The Pearls of Catharsis Times Issue 01, Oct 2016 | Page 20

The Durga Puja Journal

Durga Puja is one of the important Hindu festivals in India that also happens to fall in Fall. The festival celebrates life, culture, traditions and customs. The festival is celebrated all over India and has different rituals and festivities. The festival is commemorated by worshipping Goddess Durga. She is worshipped for killing Mahisasur, a powerful demon who was also known as the Buffalo Demon. The legend behind the Durga Puja festival is that Mahishasur, the Buffalo Demon, received blessings from Lord Brahma, through years of praying, which made him invincible. Once gaining this power he started destroying the world, killing people and tried to kill the Gods too. In dismay, the Gods combined their powers to create a maiden, and each placed each of their most powerful weapons in one of her ten hands. Riding a lion she killed the demon. Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals in Bengal and it is the most important socio-cultural event in the Bengali society. Durga Puja in Kolkata comes with great majesty. The main Puja lasts for 4 days, but throughout the Puja month all the people of Kolkata live in a festive mood. The entire city is adorned in a new form. People do their best to spend these few days the best way they can, to make it more special than that in the year gone by.