Durga Puja 2012 date

Durga Puja 2012 date is 16 October. A Hindu who determines to have Durga Puja celebrated in his house, on the day of the Bath Jatra takes a piece of split bamboo into the room where the family idols are kept, and the family priest, after a prayer to Vishnu, anoints it with sandalwood paste, and invokes Durga's blessing upon it. This bamboo remains there until the Janmashtami i.e., the birthday of lord Krishna, when the maker of the image removes it so that the work of constructing the idol may commence.

The materials for this purpose are bamboos, grass, and Ganges mud, are carefully selected, and on an auspicious moment the holes are drilled in a piece of wood on which the images are to be fixed. When this is done, and the rough sketches made, they are covered with a preparation of mud, cow-dung, and the husks of rice. The figures that cluster around Durga are her two sons Kartikeya and Ganesha; and Sarasvati- the bride of Brahma, and Lakshmi the wife of Vishnu. There are also representations of Mahesha, the buffalo-headed Asura whom Durga came to slay When the figures are dry, at appointed times the painters come to paint and the decorators to adorn the image. Bound these figures on what is called a roof, but which is really a circle, divided into compartments, pictures of other deities are painted or some mythological scenes represented. The central figure, Durga, has ten hands, in which are various weapons; for though bearing a most mild and gentle expression, it is supposed to represent her when victorious over the great Asura, the enemy of gods and men.
The worship may be performed or not, according to the religious state of the householder. On the one hand, it is a sin of omission to neglect it whilst to perform it will cause great good to the worshipper One Shastra says ' Whoever from ignorance, vanity, or jealousy, or from any other cause, does not worship Devi (Durga), the wrath of the goddess falls on him, and destroys all his wishes Another declares that the gratification of Bhavani is the assurance of happiness for the whole year, is for the destruction of spirits, goblins and ghosts, and for the sake of festivity.' Another appeals still more strongly, as it declares that ' the meritorious effects of gratifying Durga, even for half a minute cannot be described by Mahesh (Shiva), the five faced, ' When circumstances prevent a man from incurring the expense of setting up an image in his own house, it is not uncommon thing to worship her as represented by a picture or a jar of water, or to send their offerings to the temporary shrine that is set up at the house of a neighbour or relative. It is declared in one of the Puranas that the offerings of even slaves and outcasts are acceptable to the goddess at these festive occasions.

Durga Puja Celebration

The first part of the ceremony is the Bodhana, or the awaking of the goddess, who is supposed, to have been sleeping for the past two months, a part of which ceremony is the worshipping of a twig of the bel- tree which is especially dear to her. The texts differ as to when this ceremony should take place. When the time arrives for the commencement of the worship, the head of the family, after certain purifying ceremonies, declares his name and expresses his purpose to perform the Durga Puja with proper rites. He then, in due form appoints the officiating priests, whom his name and on his behalf perform the ceremonies. The priests then go through a long and tedious list of ceremonies, worshipping other deities as well as Durga, and sanctifying by their mantras all the various implements. Part of the worship is called Dhyan or meditation in which the priest thinks of Durga according to the representation that is then before him. The most interesting part of the ceremony is that in which the goddess is invited to visit the house, and dwell in the image prepared for her. The priest, in order to obtain this blessing, after several other ceremonies have been performed, places his right hand on the image and chants Om! Welcome, Devi, to my house with thy eight Saktas. O Dispenser of blessings: O Lotus-eyed, I perform this autumnal festival. Respond to me O great goddess. Save me, blessed goddess, I salute thee, beloved. O Shankara (Shiva) protect my life, my honour, my offspring, my wives, and my wealth. As thou art the only defender of all, O goddess, the most beloved in the world, enter and stay with this sacrifice as long as I am worshipping thee." First the right eye, then the left, then the eye on the forehead are touched by the priest, and after that the other parts of the body, and an appropriate mantra recited, by which means the ceremony of Pranpratishta, or the giving of life to the image, is performed. After this all the various vessels and articles used in the worship are sanctified by mantras.

For three mornings and three evenings the worship is continued in some houses, though not in all, a kid, or three, or seven are sacrificed. In some cases a buffalo is added. The victim is sanctified by certain ceremonies, Ganges water is sprinkled on its head, a little vermilion is placed on its forehead, and its head having been made fast in a strong frame, with one blow of the sacrificial knife is severed from the body. A little of the blood and a piece of flesh is then placed before the image.

On the afternoon of the fourth day the goddess is supposed to take leave of the image. Most elaborate dismissal ceremonies are gone through, and an invitation is given to her to return at the next annual festival. When this is over the image is taken down from the platform, and the women of the household walk round it, and throw rice, water, and betel leaves upon it. It is then carried to the riverside, and accompanied by music, cast into the stream amid the shouts of the spectators.

Durga Puja festival in Bengal is the most popular of all. It is a universal holiday, and at this season husbands and sons, who by their business may have been absent from their homes, endeavour to rejoin their families. It is not inaptly termed the Christmas of Bengal, in the sense that it is a time of universal rejoicing and merriment. In front of the image at this festival, as at others already described, there is the usual singing, dancing, and theatrical representation throughout the whole night. As these images are set up in the villages as well as in the towns, the poorer people are able to attend them. And when it is remembered that the amusements are perfectly free for all, it is not surprising that immense crowds are seen at these religious festivals. In the three nights of the Puja, durga puja is celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in Calcutta and the devotee?s awake whole night. As a rule, the immense crowds that are afoot are most peaceably inclined, and well conducted as they walk from house to house to see the jitras and nautche