Monthly Archives: May 2007
(from the Anthropological Museum at Bhopal)
Durga Puja:
In Bengal especially where there are many Shaktas (worshippers of the female consort of Lord Shiva – Durga), it is a nine-day festival, when the Shakti or goddess Durga is worshipped, thus it is called Durga Puja. This commemorates the birth of the Mother Goddess, and has an interesting origin. An Asura, Mahisha, was troubling the three worlds of heaven, earth and the space between. When his atrocities became unbearable, Shiva tried his best to kill him, but without success. The other gods were equally unsuccessful. Then, on Shiva’s advice, the devas / demigods performed a sacrifice and put their female shaktis (energies) into the sacrificial fire from where arose a woman of dazzling beauty. As a product of the female energies of the devas /demigods, she was called Shakti. The demigods requested her to kill Mahishasura. For killing him, she came to be called Mahishasuramardini. Similarly, for killing the demon called Durg, she came to be called Durga.
Months before the festival, a special clay image of the demi-goddess is made showing her in the act of killing the demon Maishasura. The clay for the image is brought from ten places of work: of a farmer, weaver, painter, carpenter, musician, drummer, blacksmith, sweeper, bricklayer and a prostitute. Durga is also called Sarva Jananni, a goddess for all (common folk), and is shown riding her mount, the lion. The image of Durga is lavishly decorated. For nine days, she is worshipped and on Vijayadashami (Dusshera), the tenth day, the day the goddess was victorious over the evil asura, her clay image is immersed in the ocean or river. This immersion symbolises Durga’s return to her husband Shiva on the conclusion of her annual visit to her parental house.
The pictures here are of the Durga immersion ceremony that took place in Bhopal this year.
