durga puja

Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal,Bihar,Assam, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tripura where it is a five-day annual holiday. In West Bengal and Tripura which has majority of Bengali Hindus it is the biggest festival of the year. Not only is it the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the State, but it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali society. Apart from eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Karnataka and Kerala. Durga Puja is also celebrated as a major festival in Nepal and in Bangladesh where 10% population are Hindu. Nowadays, many diaspora Bengali cultural organizations arrange for Durgotsab in countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Singapore and Kuwait, among others. In 2006, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was held in the Great Court of the British Museum.

Happy Durgashtami or Dusshra,it is a very big festival to all the indians and mainly calcutta is well known to celebrate this dussehra in a good way .Schools will be having holidays 10 to 15 days.Before dussehra the holidays start and after diwali they end.Even banks get holidays and ever organisation gets holidays two or three days for dussehra.

I am from Bombay, I see bengalis celebrate durga puja in a grand way in Bombay, and it is a pleasure to watch it. Instead of asking others to go and search for durga puja, we can add new information here and people will read ana know about it. This month is really a festive season in India and everything will look colourful I believe.

I am from Bhopal and here too we have great celebrations of Durga puja for the whole nine days. The Pandals are decorated in a grand manner with lights and music too. In Bengal, the Bengali celebrates the last five days, but in Madhya Pradesh, they have celebrations for all the nine days. During these days, everyone organize various programs, quiz and games for children, Bhajan (devotional songs), Jagran (singing of bhajans through out night) as it is generally done in almost every nook and corner of the street, or by the local Puja clubs. The main attraction is the Dandia or Garba (originally from the Gujarati dance style played with two small sticks) and people go on 'fast' for the nine days depending upon their ability to keep fasting, i mean, some takes only fruits, some are fine with one time meal etc etc. Since I was in Kolkata, I miss those Kolkata pujos but its fine.. here too I am having a nice time as there is a Duga puja in front of my house too...

In connection with this festival there will be 9 days worship of Goddess Durgha and celebration on 10th day. All section of people worship their main equipments of occupations such as books,pens,instruments, tools, machines, vehicles etc to get prosperity in the coming year. It is good festival ending with a lot of energy and confidence.