Meaning of Durga Puja in Kolkata and West Bengal

“Dugga Thakur Mai ki Jai!!” is the most popular line you will hear during the Durga Puja every year not only in Kolkata wherever you find Bengali’s in the world. In Hinduism Durga is the embodiment of Shakti. As per the puran Durga is emerged by the collective energies of Tridev (Bramha, Vishnu & Shiva), to demolish the power the demon named Mahisasura who was holding the immense power and no man or God can defeat him except a lady.

Apart from having the mythological story Durga Is the symbolic icon to the mankind for being an Self-sufficient and independent lady who is undefeatable.

When we celebrate the Durga Puja Occasion we not only celebrate the puja but a lady who is alone taking care of her family and once in a year she is coming along with all his kids to his father’s place. In this period Bengalis makes her ‘Ghorer Meye (Homecoming of a girl to her father’s place)’ and call her ‘Uma’.

It starts from 6^th day of Navaratri which is Shahsthi. If you wish to come to Kolkata during this period you will be coming to see a Disney world on every next road. It’s non-parallel to understand the Aura of Durga Puja if you have not visited to Kolkata. It becomes the epitome of Culture, Art, Color, Food, Heritage and what not!

Though, if you wish to get the flavor of Bengal during Durga Puja you need to visit from Mahalaya (Which exactly comes a week before Durga Puja Festival and you can actually smell the festive season from then.

You must visit to Kumartuli during that period. The place where actually idol get ready to get departed to para’s. Even in international idol export use to be happen from here.

The festival remains continued for 24*7 for 5 days out of which the 3^rd day you can actually find as most engaged day amongst the city. Asthami – During the day time everyone get dressed traditionally to go for the Anjali and you can actually smell on the air of the new cloth everyone wore during the Anjali, After which you can different plans for different age group is amicable and makes the community most unique. Children’s play on the community/para, teenagers go for the hangout/pandal hopping, mid aged people women get engaged within the group to prepare food at home/for ma durga (bhog) and elders get the time to sit and spend time within their circle to do bengali’s favorite thing called ‘Adda’.

Durga puja for Bengalis have different meaning to different people

•          It becomes homecoming for lot of people
•          Few parents wait for the whole year to see their child during puja
•          Few go out of Kolkata & Bengal as they get a good vacation time
•          Few get engaged before 2-3-4 months of its starting for Parar pujo
•          Few go to their ancestral house (desher bari) to be a part of their barir pujo

It carries different meaning for different people, but to assure you if you plan to visit Kolkata during our own pujo Kolkata is surely going to make you happy.  At-least once in a life everyone should come and taste the essence of it.

Being a Bengali one thing would like to say – Come to Bengal and see what it is!

For more information on Pandal hopping, route guidance you can drop a note along with your email id. I’ll look back and will try to provide you the optimum help as per your requirement.

Dugga Dugga!!!!