10 lesser-known facts about Durga Puja Festival In India
Months before the arrival of winter, Durga puja arrives in all its majesty. This important festival celebrates the power of the goddess Durga.
But, how much do we know about this vibrant celebration? Is it only for fun and entertainment, or are there lessons in the folktales and stories? Let’s take a look at some astounding Durga Puja facts.
10. Punya Matti
The river Hoogly, which gets revered in West Bengal, provides the mud used to make the sculptures of Durga. The clay gets combined with soils from many prohibited sites. Also, like a prostitute’s home. This literary custom serves as a reminder that everyone is worthy of God’s creation. Individuals who visit brothels get said to leave their cleanliness outside the home. According to the belief, this soil is also referred to as “Punya Matti” further than a prostitute’s home.
9. The Divine Goddess
The Hindu deity Durga Ma is always recognized as the embodiment of shakti. She gets revered as one of the strong deities who inspires men with both boldness and dread. The auspicious time of worshipping Durga Ma is not on Durga Puja. It falls in the month of March. That time she gets worshipped as Basanti Devi. Such a name was given since it occurs in the spring. The Puja is popular as Basanti Puja.
8. Focusing in the dark
It is among the many mind-boggling aspects of this puja, and it is a very different practice. Most people think of the eyes as being the routes for light. Many get shocked to learn an interesting fact about the third eye of the Goddess. The idol creator paints the eye in total darkness. The priest fasts before this Chokhu Daan ritual, which goes by that name also. The labor for the artist never fails, and this is the pure charm of the deity.
7. Imported goddess clothing
Trendy clothes are not a recent occurrence. Decades before, German clothing would get worn by the great Goddess! The affluent Bengali zamindars adorned Durga with posts brought from Germany. The shimmering silver aluminum foil is also called Daaker Shaaj. As a result, a whole new fashion trend that is still quite popular today got created.
6. Calling upon the wild
The Goddess is strong and awful when pushed, like a successful woman. Sandhi puja gets performed with a complex setup of 108 lotuses and 108 lamps to calm her wild side. The Sandhi Puja ceremony gets performed in the early hours of Ashtami. It has an intriguing legend attached to it. It gets done to summon the blood-curdling wild Chamunda. A figure of the Goddess who killed the monsters Chondo and Munda!
5. Interesting participant
The Goddess visits with another special family member along with her 4 kids. It is Kola Bou. Bou means bride. She is also known as the Banana Wife and is Ganesh’s consort. Understand why? As per many stories, Ganesh wed the Banana for her mother Durga. It is to avoid suffering because of a daughter-in-law.
This ceremony is a stunning illustration of the necessity.
4. Rituals that symbolize the power of girls
This Durga puja ceremony shows importance of woman power. At a time when violence against women is on the upswing. The custom of Kumari puja got established by Swami Vivekananda. It gets performed to honor the purity of young girls. Also, it encourages society to unite its efforts to end hate crimes against them.
3. Transportation issues
The Goddess usually rides an elephant, a horse, a boat, or a palanquin as she journeys. Whereas the Elephant provides wealth, the others can bring about earthquakes, and floods. These forecasts are accurate when it comes to transportation issues!
2. The ugly aspect of everything
Many assume that the monster Mahisashur symbolizes the victory of the native people. The fair-skinned foreign armies made it one of the happiest days of the year. But, there isn’t any concrete evidence to back up such claims. The puja’s symbolic nature gives room for interpretation.
1. Dhunuchi Dance
Durga puja celebrations will not be complete without the Dhunuchi dance. It entails dancing while holding a dhunuchi. Usually, a dhunuchi is a coconut husk and dhuno over it, producing smoke and a smoky appearance. Although the Dhunuchi is very hot, the believers cope with it and follow tradition.
In India, several gods and goddesses get revered. India is the center of Hindu culture in Southeast Asia. Ma Durga gets revered as the ultimate goddess. She combines the two extraordinary traits of power and beauty.
In December 2021, ‘ Kolkata Durga Puja‘ got inscribed in the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
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