Mahalaya:A Once-a-Year Popular Radio Prog - Page 3

Originally posted by: Jaadoogar

Happy Durga puja to everybody....

holo eebar samajh mein aa gaya😃, baaqi nahin samjha..😕

😆😆 she is asking how many sarees in this puja.

yes tht is the common line tht every bengali will be seen asking another during this period.

kota saree holo (how many sarees)

kota jaama holo (how many dresses) this is by the children.

Thank you Didi for the fantastic post..

Ghar ki yaad aa gayi.. 😭 😭

Originally posted by: Jaadoogar

Happy Durga puja to everybody....

holo eebar samajh mein aa gaya😃, baaqi nahin samjha..😕

Jadoo ji, you are lucky that you are staying in US now, come to Kolkata, you will understand the other words that Jaya has mentioned.😉😉😆

By the way Jaya, how many for you this time?😃

Originally posted by: uknaik99

Thank you Didi for the fantastic post..

Ghar ki yaad aa gayi.. 😭 😭

Kavita ji lets get together from every corner this year and celebrate it together. thats the main objective of my posting this topic. we r a family now so why not celebrate it together here at IF this year.

Originally posted by: MrspetloverUS

SOunds like something similar to Our Navaratri the 10 day event. On the 8th day of Navaratri We do big Hawan-Yagna for Amba Mataji. Navaratri starts on this Saturday. Happy Durga Puja to all.

Yes right. It's just like our Navratri. But the scale is huge. Kolkata during these few days never sleeps.

Originally posted by: musicbug

Jadoo ji, you are lucky that you are staying in US now, come to Kolkata, you will understand the other words that Jaya has mentioned.😉😉😆

By the way Jaya, how many for you this time?😃

I am away from home at the moment Pranjal, so dont know exactly. Hope my folks have bought something.. 😛 If not, 😡 for them - but well I go home on Sunday - so I still have around 3 days to catch up with last minute shopping before the bodhan commences on Mahashasthi 😃

Jaadoo - when we were in school it was more like a competition between friends - who got more dresses for the festival 😛

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF DURGA PUJA

In the Hindu faith, Durga represents the Mother Goddess, the perfect blend of femininity and strength. Puja, in Hinduism means worship. Durga is presented as the Goddess with ten hands holding weapons endowed with special powers, riding a fierce lion. She is also depicted as assuming mudras or hand gestures, which have specific symbolic meanings. Durga Puja is celebrated widely by people of Indian origin and is most popular among the Bengali community in Kolkata.

The history and origin of Durga Puja dates back to Ramayana, the Hindu epic. While Rama along with his devoted wife, Sita and faithful brother, Lakshman were spending there exile in the forest, Ravana, the demon king abducted Sita and took her to his island kingdom of Lanka. To rescue Sita from the grasp of Ravana, Rama waged war against him. As Ravana, the demon king of Lanka was blessed by Brahma's boon. Rama was advised by Lord Brahma himself to persuade Shakti or the Energy in the form of Durga. Therefore, Rama invoked Maa Durga to seek religious blessings even when it was not the time meant to worship her. Hence, worshipping of Devi Durga in the month of autumn is called Akal Bodhan, or unseasonal invoking of the Goddess.

The origin of Devi Durga is mentioned in the Markandeya Purana, the primary religious text of the Hindu religion. According to the accounts from the Devi Mahatmyam, Durga was created as the Goddess adept in combat to bring the ruin of Buffalo demon Mahishasura. The blessings of Brahma endowed Mahishasura with the boon that he would not be defeated by any man or God; only a woman could kill him. This blessing made Mahishsura invincible and he started an orgy of violence on earth, heaven and the nether world.

Enraged by his terrorizing acts, the supreme trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva emitted surge of energy and luminance blazed ahead, pointing towards a singular spot which assumed the shape of a young woman, and Durga was born. Her amazing face was sculpted by the light of Shiva, her ten arms created by Vishnu and her legs were shaped by Brahma. She was stunningly beautiful, with the torso created by Indra, the king of Gods, breasts by moon God, Chandra, thighs and knees by wind God, Barun and her three eyes by none other than Agni, the fire-god.

The Gods enchanted by her graceful beauty and formidable energy, praised Durga and bestowed her with divine and magical weapons. Shiva gifted her trident with a spear head, Krishna gave her chakra, a rotating disc, Agni presented her a missile, the god of sea gave her a conch, and from the god of wind she got arrows. King of Gods, Indra gave her a thunderbolt and his famous white-elephant, Airavata and she received the lion to ride, from the God of mountains.

Now equipped with all these marvelous and powerful weaponry, Durga emerged in the battle ground to fight Mahishasura. The fierce demons though initially admired the ravishing splendor of their rival, but soon Mahishasura in the form of the buffalo demon charged ahead in fierce rage. After an intense battle, soon Durga beheaded the buffalo demon and from its torso, emerged Mahishasura in his real form. Finally on the tenth day of the waxing moon fortnight, with the divine trident given by Shiva, Durga pierced the chest of Mahishasura, bringing the end of the malevolent clout over the world.

Durga is not only the embodiment of strength but she is also an embodiment of kindness, tenderness, sensitivity. In other incarnations of Devi Durga, like Karunamayee, Annapurna or Parvati, she personifies the motherly feelings and is represented as a softer persona. Over the years the autumnal worship of Durga was adopted by the Hindus and it became their primary festival. This year Durga Puja is going to be celebrated from September 29 to October 2, 2006.

DURGA PUJA CELEBRATIONS

The celebrations of Durga Puja begin on the day of Mahalaya. This day marks the end of PitriPaksha and the auspicious Devipaksha commences. It falls in the month of September or October according to the Gregorian calendar. Though the actual worship lasts for four days but the celebrations and rituals start from seven days earlier. On this day at dawn, people gather beside the holy Ganga to take a dip into the holy water and to offer prayer and religious blessings for their long departed relatives. This ritual is called 'Tarpan'.

According to ancient Hindu scriptures, King Suratha worshipped Durga in the spring time that's why it is also known as "Basanti Puja". But Rama, to seek blessings of Durga Mata before waging war against the demon king Ravana, invoked Durga in autumn. Hence it was an un-seasonal worship of Dura. As the legends narrate that the worship of Gods and Goddesses must be performed when they are awake and should not be performed when they are asleep. But on the day of Mahalaya the Gods and Goddesses were invoked in an untimely season.

Nowadays a typical part of Mahalaya celebration is the 'chandipath' (recitation from the sacred Hindu religious text) broadcast on radio in the wee hours of morning. Most of the families switch on the radio in the morning and those still asleep, wake up to the enchanting and awe inspiring recital of ancient religious 'shlokas'. Agomoni or welcoming songs and durga bhajans specially meant for Durga Puja follows soon. In the spirit of celebration melodious and pious music fill up the air and herald the advent of happy Durga Puja.

This is also the time to finish up the pandals. Pandals are actually make-shift marquees, sort of exhibition and meeting ground for the believers as well as the fun seekers of Durga Puja celebration. In Kolkata, plans for pandal design and making process sometimes starts even a year in advance. Bamboo, clothes, wooden plank etc. are the fundamental materials used in pandal making but today creative approach of pandal making has included such unusual materials like glass marbles, jute, wrought iron or cane. The elaborate and grand pandals are often replicas of well known structures and buildings around the world. These are so well made, it becomes hard to imagine, that they are not real but reproductions. Almost every locality in Kolkata celebrates their own puja. Pandals are set up even on the streets, forcing the traffic to be redirected through other routes. Skilled electricians design the lighting that lit up not only the pandals but also the adjunct streets. Every area looks like straight out of Las Vegas, complete with blinding neon lights, mind boggling decorations, loud music and grand structures.

As people gears up in the spirit of celebrations it is also the time for some last time shopping. Almost all the shops offer special discounts on items ranging from Saris to Sheek Kebab. This can also be called the annual shopping fiesta, when everyone goes for a wardrobe makeover. Markets and shopping malls are generally bursting at their seams during these last few days before the grand celebration begins.

Finally from the day of Maha Shasthi, or the Sixth day, the captivating sound of dhak, along with the evanescent fragrance of Shiuli flower and chanting of mantras indicate that the celebration and festivity of one of the biggest and magnificent festivals has begun. The spirit of celebration changes everything and displays an ambience of affability, exhilaration and indulgency.

Originally posted by: MrspetloverUS

SOunds like something similar to Our Navaratri the 10 day event. On the 8th day of Navaratri We do big Hawan-Yagna for Amba Mataji. Navaratri starts on this Saturday. Happy Durga Puja to all.

Varshaji, both are same. 8th day of Navratri is same as Maha Astami in eastern India. BTW, I also miss the Navratri as well. So much fun during this period; Garba, Dandiya .... whole night, amazing festival. 👏

FIVE DAYS OF DURGA PUJA CELEBRATION

The sound of Dhaak, fragrance of Shiuli flower, the sight of milky white Kaash, smoke and incense, clank of cymbals, all underscore the beginning of the five day long grand and joyous celebration of happy Durga Puja.

On maha shashthi the real celebration of Durga Puja commences. Maha Shasthi is the sixth day from the day of Mahalaya. On shashthi the priest performs the, 'Bodhon', which means to unveil goddess amid worship. The day is observed as a pious and sacred day on which the women of Hindu faith are supposed to fast till the evening. In the evening the fast is broken by having various fruits. And as the sun goes down, delicious, traditional dishes like Luchi, a kind of bread made of flour and mixed vegetables are shared by all the members of the family and friends. It is also common for all the families to visit the local pandals with their near and dear ones. The enchanting beat of dhaak sets the mood of the celebration.

The next day is known as Maha Saptami. It is the seventh day from Mahalaya. This is the day meant for offering 'anjali' which means offering flowers and prayers along with reciting ancient 'shlokas' to the Goddess Durga. The believer must be fasting till the time he offers 'anjali' to the deity to seek religious blessings. After that he can be in queue for the 'prasad', which refers to the blessed sweetmeats and fruits distributed to the believers. During the lunchtime, the local pandals become a mingling ground for the people living nearby where they share the lunch, known as Bhog. They chat, gossip and have fun sharing the Bhog and soak up the spirit of the celebration. In the evening it is the time to deck up in brand new clothes and dazzling ornaments and to make way through the rush of pandal-hoppers, swaying to the beat of dhak, out on the street to witness the spectacular display of lights, pandals and decorations.

Maha Ashthmi, the eighth day is one of the most significant days of the celebration. It is as much a social custom as it's a religious custom to offer anjali on the day of Ashtami, even if somebody doesn't want to offer anjali on any other day. The most important ritual on Maha Ashtami is "Sandhi Puja" which transliterated in English means, "worshipping during the evening". The priest performs the worship, chanting ancient Sanskrit Shlokas to breathe life in to the clay idol of the mother Goddess, which is called "Pran Pratistha". A bowl of water is placed before the clay idol and the reflection of the idol in the water creates an illusion of motion, which is assumed to be an indication that the clay idol has been conferred with life. In few temples, the long standing tradition of worshipping young girls known as "Kumari Puja": is also observed.

Maha Nabami or the ninth day of the celebration is set aside for devouring meat on this special occasion. In several pandals, meat is served as the main dish in the Bhog. But meat is never served inside temples. Nabami brings with it a sense of despondency as the celebration has only one day left to reach its conclusion. All this celebrations are intermingled with the regular practices like anjali, Prasad, gobbling up yummy treats from various make-shift food stalls or visiting pandal with friends and family.

The last day of Durga Puja celebration is known as Bijoya Dashami. This day coincides with Dussehra which is also the tenth day of Navaratri. This is the final day of celebration, a day meant to bid farewell to Durga. Colorful and emotional rituals take place before the idol of Durga mata is taken for immersion in the near by river. This may seem like a tremendous waste as those brilliantly sculpted idols are thrown in to water, but this custom helps those poor idol makers who will again get to earn by making idols of Durga next year.