T3 || স্তুতি || শারদ বিশেষ সংখ্যায় Mrinal Bandyopadhyay

Durga – the saviour.

‘Durga’, the name itself meant for a huge bondings, an endless affection and a warmth feelings like a daughter with her family in our Bengali culture. From the very beginning of Bengali literature, in various prose, poetry and creative writings we felt this closeness of heart and the enthusiast touchy flavor of relationship between a goddess and the human beings. In Bengali culture there are more number of festivals than the number of our calendar months. And without any debate it is unanimously accepted to all that in a season Durga puja is the best among all such plenty of festivals It is mainly happened in Autumn for ten days known as Navaratry including vijaya dasami, the day on which Devi Durga attained the most awesome victory over the most powerful demon Mahishasura, who had a master like skill of changing his figure in various forms of wild animals. In Bengal, Assam, Orissa and Jharkhand this festival lasts for mainly four days and on the forth day the idol of Devi Durga immersed mainly in a nearby river. In Kolkata most of the Durga idols are used to participate in a big procession on vijaya dasami while perfoming various cultural events throughout the journey towards Babughat, the famous ghat beside the bank of holy Ganges flowing through the heart of this metropolitan city, before the immersion one after one in a well disciplined manner managing mainly by the officials of Kolkata police.
Durga, that is me, is considered as the most famous Hindu goddess associated with protection, strength, destruction and war. My legends centres around combating evils and destructive demonic forces that mainly threaten peace, harmony, prosperity and dharma. My existence represent the power of good over the evil. I am considered as a motherly figure and often depicted as a calm and cool well groomed lady, riding a lion or tiger with many arms, mostly from eight to eighteen, carrying various weapons.
In Bhaghavata purana and Devi Mahatmya, I am treated as the creator of this whole universe and I, myself have created the three major heads of all deities, namely Lord Brahmah, the creator; Lord Vishnu, the protector and Lord Shiva, the destroyer.
My name Durga, literally means impassable or invincible. It derives mainly from the roots ‘dur’, i.e. difficult and ‘gam’, i.e. go through. According to some historians ‘Durga’ means ‘beyond defeat ‘. As depicted in great epic Mahabharata, Durgam was the name of a powerful asura who became invincible to gods and I, as the ultimate protector of every positivity intervene and slayed Durgam and thus named as Durga who defeated Durgam.
I also commonly known as Mahisa-mardini, for slaying the half- buffalo demon Mahishasura. My other famous epithets include Mahamaya, the great delusion and Tamosi, the great night of delusion i.e the time of great beginning of the early universe, which also may depicts the time of Yoga Nidra of Sri Vishnu lying on the endless eternity or epitome of consciousness.
According to Saktism, my nine appellations are Sailaputri, as I am considered as Uma or Parbati, the daughter of Himalaya, the king of mountains; Brahmahcharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kalaratri, Mahagouri and Siddhidatri-combindly known as Navadurga.
I also famous as Durgati Nasini, i.e. one who can eliminate every types of sufferings.
Markanda Purana and Devi Bhagabata-purana are the most significant texts about my identity. In the Narada Purana I am associated as a form of Lakshmi and in the Garuda Purana and Vishnu Purana Devi Lakshmi is identified with three forms-Sri, considered as Sattva; Bhu, as Rajas and Durga, as Tamas. The Devi Mahatmya and other Hindu mythologies describe the nature of demonic forces symbolized by Mahishasura as shape shifting form and strategy to create difficulties and achieve their evil ends from the turmoil situations.
The most popular of among all accepted legends associated with me is my killing of Mahishasura, the half-buffalo demon who did several penance in order to please lord Brahmah. And after several years Lord Brahmah had pleased with his devotion and told him to ask for something special as he wish. Mahishasura asked for his immortality but was denied by Brahmha, because it is unnatural for every creatures in this universe. None can survive for infinite period. And then the asura asked a boon that only a woman could be able to kill him, as because according to his believe, a lady is nothing but a soft hearted creature, created only for praying mercy. Brahmah granted the boon and disappeared. And the asura became tremendous powerful with the help of the god given boon and became extremely torturous. And ultimately by defeating the Devas conquered the Swargolok by displacing the Devas from their own residence. And thus all the Devas jointly went to meet ‘Trimurti’ i.e Brahmah, Vishnu and Maheswara and at that point Trimurti and all the Devas accumulate their combine power to create the female figure, spelled Devi Durga that is me with some special features like ten hands with different weapons like, Chakra-given by lord Vishnu ; Conch, bow, arrow, sword, shield, javelin and trishula; given by the various deities to defeat and destroy the mighty Mahishasura. My earthly father Himalaya had gifted a mountain lion as my mount. I, riding on my extremely powerful and agile lion, appeared before the mighty Mahishasura, who took on different forms to make me confused. And during the prolonged unnatural fight, I was abled to destroy his every forms and ultimately slew Mahishasura with my trident given by lord Shiva.
So, the above is the autobiography of my own in a nutshell. And now let’s come in a festive mood.
Actually, according to the Markandya Purana, Durga puja can be performed either for nine days as Navaratri or for four days, which is mainly followed by the Bengali peoples all over the world. The four days long Durga puja is the most auspicious and considered as the major festival in West Bengal, orissa, Assam, Jharkhand and some parts of Bihar. At present it is scheduled as per the Hindu lumisolar calendar in the month of Ashvina, which falls in September or October, every year. Since it is celebrated during sharad, literally season of weeds, it is called Sharadiya.
According to the great Hindu epic Ramayana, lord Rama, the eldest, among the four sons of Dasaratha the king of Ayoddhya, during his exile in forest for long fourteen years, when the demon king Ravana of Lanka, forcefully abducted Ma Sita, wife of Sri Rama during the absence of both Rama and Lakshmana in the self erected cottage inside the jungle near Bindhya Parbat, to his native place, Lord Rama with the help of Banara sena or better considered as the local South Indian peoples, and the mighty Hanumana was abled to reach Lanka and was preparing for war against Ravana; arranged Durga puja in this time to get her blessings to defeat Ravana to rescue Ma Sita from her captivity under Ravana. And as by the Hindu scriptures, Lord Rama was one of the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, so since then all the Hindu literatures have granted this day as for celebrating Durga puja. And that’s why this Durga puja is also famed as Akalboddhan, as according to the various Hindu Puranas, the actual time for observing Durga puja is Spring. And at present the Durga puja which is observing in few places mainly in Bengal in Spring, is known as Basanti puja.
During this most enthusiast festival observing mainly by the Bengali communities throughout the world , they made special colorful images or idols of Ma Durga and her four associates, Devi Lakshmi and Saraswati and Lord Ganesha and Kartic mainly with clay. And during these four days they enjoyed their best with close relatives and friends. During this four days long celebration all the peoples throughout the world, irrespective of caste and creeds and religions enjoying the most and spreading brotherhood and harmony throughout the society. This is not mere a festival, it is the cultural mixture or reunion between various communities.