Durga Puja is an important Hindu festival which is marked by worshipping Goddess Durga during a period lasting 9 days. It is celebrated in the month of Ashwin,September/October every year. Celebrations of Durga Puja are visible throughout the country especially in the state of West Bengal where the festivities take gigantic proportions.

This festival is popularly known as Sharodotsav, recalls the power of female Shakti symbolized by the Goddess Durga .
She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Winecup, Shielf, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion from which comes Her  name, Simhavahini, “She who stands astride the king of beasts”. She is gorgeously dressed in royal red cloth and has several ornaments decorating Her personage. Her hair is dressed up in a crown (karandamukuta) which then flows out in long luxuriant tresses that are darkly luminous and soothing to the eye. The various tools reflects the eminent supremacy that helps in controling the universe and obey Her will.
She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti.

The celebration of Durga Puja  is also known as Akalbodhon or untimely celebration. It is called Akalbodhon because the time of worship differs from the conventional period which is spring or Basanta. In Ramayana, it is said that Lord Ram wanted the blessings of the Mother Goddess in order to save his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana.Satisfied with Ram’s devotion, Durga appeared before him and showered her blessings. Since Ram evoked the Goddess during autumn this period of worship is therefore known as ‘Akalbodhon’.

The story goes that Mahishasur, the Buffalo Demon, through years of praying, received blessings from Lord Brahma, that no power can kill him which means he is invincible. But once gaining this power he started ravaging the whole world and killing people and eventually wanted to uproot the Gods too. The Gods, in dismay, combined their powers to create a beautiful maiden, and each placed his or her most potent weapon in one of her ten hands riding a lion.

According to other traditions, it is believed that Lord Shiva permitted Durga to visit her mother only for nine days in a year. This festival of Durga Puja therefore marks her visit to her mother’s place and ends with the Vijaya Dashmi day, when Goddess Durga leaves for her return to Mount Kailash.

While earlier Durga was worshiped alone, now it is, more often than not, the goddess with her family. Durga is portrayed as the supreme head and the presence of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Shiva  marks a wholesome picture of divinity.

Fasting, festival dishes, devotional songs, decorations are some of the main aspects of the Durga Puja festivals.

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