Durga Puja

Durga Puja (Sanskrit: दुर्गापूजा Durgāpūjā) is a large Hindu festival honouring goddess Durga, the consort of Shiva. It is celebrated every year in Bangladesh and the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal, between September and October. It is the biggest event of Hindus in Bengal, and Kolkata takes on an almost carnival-like ambience. The Kolkata-centric festival has been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since December 2021.

Understand

The main idol of a Durga Puja pandal in Bidhannagar, Kolkata in 2018

According to Hindu texts, goddess Durga (दुर्गा Durgā) won a battle against the shape-shifting demon Mahishasura (महिषासुर Mahiṣāsura). Durga Puja celebrates this mythological event as the victory of good over evil. It combines Hindu rituals with tourism and is celebrated both indoors and outdoors. A temporary structure is built for outdoor celebrations, commonly known as "pandals" (puhn-DAHL) or "mandaps" (MUHN-duhp).

Durga Puja is known by different names within the regions where it is celebrated, including Durgotsava (literally "festival of Durga"), Śāradotsava (literally "festival of autumn"), and especially in Bengali, Māẏer Pūjā (মায়ের পূজা, literally "worship of mother [Durga]"). In the West Bengal dialects of Bengali, the word pūjā (পূজা) is often replaced with pujo (পুজো), and the festival itself is called simply Pujo.

Due to its famous celebrations in Kolkata, Durga Puja is often associated with the Bengali culture, though it is also observed in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. It is celebrated among Bengali-speaking minorities in other parts of India and foreign countries as well, most notably in Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The main idol worshipped in Durga Puja venues generally consists of five deities, the demon Mahishasura and Durga's animal lion. From left to right, the five deities are:

• Ganesha (गणेश Gaṇeśa) — god of good beginnings
• Lakshmi (लक्ष्मी Lakṣmī) — goddess of wealth and prosperity
• Durga (दुर्गा Durgā) — main deity
• Saraswati (सरस्वती Sarasvatī) — goddess of knowledge and music
• Kartikeya (कार्त्तिकेय Kārttikeya) — god of war, also known as Murugan

The name Durga first appears in the Vedas, especially the Ṛgveda and the Atharvaveda. Manuscripts from the 14th century have guidelines for Durga Puja and the aristocrats have been sponsoring the festivals since at least the 16th century. The Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family's Durga Puja is considered the oldest in Kolkata, who have been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha. Raja Naba Krishna Deb started Durga Puja in the city's Sovabazar Rajbari in 1757, after the British victory in the Battle of Plassey. During the British Raj, Durga Puja became a major festival in eastern parts of South Asia. Over the years, it has morphed into an inseparable part of Eastern Indian cultures, especially the Bengali culture.

Navaratri

Outside Bangladesh and Eastern India, Durga is worshipped as part of the nine-day celebration of Navaratri, which is celebrated by dancing to devotional songs and religious observances like fasts extended for nine nights.

Bonedi and Barowari

In West Bengal, Bonedi (বনেদি Banedi) refers to the family organisation of Durga Puja and other Hindu festivals, while Barowari (বারোয়ারি Bāroẏāri) refers to the public organisation of such festivals. Generally, Bonedi festivals allow the general public to worship and the arrangements are taken care of by the family who takes the initiative and spends money on it. On the other hand, Barowari festivals are arranged by clubs, societies or other local organisations independent of certain families. Barowari Puja celebrations often label themselves as "Sarbojanin" (সর্বজনীন Sarbajanīn or সার্বজনীন Sārbajanīn) or "Barowari".

In the late 18th century, several men in Guptipara, Hooghly were stopped from participating in a household Durga Puja. Seven of them formed a committee and organised the first Barowari Durga Puja. In 1910, Bhowanipore Sanatan Dharmatsahini Sabha organised the first Barowari Durga Puja in Kolkata.

Durga Puja in Kolkata

Durga Puja in Kolkata is the most famous celebration of the festival and the one that is recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021. The Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family's Durga Puja is considered the oldest in Kolkata, who have been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha. Raja Naba Krishna Deb started Durga Puja in the city's Sovabazar Rajbari in 1757, after the British victory in the Battle of Plassey.

The city has witnessed a surge in the number of theme-based pujas over the years. The themes range from various artistic ideas, cultural traditions, famous monuments around the world and even biographies of famous personalities.

Since 2016, Kolkata has organised Durga Puja Carnival before the immersion of puja idols on Indira Gandhi Sarani (Red Road) and Rani Rashmoni Road. This event publicly shows Durga Puja idols by different puja organisers after leaving the respective venues.

Schedules and rituals

Durga Puja is celebrated in the month of Āśvin, according to the Hindu calendar, which corresponds to September and October in the Gregorian calendar. It starts at Mahālayā and ends at Vijayadaśamī (also called Bijayādaśamī or simply Bijayā). Mahālayā marks Durga's journey to her natal home, while Vijayadaśamī marks her return to her marital home with Shiva in Mount Kailash. The days between these two ends are named Prathamā, Dvitīyā, Tṛtīyā, Caturthī, Pañcamī, Ṣaṣṭhī , Saptamī, Aṣṭamī and Navamī. The last three days are also prefixed with mahā, meaning "great".

Outside Kolkata, most pandals are inaugurated at Ṣaṣṭhī and the idols are sent to a waterbody to immerse them at Vijayadaśamī.

However, due to the overcrowding of the pandals in Kolkata in the last five days of Durga Puja (Ṣaṣṭhī to Vijayadaśamī), they are often inaugurated from Mahālayā instead of Ṣaṣṭhī and the idols are often immersed at days after Vijayadaśamī. For travellers, arriving in Kolkata days in advance of Mahālayā is the best option to visit the Durga Puja venues.

Vijayadashami

During or after Vijayadaśamī, women enjoy the Sindoor Khela (সিঁদুর খেলা Sĩdur Khelā), where one woman puts sindoor (also called vermilion) over another's cheek. Non-binaries and transgenders have also started to enjoy this celebration, although some conservative Hindus view their participation negatively. They also put sindoor on the cheeks of Durga Puja idols. Later on, the idols are brought out of the venues and transported to nearby waterbodies, where they will be immersed. The immersion ceremony is often called visarjana. In Bangladesh, Tripura and West Bengal, people chant āsche bachar ābār habe (আসছে বছর আবার হবে) during the immersion ceremony, which means "another year is coming, [Durga Puja] will happen again".

Destinations

Durga Puja is usually celebrated in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha Tripura and West Bengal. It is also observed among Hindus in Bangladesh and the Bengali-speaking minorities in other parts of India, notably Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Not only that, Durga Puja has spread beyond South Asia, especially in Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

South Asia

• 1 Agartala
• 2 Cuttack
• 3 Delhi
• 4 Dhaka
• 5 Howrah
• 6 Kalyani
• 7 Kolkata
• 8 Mumbai
• 9 Patna
• 10 Pune
• 11 Varanasi

Kolkata and Howrah

• Ballygunge Cultural Association. (updated Oct 2024)
• Chaltabagan. (updated Oct 2024)
• Dutta Chowdhury family, Andul. Among the oldest in Bengal, the Durga Puja was started by Kashiswar Dutta around 400 years ago. (updated Nov 2022)
• Jagat Mukherjee Park. (updated Oct 2024)
• 1 Kumortuli Park. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 Sabarna Roy Choudhury Estate, Barisha. The Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family has been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha. It is probably the oldest Durga Puja celebration in Kolkata. (updated Aug 2022)
• 3 Sovabazar Rajbari (শোভাবাজার রাজবাড়ি), 33 & 36 Raja Nabakrishna Deb St. Raja Naba Krishna Deb started Durga Puja in Sovabazar Rajbari in 1757, after the British victory in the Battle of Plassey. (updated Nov 2022)
• Sovabazar Sarbojanin. (updated Oct 2024)
• Sree Bhumi Sporting Club. (updated Oct 2024)
• Tridhara Sammilani. (updated Oct 2024)

Other countries

• 1 Australia
• 2 Canada
• 3 Germany
• 4 United Kingdom
• 5 United States of America

Talk

Although Durga Puja is celebrated across different linguistic groups in South Asia, many Indian and foreign travellers visit Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal during this season, so Bengali is essential while talking to the locals. However, if you want to visit places outside West Bengal during this season, the regional languages are more useful than Bengali.

Get in

Foreign travellers may have to obtain a visa to enter India or Bangladesh, see India#Get in and Bangladesh#Get in for details.

For Indian travellers outside West Bengal, there are various ways to enter the state, see West Bengal#Get in for details. However, the ticket prices of public transport can be very high, owing to increased demand during this season, so be sure to check the public transport providers.

Get around

On foot

Walking is often the best option to visit the Durga Puja venues in cities like Kolkata, especially as the streets can be too congested for vehicles larger than motorcycles and the police may not permit any vehicles on certain streets. You can visit local attractions and eateries while walking.

By two-wheeler

Two-wheelers, including bicycles and motorcycles, are useful for longer distances between venues. They are often permitted on certain congested streets while restricting larger vehicles.

By car

Car is useful for very long distances and wide roads but beware of narrow or congested streets while using your car to visit the Durga Puja venues.

By rickshaw

Rickshaws, including cycle rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and electric rickshaws, are cheaper than cars and they are very useful to arrive as close to the venues as possible. However, the police may not permit certain types of rickshaws on certain streets and highways within a city, so you can use a combination of walking and taking rickshaws to cross the restricted thoroughfares.

See and do

• Photography: Capture whatever seems meaningful to you in this festival, not just pandals or idols. Meaningful moments include crowds entering or leaving the venues, people beating ḍhāks (ঢাক, a drum-like instrument), priests worshipping Durga, people enjoying the dhunuci (ধুনুচি) dance etc.
• Sindoor Khela: If you're a woman, especially a married one, you can enjoy Sindoor Khela (সিঁদুর খেলা Sĩdur Khelā) with other women. Here, you have to give sindoor (also called vermilion) to another woman's cheek. Unmarried women, non-binaries and transgenders can also enjoy this celebration with caution.

Drink

A woman performing the dhunuci dance.

Enjoy the vibrant nightlife during Durga Puja. People dance on the street while playing DJ music. The dhunuci dance is worth watching, where people dance with one or more dhunucis (ধুনুচি), incense burners with a flared shape. Some may consume alcohol at night, but it is better to avoid it as there's a social stigma associated with alcohol. Instead, you can try soft drinks, as they are widely available in local stalls.

Sleep

Accommodations get booked up during Durga Puja, so book hotels in advance. If you're prioritising certain venues, you can look for accommodations close to those venues. If you're going to explore different venues across cities, budget guesthouses are a good option to save money for transport and eating. If money is no object, you may opt for more luxurious options. See the respective city articles for more details on accommodations.

Stay safe

Many venues get crowded during Durga Puja, and the best one attracts the most, so visit them as early as possible, especially in the morning and early evening. However, you may miss the chance of puja lighting and light shows at night, something many visitors enjoy.

Beware of pickpockets and street beggars at night, as they flock around popular venues. Carry enough cash for transport and food. You can also opt for digital payment (UPI in India) and go cashless, although some may not accept digital payments, so you still have to carry some cash outside.

The police officers will be there for help, and if you are in West Bengal, civic volunteers may also help you. Keep an eye on laws and regulations related to Durga Puja before visiting the venues.

Respect

Since Durga Puja is a religious celebration, wearing conservative clothes is often recommended. For women, wearing a sari or churidar is preferred over Western dresses. Although there are no regulations regarding this, being conservative in clothing is a way to respect the local culture.

Don't try to vandalise the pandals, as it is also disrespectful. They are works of art, and trying to vandalise them undermines the craftsmanship of puja artisans. Some puja organisers charge a hefty fine for even touching their pandals.

Related festivals

Other than Durga Puja, the following festivals arew celebrated as part of the Bengali Hindu culture, centred around Hindu goddesses:

• Kali Puja (কালীপূজা Kālīpūjā) — Centred around goddess Kali, this festival is celebrated during the days of Diwali, also known as Dīpābali (দীপাবলি) in Bengali. You can enjoy the vibrant Kali temples in Bangladesh and West Bengal amidst the dazzling lights and fireworks of Diwali.
• Jagaddhātrī Pūjā (জগদ্ধাত্রী পূজা) — It is celebrated a month after Durga Puja in West Bengal, mostly in Hooghly and Nadia districts. Chandannagar and Krishnanagar host the most famous celebrations of this festival.