Durga Puja 2023 - Durga puja with Kolkata Tales

India is a country of festivals, especially in Bengal, where the saying "Twelve Months with Thirteen Parbo" is a familiar theme.

A city rich in culture and heritage is Kolkata, the erstwhile capital of India. For more than a century, Durga Puja, the largest celebration in the area, has been held in Kolkata, the centre of Bengali culture. The event lasts 10 days and begins in the Ashwin month of the Bengali calendar. During the event, people from every walk of life gather together to commemorate the win of good over evil, symbolised by the Goddess Durga.

People can enjoy a blissful celebration of their traditions and cultures at this time. Despite being observed worldwide, Kolkata is where this festival truly shines, with a unique charm. The splendour of Durga puja in the "City of Joy" draws tourists worldwide, who make special trips to see it.

Keep reading this till the end to know more about Durga puja. And Durga puja with Kolkatatales can help you.

 

How Durga puja is celebrated in Kolkata?

Kolkata celebrates Durga Puja with great enthusiasm and careful planning. Organisers begin making plans for the big event months in advance of the celebrations actually starting. Extensive pandals (temporary buildings) are built, each with a distinctive theme frequently influenced by mythology, social concerns, or current events. Artisans and craftsmen put in endless labour to make stunning and breathtaking statues of Goddess Durga and her companions. These idols are a feast for the eyes since they are frequently decorated with elaborate jewellery and attire. There are over 4000 pandals of Maa Durga every year. Over 4 lakh people visit every day to these pandals to have the darshan of Maa Durga.

Beautifully ornamented pandals and idols are placed across the city, transforming it into a paradise of lights and hues. In order to heighten the festive mood, cultural acts, such as music, dance, and the stage, are held throughout the city. The aroma of burning incense, the sound of ethnic music, and the chatter of celebrations fill the streets.

Kolkata tales will provide you full information on Durga Puja, so that you get complete knowledge.

 

What is the Durga puja carnival?

A new addition to the celebrations, the Durga Puja Carnival is one of the highlights of Durga Puja in Kolkata. The carnival is a magnificent procession that features some of the most exquisitely made idols from various pandals. The initiative has enhanced the festival's cultural value while also bringing together the most extraordinary creative talent. People can witness the artistry and craft that go into creating idols and pandals at the carnival.

These magnificent idols are paraded throughout the carnival on delicately ornamented floats. Both people of Kolkata and visitors get the opportunity to experience the splendour of the festival, and it offers a stage for designers and artisans to demonstrate their abilities to a larger audience. The carnival now serves as a metaphor for the city's multiculturalism and sense of community that Durga Puja promotes.

A brief history of Kolkata in relation to Durga puja

Since the late 16th century, there has been a connection between Kolkata and Durga Puja. It is said that the first Durga Puja was held in the area by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family in Barisha. This festival has become more complicated and large-scale over time. But Durga Puja didn't become the huge event we know it to be until the British colonial era.

At their ancestral home in Barisha, Kolkata, the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family has been hosting Durga Puja since 1610. This Durga Puja event is perhaps the oldest in Kolkata. At Shobhabazar Rajbari, Durga Puja was first performed in 1757 by Nabakrishna Dev.

Early in the 20th century, Barowari Durga Puja had its start in Kolkata. In Kolkata, Barwari Durga Puja swiftly spread to become a popular celebration. Durga Puja was formerly only celebrated by wealthy people in Kolkata. The "Bhowanipore Sanatan Dharmatsahini Sabha" held the inaugural Barowari Durga Puja in Kolkata in 1910 on Balram Basu Ghat Road in Bhowanipore.

The celebration developed into a phenomenon in culture that both upheld tradition and modified itself to fit the present.

 

The Vibes of Durga Puja (From Mahalaya to Dashami)

Durga Puja Rituals

Mahalaya

The 'Devi Paksha' begins in Mahalaya, while the 'Pitru-Paksha' ends at Mahalaya.

Goddess Durga only spends four days on Earth, but Mahalaya begins seven days before the puja.

On the day of the new moon in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September–October), Mahalaya is celebrated.

The Day of the Goddess Durga's Painted Eyes is called Chokku Daan.

Kolkata's distinctive Durga Puja rites are available for viewing. The Maa Durga idols are prepared by colouring everything except the eyes one week before the beginning of Navratri.

The Goddess is welcoming to the earth on the occasion of Mahalaya. Chokku Daan, an auspicious ceremony, is performed on this day in accordance with procedures.

Maha Sashti (6th Day of Navratri)

The first day of Durga Puja in Kolkata is on the sixth day of Navratri. These exquisitely decorated idols are taken home or set up in the shape of beautifully decorated public pandals.

The idol is then decorated in front of the Goddess with flowers, clothing, jewellery, red vermilion, and a variety of sweets.

Rituals are performed in honour of Goddess Katyayani on Navratri Day 6. To combat stress, anxiety, and mental health issues, people worship the Goddess Katyayani.

Maa Katyayani, according to mythology, is Maa Durga's aggressive form. 

Maha Saptami(Kola Bow or Nabapatrika) 

Rituals are performed in honour of Goddess Kalaratri on Navratri Day 7. As part of the celebrations, several cultural events take place. The performing of plays, songs, dances, and other traditional acts brings people together.

Maha Ashtami

The peak of the ceremonies takes place on Mahashtami, which is the eighth day of the festival. According to mythology, of the 10 days, Ashtami Pushpanjali is the most auspicious. On the eighth day of Navratri, worship is offered to Goddess Maha Gouri.

Maha Navami

The ninth day of the celebrations is Mahanavami, which is once more celebrated with excitement. On this day, worshippers can worship Maa Durga, have all their desires come true, and bring joy and wealth into the home. Goddess Siddhidatri is worshipped on the ninth day of Navratri.

Dashami

The festival's last day, Bijoya Dashami, is distinguished by a powerful display of emotion as the celebration comes to an end. Sindoor Khela, or the application of vermillion to one another's faces to celebrate femininity, is a tradition practised by married women on the morning of Bijoya Dashami. By afternoon, preparations are completed for the idols' immersion.

Durga Puja 2023 dates

 

Here are some important dates for Durga Puja 2023.

Mahalaya - 14th October, 2023

Maha Panchami - 19th October, 2023

Maha Shashthi - 20th October, 2023

Maha Saptami - 21st October, 2023

Maha Ashtami - 22nd October, 2023

Why is Durga puja so special to Bengalis?

 Bengalis have a particular place in their hearts for Durga Puja because of its profound cultural importance. It's a celebration of art, music, dancing, community, and a religious occasion. The celebration unites young and elderly in their commitment and enjoyment, bridging generational divides. Durga Puja serves as a sentimental bridge for Bengalis who have left their own state and a chance to reconnect with their cultural roots.

Regardless of caste, creed, or social standing, the entire community gathers to celebrate at this time. People from diverse backgrounds gather in the pandals to pray and celebrate, displaying this unity. Durga Puja is a wonderful event for both locals and visitors since it amplifies the warmth and friendliness that Kolkata is known for.

 

Must do things during Durga puja

Pandal Visiting

Any time of day or night, Durga Puja is incomplete without pandal hopping.

 

Getting into your traditional clothes

Sarees for ladies and dhoti-kurtas for men perfectly capture the importance of wearing traditional attire during Durga Puja. Men can choose from a range of vibrant kurtas, while women must wear white sarees with gorgeous crimson borders on Ashtami.

 

Exploring Local Foods and Cuisine

In Kolkata, the festival of Durga Puja is not complete without delicious local foods. In order to properly celebrate Durga Puja, you must taste these 15 Bengali dishes:

• Mishti Pulao
• Niramish Aloor Dum
• Puchka
• Jhal Muri
• Sandesh
• Rosogolla
• Luchi and Aloo Dum
• Kosha Mangsho
• Cholar Dal
• Shukto
• Alur Torkari
• Bhetki Paturi
• Bhapa Ilish
• Macher Jhol
• Chingri Malai Curry

Taking part in a variety of cultural events

Check out the numerous Durga Puja rituals and celebrations at important puja pandals. Most communities have their own theatrical, dance, and music productions, as well as celebrity performances.

 

Being present during the Visarjan ceremony

 The VisarjanCeremony, during which people gather and sing and dance until the Goddess is submerged in the holy water of river Hoogly, marks the conclusion of Durga Puja. This is called bhasan, and during it, people typically have a great time dancing to popular music while throwing colour at one another in the streets.

 

What is Durga puja to the new generation vs the old generation?

 As times and viewpoints changed over time, Durga Puja changed as well. The festival conjures fond memories for the older generation and enduring traditions. They value tradition, social gatherings, and cultural events that have shaped their way of life for many years. The elder generation frequently emphasises the festival's spiritual component, which emphasises its conventional rituals and prayers.

 The younger generation, however, embraces Durga Puja with a mix of devotion and modernity. The artistic talent and originality that go into the idols and pandal designs are valued by them. Numerous of them take part in performances and cultural events regularly, and some even volunteer for different festival activities.

There is no denying that the Durga Puja in Kolkata is visually pleasing. As in past years, the celebrations will be the main attractions of Durga Puja 2023. Plan a vacation to Kolkata immediately to participate in the excitement and celebrations.

 

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