Divine Bliss

My Ganga walks in Kolkata culminated in joyous Durga Puja walks. Embracing Goddess Ganga and Goddess Durga together. Feel blessed.

Durga Puja is one of the major festivals of Hinduism, traditionally held for ten days in the month of Ashvin, the seventh month of the Hindu calendar and particularly celebrated in eastern Indian states. It begins on the same day as Navratri, which is held over nine nights in many northern and western states.

According to legend, Goddess Durga was created by the Devas, the male Gods of the Hindu pantheon, to slay the buffalo demon Mahishasura(mahisa means buffalo and asura means demon). Mahishasura had been granted a boon by Brahma that made him invincible against a male opponent. He and his forces had attacked the Devas and displaced them from their celestial abode. Powerless to overcome their adversary, the Devas led by the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, combined their powers to create a female divinity with martial prowess and armed her with their own weapons. Embodying their collective energy, Durga is both a derivative of the male divinities and the true source of their inner power. Born fully grown and beautiful, Durga  presents a fierce, menacing aspect to her enemies.  

Durga Puja festival of Kolkata is widely acclaimed for its magnificence and cultural significance. In the months preceding the festival, artisanal workshops sculpt beautiful images of the Goddess using unfired clay pulled from the Ganga river. The worship of the Goddess begins on the inaugural day of Mahalaya, when eyes are painted onto the clay images to bring the Goddess to life. Durga Puja is seen as the best instance of the public performance of religion and art in Kolkata. The festival is characterized by large scale installations and pavilions, as well as by traditional Bengali drumming and veneration of the Goddess.

Kolkata Durga Puja is Inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Sharing a few glimpses of my Durga Puja captures in Kolkata…