durga puja

Hundreds of puja pandals are set up every year in the Siliguri Mahakuma area. The city is adorned with many colourful pandal, glorious Protima, colourful lighting and sounds. The puja in Saktigarh, DeshbandhuPara, Hakimpara, Rabindra Sangha, Rathkhola, Champashari, Central Colony N.R.I, SilpanchalBurdwan Road and Saktigarh Utjal Sangha, sorojini sangha[shivmandir] are famous and the oldest durga puja in this area.Silpanchal Durga Puja committee is recognised as one of the oldest puja is town which was established in 1955 and is famous for the Protima and many other social activities they undertake during Pujas.The oldest puja in Siliguri is of Swastika Yubak Sangha. Its one of the most crowd gathering puja of the region. The Puja Committee completed its 50th year of celebrations in 2007. Sorjini sangha completed its 150th year recently.

One of the oldest Durga pujas of Bengal. It has been said that this puja is started in 1510, by the founder of Cooch dynasty Raja Biswa Singha on the same year of his accession to the throne with the help of his younger brother Sishya Singha.The gigantic sized Durga sculpture, popularly known as Borodebi The Great Goddess, made with clay comprises only Maa Durgas image with Mahishasura and JayaBijaya, her consorts excluding her childrens sculptures is vermilion red in colour. As a part of tradition, humansacrifice is done there in the night of Ashtami on a secluded puja attended only by the members of the royal family which still has been observing. Obviously, now it took a ritualistic form only offering blooddrops from one of the royal family member everyyear. Other than this, many buffaloes, goats, pigeons are sacrificed in front of the deity. Not only the royal family, all the people of Coochbehar regarded her as the supreme deity, calling as Borodevi Suprememother.

Badkulla is famous in Nadia district for smallscale weaving industry and large pandals during DurgaPuja.During the four days of DurgaPuja Badkulla becomes alive. Every year thousands of people gather here from the nearby places to see the huge pandals, beautiful light works, amazing idols.Once upon a time here Durgapuja was started after getting sound of Cannon from the Royal Palace of Krishnachandra of Krishnagar. Apart from the DurgaPuja, it also well known for its cultural devotion. Here all the clubs organize annual functions to encourage the common people to take participation in different social and cultural events.Laxmi Puja, Rathyatra and Rashyatra is also very famous of here.

AssamIn Silchar more than 300 exhibits, known as pandals, decorated with lights, sculptures and other art forms are created. After Bihu, Durga Puja is the most popular festival of Assam. According to historian Late Benudhar Sarma, the present form of worship of Durga with earthen sculpture in Assam was started during the reign of Ahom King Susenghphaa or Pratap Singha.

BiharDurga Puja is one of the major festivals in Bihar. Bhagvati Durga Puja and NouDurga along with Vijaya Dashami is an important festival of the Maithili Community. Hundreds of pandals are set up with carnivals.

GujaratNavaratri is devoted to Amba mataji. In some homes, images of mataji are worshiped in accordance with accepted practice.

JharkhandDurga Puja is celebrated with many carnivals. The festival mood starts from Mahalaya, a huge surge in visitors is witnessed during the last four days of the festival, arriving from cities like Jamshedpur TATA, Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Sisai, etc. After offering puja, thousands of people set out in the evening to have a darshan of pandals.

KarnatakaDurga Puja is celebrated in a grand way in this state. In Mysore, Dussehra is easily the most popular festival. Elephants are decked up with robes and jewellery and taken in processions through the streets of the city.

KashmirHindus in Jammu and Kashmir celebrate their festivals with pomp and show. These days, festivities are more subdued. The favourite deities of Kashmir are Lord Shiva and Serawali Ma Durga, the one who rides the tiger.PunditsDogris and Muslims alike vouch that Navratri is important.

KeralaIn Kerala, Durga Puja signifies the beginning of formal education for every child aged 35 years. While puja goes on in the temple for all ten days, it is the concluding three days which are most important. Ashtami is the day of Ayudya Puja, when all the tools at home are worshipped.

Bengalis from state of West Bengal India migrated to the UK from early 1960s and contributed as doctors, engineers and skilled work force. They brought with them Ma Durga, and Durga Puja is celebrated all over UK with much gusto and enthusiasm. From north of UK, to South there are scores of Durga Puja, and these 4/5 days makes one feel part of West Bengal. The celebration includes not only the Bengalis but many other Hindus as well. During the same period, the Gujarati community also celebrates 9 nights of Puja Goddesses Ame, similar to Goddesses Durga and famous Gurba community dance, culminating in to Dashera festival.Amongst the noteworthy Pujas in London, London Sharad Utsav Puja hosted at Ealing Town Hall has attracted Londons Bengalis due to jovial atmosphere, well organised cultural programs by renowned artists, and excellent food arrangements.

In 2004, a group of Indians residing in China came together and organised Durga puja in Shanghai. Since then it has become an yearly affair and has got bigger with active participation from the Indian, expat and the Chinese community. The sculpture of Ma Durga has been brought in from Kumartuli. Every year purohit from India is flown in to perform the puja. Elaborate decoration are done at the venue to give a very distinct look of a pandal interior. Men, women and children turn up in traditional Indian dress at the event. Dhaks are played and Dhunuchi dances are performed. Bhog is served to all guests.The evenings are occupied with community cultural program and performance from visiting overseas artist.The event receives a fair bit of support from personal and corporate sponsors.

In Muscat, Bongiyo Parishad Bengali Association of Muscat celebrates Durga Puja with Bhog distribution Astomi & Navami and Anjali in Shiva Temple. Vijaya sammilani cultural programs on the event of Vijaya Dashami/ Dussehra is also a part of this celebration. Hundreds of Bengalis and others are found to enjoy these days here. Traditional Dhak is not played here but these days, recorded beats of Dhak add a separate dimension to the beats of the devotees hearts.

Dussehra in Nepal is called Dashain. As it is chiefly a Hindu nation, the pattern and dates of the festivals coincide with those of India. The King of Nepal plays a key role in the festivities, particularly during Saptami or the Seventh day of the pujas. Despite the overthrow of monarchy in Nepal, the Royal Family still has a significant cultural role in the nation.

In the United States the pujas are often hosted during weekends with few exceptions. The puja weekends are time for Bengal friends and family to gather together to spend the weekend savouring Bengali culture. Cultural programs are held there is food stalls selling ethnic clothes, jewellery, books, music DVDs etc. There is a general atmosphere of festivity.In Australia, the major Durga Puja festival were held in Sydney and Melbourne. They are also held very grandly in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Bhog Distribution, Cultural Programmes, anjali and dhunuchi naach were the main events. BANSW and BPCSV were the main organizers in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.In Germany several Durga Pujas are celebrated along with Bhog distribution and Anjali in Bremen, Berlin over 40 years old, FrankfurtMain, Hamburg, Koln Cologne, Stuttgart and Munich Munchen. In France, the Sammilani association has been celebrating Durga Puja in Paris for 27 years as of 2013, for the whole five days of Mahashashti to Mahadashami. This festival, which includes diverse cultural programmes, is the social epicentre of Bengali Hindus in France and a major attraction for all others interested in Bengali and Indian culture.

Although Durga Puja is not a major festival among the Hindus in Bali dan Tengger, the Sindhi and South Indian community have constructed many Maa Durga temples in Jakarta and Tangerang, where Durga Puja is a major celebration here. Sindhis end their Durga Puja on the Ashtmi Day, marked by Havan and Nyari Seva feeding food to young girls while South Indians continue till the 10th day. On these days garba and dandia events are also held which ends with a grand celebration of Dassera, where images of Ravan are burned in the Shiva Mandhir, the largest Mandhir in Jakarta.