Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community, will begin today with incarnation of Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shasthi at temples and makeshift mandaps across the country amid due religious fervour and gaiety.
The annual five-day Sharadiyo Durgotsab will commence with Kalparambho today morning which will be followed by Adhibash, Amantran (invitation) and Bodhon (incarnation) in the late afternoon as Maha Shasthi Tithi starts on 12:31am on Friday.
Dhakeshwari National Temple priest Barun Chakrabarty said that the festival will begin with Kalparambho at 8:00am at the temple and later in the late afternoon Adhibash, Amantran and Bodhon will be held at the base of the Bel tree on the temple premises in order to awaken Goddess Durga.
The most auspicious time to observe the Kalparmbha ritual is early morning. This involves the installation a pot or Kalash filled with water, invoking Goddess Durga on the base of a Bel plant (Bilva Tree) and taking a Sankalp (determination) to perform the Durga Puja by following all necessary rituals and practices in proper manner for the next four days.
According to Hindu religious texts, the ideal time of worshipping the goddess is spring. Autumn is considered the season where the ‘Devatas’ or Hindu deities go into rest mode. If deities have to be
invoked at this time they must be awakened from their sleep.
This process is known as ‘Bodhon’ which is performed in the evening likewise Kalparambha. During this ritual, a water-filled kalash (pot) is kept at the base of the Bel tree.
The face of the deity is unveiled. Prayers are offered to the goddess. This is followed by the Amantran (invitation) and the Adhivas rituals, through which the deity is invited and given a grand welcome.
At this stage, married women apply sindoor (vermilion) on their foreheads, put on new sarees and welcome the goddess through a glass of gangaajal ( water from the holy Ganges), a couple of paan pata (betel leaves) and supari (betel nuts).
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and prime minister Sheikh Hasina will issue separate messages on the occasion of the Durga Puja extending greetings to Hindu community members this evening.
Goddess Durga is commonly depicted with different vehicles every year, and to be precise, there are four of them, each of which carries its own symbolic meaning.
In 2023, Goddess Durga will arrive and depart in horse this year and it will mean war and dispute and inclement weather, Dhaka University Jagannath Hall Upasanalaya’s chief priest Sadhan Chakrabarty said, adding ‘this is considered inauspicious’.
Recitation of verses from the Sri Sri Chandi, blowing of conch shells and beating of traditional dhak-dhols (traditional drums), kashor at temples and pandals will begin from today morning and it will continue for next five days until immersion of idols on the day of Bijoya Dashami on October 24.
Bengali Hindus might have a plethora of festivals (baaro maaashe tero parbon or 13 festivals in 12 months ) but Durgotsab remains the queen bee.
The festival is basically a lavish homecoming of sorts, held to commemorate Goddess Durga’s return to her father’s home or the earthly abode from her husband’s (Lord Shiva) home in Mount Kailash.source: newage
