Durga Puja Date: When is Durga Puja 2010? – 2010 Durga Puja is on 17th October, that is, on Sunday. Durga puja is celebrated for ten days and is one of the most important festivals in India.

Bengalis celebrate Durga Puja with lot of pomp and show. In other states of India too, such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tripura, Durga puja is observed very enthusiastically.

Durga Puja – The Ritual

On first day the idols of Goddess Durga and morities (small statues representing gods and goddesses) are installed in homes and in pandals. A ritual puja i.e Prana Prathista is done. These Deities are worshiped in all splendour and thousands of people gather to seek blessings of Goddess Durga. The last four days of the festival, that is Maha-Shashti to the Vijaya Dashami, are considered as the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar. On the last day the Deities are immersed in water after a detail procession.

Durga Puja in Bengal

In Bengal, the Durga Puja is celebrated with great pomp and show. It is also called ‘Durgostab’ here. It is said that the people of the earth in the eastern state of West Bengal adopted Durga as their daughter and thus, she visits the home of her parents every year, during the last four days of Navratri, along with her sons Ganesha and Kartikeya, and daughters Lakshmi and Saraswati. She finally leaves for her husband’s place on Vijayadashmi. Similar celebrations are also seen in Orissa and Assam.

Durga Puja – Celebrations

The environment marks with fresh and cool air of the pleasant winters with clear skies. Mildly fragrant Shiuli (a type of flower), the bountiful harvest in the fields and chanting of mantras and shlokas to worship Shakti, all collectively set up the scene for the ten-day long festival of Durga Puja.

The Deity of Durga is worshiped with awe and reverence. Devotees fast for the day and in evening they gather to socialize and share sweets and food. Everyone dresses up in new clothes. Young would- be- brides come across their future would be husbands. Family and friends exchange pleasantries. Cultural programs are organized and religious songs, bhajans are sung in praise of Durga.