without paying respect to these women. In 2013, the sex workers of Sonagachi, the largest red light area in Asia, got their own Durga pujo. Before this, no Durga Pujo was conducted in their area.
Recently, after the release of the movie "Brahmastra" trailer, an apparent "protest" was done because Ranbir Kapoor's Shiva (character in the movie) is seen entering a Durga Pujo pandal with his shoes on. Frankly, before this, I didn't even know that in other states people enter pandals with their shoes off (I mean, I can't even imagine the crowd doing that here!) So I decided to look into it further. Hence, here is a clarification.
The Durga Pujo Pandal (marquee) has two parts. One is the place where we enter, the theme and artistic essence are displayed, and we stand and pray or click pictures (by praying I don't mean mantras, Anjali is very much offered barefoot), and the other part is the shrine or Dias that separates the idols from us. Nobody except the priest or family members in pure clothes is allowed on that platform, which is where the Pujas are performed. The pandal is not the shrine of the Goddess, and hence we don't need to remove our shoes. Also, if the Idol is made according to a theme, a separate traditional idol is kept in the shrine and treated as the original goddess when being prayed to. Hence, the movie depiction was neither incorrect nor insulting.
The Rituals:
Mahalaya: The Start of Devi Paksha
The Devi Pokkho (the time of the Devi) starts at the end of Pitripaksha. The last day of Pitri Paksha is known as Mahalaya. On this day, the heirs (men) of the house give Sraddhanjali (Tarpan) to the dead ancestors and seek their blessings before the start of the puja. The Durga Idol is painted with eyes (symbolising giving her a vision of our world) on this day. Since 1931, at 4A.M. every Mahalaya day all Radio channels play the one hour thirty-five minutes long “Mahishashur Mardini” arranged and recited by Birendra Krishna Bhadra. For almost a hundred years now, listening to this has become a household tradition for all Bengalis. For us, the Durga Pujo always has to start with it. Birendra Krishna Bhadra, a playwright himself, faced a lot of opposition for being a non-Brahmin and reciting the Chandi Path himself. But now his voice has become synonymous with the recitation of the Chandi Path in every Bengali household.
Shosti:
In Bengal, any Shosti pujo starts with the worship of Goddess Shosti, a form of the Adi Shakti that grants children to women. Mothers on this day fast and pray for their children’s safety. In the evening, Devi Durga and her children (Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kartik) are given weapons, i.e. she is adorned to start fighting Mahishasura on Saptami.
Saptami:
Saptami marks the actual beginning of Durga Pujo with the Kolabou snan (bathing of the Banana leaf bride in the Ganges or nearest river) and dressing the tree up as a new bride (with saree and sindoor). It is then placed beside Lord Ganesha, the Siddhidata, who is always worshipped first. In folklore, she is depicted as the wife of Lord Ganesha, but in ritualistic nature, the Kolabou is known as Nabo Patrika or the representative of nine auspicious plants that are worshipped during the autumn harvest season. Originally, these trees were worshipped separately, but due to a lack of resources, the Banana plant is now used as a representative.
The nine plants are:
- Banana (Kola Gach)
- Colacassia Plant (Kochu Gach)
- West Indian Pea (Jayanti Gach)
- Turmeric Plant (Halud Gach)
- Woodapple tree (Bel Gach)
- Pomegranate tree (Daalim Gach)
- Arum Plant (Maan Kochu)
- Rice-Grain crop (Dhaan)
- Ashoka Tree
Ashtami:
Kumari Puja, which was originally started by Swami Vivekananda at Belur Math to give a message about the importance of the girl child and that the goddess resides in each one of us, has now become a mainstream Bengali Durga Pujo tradition. Swami Vivekananda perhaps got this idea from his Guru, Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa, who sat his wife, Maa Sarada, down and worshipped her as the mother goddess. It is originally a tribal tradition from Nepal to worship the female child of a particular “guna” or quality and age-appropriate to represent Gauri, the unmarried Goddess Parvati. The child is dressed up as a bride, and her feet are washed by the priests, and then she is offered fruits and garlands and mantras are chanted in front of her.
108 lotuses are offered to Maa Durga in honour of Prince Ram’s tradition of offering her the lotuses
All Bengalees wait for Ashtami to offer Anjali to the goddess at their nearby Pandals. Mantras are chanted thrice, and flowers are offered at Devi’s feet with offerings. Previously, Boli (sacrifice of humans and animals) was prevalent in many Zamindar houses on this day. The sacrificial animal was then worshipped, cooked and offered to the goddess and eaten as Prasad the next day. The tradition continues now in most places using vegetables.
Dhunuchi Naach or Dhunuchi dance is performed to thank the Goddess Durga on the evening of Ashtami or after Sandhipujo. While traditionally it used to be a voluntary men-only affair, women also take part in it now. Dancers can be seen holding one burning Dhunuchi in each hand while performing to the beats of the Dhak amid ululation. Dhuno is the Indian equivalent of frankincense, a plant resin of the sal tree, and the Dhunuchi is a flared-shaped earthen pot which is used to light the mixture. The aroma that comes from it is regarded as holy and is believed to have a purifying effect.
Navami:
Navami is significantly the most important day, on this day Maa Durga slays Mahishashur after fighting him the entire night. It starts with the Aarti or Sandha aroti or Sondhikhon Aroti, as it is called, at the time of confluence between the Tithis of Ashtami and Navami, when the main war between the Devi and Mahishasura took place. 108 lamps are lit in front of the goddess. It is also the day that “Mach Bhog” or fish offerings of Ruhi or Hilsa are given to the Goddess across Bengal and Orissa, and is then eaten by the devotees. In the popular tradition of Bengal, which is known for its rivers and fishing as one of the primary occupations, it is deemed auspicious for a married woman to eat fish during auspicious festivities like Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Saraswati Puja. Vegetarian meals are only eaten on Ashtami (when we don’t eat rice in honour of harvest), but are otherwise deemed inauspicious because they are symbolic of what widows consumed. In Bengal, it is believed that one should offer their best to the Goddess and earn her blessings for more. So Mach Bhog is a must offering from these fishery-oriented states to their goddess.
Navami is also significant because it is said that on this day, the Goddess reassured Prince Ram of his victory against Ravana the next day.
Dashami:
In Bengal, Dashami is the day when people bid adieu to the Goddess, with the popular Sindoor Khela among married women after they do the traditional Boron of the goddess. Women wipe the tears of the goddess with their anchol and whisper in her ears to arrive back soon. On this day, Bengalis visit their families and loved ones, seek the blessings of elders and have sweets after the Goddess leaves for Kailash. The Visarjan usually happens in the Ganges or the nearest river, while the Goddess Lakshmi stays back for the Kojagori pujo five days later.
Although traditionally only married women participate in the Sindur Khela, as recently as in 2019, members of the Queer community who identify as women, as well as widows, actively took part in the festivities to bid adieu to Uma. The Visarjan is usually preluded by the Dhunuchi Dance, Dhak and chants of "Asche Bochor Abar Hobe".
Traditionally, Maa Durga is considered the daughter of every Bengali household who comes home with her children Kartik, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi while Lord Shiva waits for her to return home. On Dashami, when she is about to leave for her long journey back home, traditional Bonedi households release two Neelkanth birds (which are, unfortunately, a rare sight now). The first one is released when the Goddess steps out of her home/ the household by women of the house, and they believe the bird will travel far and let the Lord know she is going back to Kailash. The second one is released in the ghats of the Ganges when the idol is immersed in water.
Interestingly, not only is the blue bird known as the Indian Roller named after Lord Shiva himself, but another story revolving around Ram also mentions the bird as a sign of good luck or one who brings good luck. Lord Rama was on his way to kill Ravana when he spotted one of these birds, according to many local versions of the epic Ramayana. He takes it as a sign of his victory over evil, and sure enough, he was right.
A Personal Emotion:
To every Bengali, Durga Pujo is not just a festival. It is nostalgia, memories, emotion, a celebration of life and more. As a Bengali, it is perhaps imbibed in us to check the dates of the Durga Pujo as soon as we get a new calendar, or start counting down days to Mahalaya three months prior. As children, we used to count the number of new clothes we had (it is also a tradition to gift your kin and family new clothes), and there was always a competition among cousins who had the most clothes; the planning and get-togethers, reunions and Adda that would never happen if not for this festival. Now, Durga Puja in its essence has changed, perhaps a lot from what it was before. Change is the eternal truth you can’t shy away from or resist. Amidst the themes and prizes, selfies and DSLRs, you perhaps won’t find a lot of people stopping to pray. But our hearts know what she is to us; perhaps our appreciation is a little different. We appreciate every bit of art that the artisans of Kumortuli and the decorators of the pandals put up as sheer beauty. Our hearts flutter every time we hear the Dhak or smell the Dhunuchi. The Bengali heart misses home if it can’t make it back for Durga Pujo or works the entire year just to be home for Pujo.
The nostalgia of cap Bonduks from our childhood, the fields of Kashful visible along the highways and villages, and the sweet smell of Shiuli flowers remind us of her arrival. The cotton white clouds floating in the clear blue sky, occasional thundershowers followed by sunshine, smells of Agomoni. The five days a year you wait to gorge on good Biriyani after months of dieting to fit into and look good in your Pujo attires, the vibe of positivity and relief from everyday routine and monotony for just a few days a year, the savouring of small Gojas only found during this time. As a child, whenever I saw her face after the Sindoor Khela, I always imagined Maa Durga’s eyes sparkling with tears like ours. We started counting down the days to the next pujo. I wouldn’t say growing up changed much of that in me. Some feelings linger on, even after they are over. Like the smell of the incense in the empty pandals after she departs, our heart hopes for yet another year and more memories. That emotion is personal, that feeling is of “Home”. And that home is where the heart belongs.
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| Chow, a tribal Bengali dance presenting Mahishashurmardini |
