The Durga pujah is the greatest festival of the Hindus of Bengal. It takes place twice a year once in the Bengali month Chaitra, and again in the month of Aswin or Kartick. The famer is called the Basanti Pujah, or the Pujah held in Spring and the latter is called the Saradiya Pujah or the Pujah held in Autumn. The Basanti Pujah celebrates the original worship of the goddess by which King Suratha was restored to his lost throne in the Satya Juga or the Golden Age. The other Pujah was first performed untimely by Sri Ramchandra in the next age to get the help of the goddess in killing Ravana. Though it was untimely and, hence, irregular, now so completely completely ousted the original pujah, that when we speak of Surga pujah or even simple pujah we mean this autumnal worship. While it means the longest holidays in the year, the other is not honoured even with a single day’s holiday.
Durga is the symbol of Sakti or power. She appeared to kill the demon Mahisaura who had become so powerful as almost to threaten the very creation. She is represented as riding a lion, fighting with the demon with ten different weapons in her ten hands. One of her feet is on the back of the lion and the other is on the shoulder of the enemy, who is half emerging out of a buffalom just slain. On her lif are saraswati, the goddess of learning, and Kartick, the god of warm, while on the right are Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and Ganesh the elephant-headed god of wisdom and success.
Of the eveninf of the 6th day of the moon in Aswin or Kartick is performed the Bodhana ceremony, I,e, the ceremony of rousing the goddess form her sleep. The real pujah, however, begins the next day, called the Saptami, and continues for three days. Besides offerings of flowers, fruits, rice, etc. , he-goats and even buffaloes ate sacrificed on these days. The 10th day of the moon is called the Bijoya Dashami because on the day everybody takes leave of the goddess, after which the image, or rather the images, are immersed in water with great festivities. This immersion ceremony is usually performed in some river close by where all the assemble to see
