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 Durga Puja

Durga puja is an Indian festival celebrated annually. It is also called Durgotsava. This annual Hindu festival reveres and pays homage to the Hindu Goddess, Durga. This festival is mostly popular in Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura and also in Bangladesh. This festival is also celebrated in Nepal as Dashain. This is observed in the Indian calendar month of Ashwin, which corresponds in the month of September- October and it a then days festival. The puja is performed in public place and in homes. In the public places temporary stages and decorations are done which is known as pandals. The pandals are very beautifully decorated with lightings and inside the pandals sculptures are placed of Goddess Durga and some other Gods. People go out during Puja and see the lightings and sculptures and enjoy the time with their friends and family. Durga Puja is an important festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. 

The history behind Durga Puja is, the festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga in the battle with the shape-shifting Asura, Mahishasura. And because of this reason, the sculpture of Goddess Durga is made in the position of killing the Asura Mahishasura. Thus, this festival epitomises the victory of good over evil, though it is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the Goddess as the motherly power behind all the life and creation. This puja coincides with Navratri and Dussehra celebrations observed by other traditions of Hinduism, in which the Ram Lila dance and drama also takes place celebration the victory of Lord Rama against Ravana, and effigies of Ravana are burnt. 

Durga Puja is a very old tradition of Hinduism, though the exact origin is unclear. The prominence of Durga Puja increased during the British Raj in the province of Bengal, Odisha and Assam. In today’s time, Durga Puja has become an inseparable part of Indian culture with innumerable people celebrating this festival in  their own unique way.

There are nine roops or aspects of Goddess Durga: 

1. Shailputri: Goddess Shailputri is the manifestation of the Hindu Goddess, Durga. On the first day of Durga Puja, Goddess Durga is called Goddess Shailputri. She is also known as Bhavani, Sati, Hemavati, or Parvati. Mother Shailputri is the absolute form of Mother Nature.

2. Brahmacharini: it is the name of the second aspect of Goddess Durga. It means the devoted female students who lives in an Ashrama with their Guru along with other students. The Goddess Brahmacharini wears white clothes, holds a japa mala in her right hand and Kamandal, a water utensil in her in her right hand.

3. Chandrakhanda: It is the name of the third aspect of Goddess Durga. It means one who have half-moon shaped like a bell. Her third eye is always opened and she is always ready for war against demons. She is also known as Chandrakhanda, Rannchandi, Chandrika. She is believed to reward people with grace, bravery and courage. 

4. Kushmanda: it is the fourth aspect of Goddess Durga. She is credited with creating the world with divine smile. She is believed to improve health and bestow wealth and strength. Goddess Kushmanda has eight hands and because of that she is also known as Ashtabhuja Devi.

5. Skandamata: it is the fifth aspect of Goddess Durga. She is the mother of lord Kartikeya, who is referred as skanda. She is the mother form of Goddess Durga kind, caring, and loving. She has four arms and she ride a lion. In one hand she holds lotus, in the other a bell, in the third hand she has a blessing gesture and in the fourth hand she holds Lord Skanda, who sits in her lap. 

6. Katyayani: it is the sixth aspect of Goddess Durga. She is seen as the slayer of the tyrannical demon Mahishasura. She is depicted by four, ten, or eighteen hands. Goddess Katyayani was worshipped by Sita, Rukmini, and Radha for their good husband. She is the Goddess of power. 

7. Kalratri: it is the seventh form of Goddess Durga. She is widely regarded as one of the many destructive forms of Mother Goddess, that includes Mahakali, Bhairavi, Kali, Bhadrakali, Mrityu, Chamunda, Rudrani, Chandi, and Durga. 

8. Mahagauri: it is the eighth form of Goddess Durga. Goddess Mahagauri has the power to fulfil all the desires of her devotees. Goddess Mahagauri has four arms, her right arm is in the pose of allaying fear and right lower hand holds a trident in it. She holds a tambourine in her left upper arm and the lower one is in the form of a blessing. 

9. Siddhidhatri: it is the nineth aspects of Goddess Durga. The name itself gives the meaning of siddhi supernatural power or meditative ability and dhatri means giver or awarder. She fulfils all the divine aspirations and completes the mundane.