According to Hindu mythology, the Holy trinity of Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva created the divine goddess Durga to vanquish the demon Mahisasur. The goddess Durga represents the unison of the divine forces against the forces of evil and wickedness.
The first puja in New Delhi was an effort on the part of the probasi (expatriate) Bengalis living in the city. With Bengalis embracing English education, many had to leave home to serve in different parts of the country during British times. This brought a clutch of Bengalis to the city. In 1911, when Delhi was officially declared the Capital of British India, a good chunk of them came to work in various government offices.
These educated Bengalis formed a close knit community, unhindered by petty professional jealousies. This gave a huge thrust to the annual Durga puja celebrations. At first (in 1910 and 1911), the puja in Delhi was performed by ritually consecrating the 'mangal ghata' - the earthenware pot, symbol of the 'Devi'.
Delhi has a large population of Bengalis and they have settled here over a period of 100 years and even earlier. There are various Bengali societies (called samities) which organize Durga Puja and the oldest celebration go 100 years back!!!
Durga Puja coincides with Navratra and both are linked to the start of winter and harvest time. Navratri, which literally means 'nine nights', a nine day fasting period for Hindus, is observed several times a year but the most significant is the Maha(great) Navtatra at the beginning of autumn.
The dates of Bengali festivals are determined by the annual Panjika almanac, it also determines auspicious days for wedding, bussiness ventures etc. according to the lunar cycle. The Panjika also details how Durga, along with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik will arrive, by boat, horse, palanquin, etc.
Day after tomorrow is the start of the days of religious rituals, then Durga's earthly visit will be over for another year and she'll go back to heaven via an immersion in the Yamuna river.
The first puja in New Delhi was an effort on the part of the probasi (expatriate) Bengalis living in the city. With Bengalis embracing English education, many had to leave home to serve in different parts of the country during British times. This brought a clutch of Bengalis to the city. In 1911, when Delhi was officially declared the Capital of British India, a good chunk of them came to work in various government offices.
These educated Bengalis formed a close knit community, unhindered by petty professional jealousies. This gave a huge thrust to the annual Durga puja celebrations. At first (in 1910 and 1911), the puja in Delhi was performed by ritually consecrating the 'mangal ghata' - the earthenware pot, symbol of the 'Devi'.
Delhi has a large population of Bengalis and they have settled here over a period of 100 years and even earlier. There are various Bengali societies (called samities) which organize Durga Puja and the oldest celebration go 100 years back!!!
Durga Puja coincides with Navratra and both are linked to the start of winter and harvest time. Navratri, which literally means 'nine nights', a nine day fasting period for Hindus, is observed several times a year but the most significant is the Maha(great) Navtatra at the beginning of autumn.
The dates of Bengali festivals are determined by the annual Panjika almanac, it also determines auspicious days for wedding, bussiness ventures etc. according to the lunar cycle. The Panjika also details how Durga, along with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik will arrive, by boat, horse, palanquin, etc.
Day after tomorrow is the start of the days of religious rituals, then Durga's earthly visit will be over for another year and she'll go back to heaven via an immersion in the Yamuna river.
