Durga Puja,Kolkata'08

What is "Durga Puja" ??
The Wikipedia says: "The worship of Durga in the autumn month of Sharat is the major festival in Bengal. Puja means worship, and Durga's Puja is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Ashvin, which is the sixth month in the Hindu Calendar. i>

Carrying the idol | Kumartuli,the potter's town in Kolkata

This neighborhood of clay-sculptors and artistes supply more than 12,000 Durga Idols every year to different Puja committees of Kolkata.

Durga Ma ...rushing away from Kumartuli


Saptami -On Saptami, the image of the goddess is infused with life through a process called Bodhon. Early in the morning, the pran of the Devi is put inside the image after it is brought from a nearby river through the medium of a banana plant, called the Kola Bou. The Kola Bou, bathed and draped in a new yellow saree, resembles a newly wed bride.

Woah ....lakhs of people(50+ photographers) at 6am in Judges Ghat ...


Ashtami:-Ashtami is universally accepted as the culminating point of the four day celebrations. It was on this day that Durga had killed Mahishasura.

Anjali - The prayer to Devi | Selimpur Palli Puja


The ritual of Sandhipuja marks Sandhikkhan, the juncture between Ashtami and Nabami. The main attraction of Nabami is the Maha-Arati held in the evening.

The Aarati being performed ...

The celebrity couple ...The "Just for Five Days" Puja Special Love story

The Magic of Maddox Square


Amidst the glitter and joy of that magical place known as Maddox Square.

Durga Bari - The traditional way
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Dashami :- After the visarjan, married women take part in the sindur khela, saluting the goddess with vermilion, betel leaf and sweets and then smearing each other with the same. It is (or used to be) a Bengali custom for married women to apply sindur on each other when one of them was leaving; the Devi is bid farewell the same way.



An hour @ Bagbajar Sarbojonin with 100+ photographers ..


"Asche Bochor Abar Hobe" means "Will wait for next year' ...

More pics will be added @ www.flickr.com/photos/akashb/sets/72157602643330971/