Durga Puja

What Is The Story Behind Durga Puja?

The history of Durga Puja is associated with a mythology related to Goddess Durga’s nine-day fierce battle against Mahishashura. This festival is celebrated when Goddess Durga won against the demon Mahishasura, who was creating havoc on Earth.

• The Battle Between Mahishasura And Durga

Lord Brahma gave Mahishasura a boon that he would be invisible to all the people on Earth and the Gods and Goddesses. No human being or God will be able to kill him. By taking advantage of this power, he started creating problems and disasters for people on Earth.

To stop all the chaos on Earth, all the Gods and Goddess came together to create a powerful Goddess who could defeat the demon Mahishasura. So, they created Maa Durga, who battled against him for nine days, and finally, on the tenth day, Maa Durga defended and killed Demon Mahishasura.

Importance of Durga Puja

The Durga Puja festival is important in Hindu culture and is celebrated with great devotion and loyalty. The Durga puja meaning relates to worshipping the Goddess Durga. This festival is specially celebrated to worship Adi Shakti, who fought against the great demon.

The four days of grand celebration remind us that evil power cannot conquer the goodwill and the purity of hearts. Moreover, it is a festival that brings all the people together to celebrate the victory of Maa Durga, irrespective of religion, caste and creed.

Furthermore, worshipping Maa Durga on the festive eve of Durga Puja can bring prosperity, good fortune and good luck. Moreover, the strong power of Goddess Durga blesses her devotees with courage and makes them fearlessly fight any battles in life as she did.

Durga Puja: Rituals and Remedies

Several rituals and remedies are performed, and preparations are made to welcome Maa Durga. Here are some of the most important rituals and remedies that double the joy and excitement of the Durga Puja celebration.

• Durga Puja Rituals

1. The first day of the Durga Puja countdown marks the commencing of Goddess Durga's journey from Kailash. Today, people offer jal (waters) to their ancestors who are dead and have left for a heavenly place.
2. On the occasion of Maha Saptami, the nine types of planets are worshipped considering the nine forms of Goddess on the auspicious day of Saptami Tithi.
3. On the eighth day of the Durga Puja date, the girls aged 8 or 9 are dressed up as Goddess Durga and are worshipped.
4. This puja is performed when the maja Ashtami is about to end, and the Maha Navami is about to begin. This is when Goddess Durga slays against demons Chando and Munda.
5. This is the last day when all the women apply sindoor to Maa Durga, bidding her farewell and wiping their tears. The women play with red sindoor among themselves, known as Sindoor Khela.
6. On the day of Vijaya Dashami, the tenth day of Durga Puja, devotees celebrate the joy of Mahishasura's death relating to the history of Durga Puja.
7. After all the rituals and celebrations end, it's time to immerse the idols of Maa Durga in the water and seek her blessings.

• Durga Puja Remedies

1. The festival of Durga Puja emphasises respecting women if you wish to gain the blessings of Maa Durga.
2. It's believed that during Durga Puja, if you take a bath every day, your life will be filled with luck and prosperity.
3. You must refrain from consuming non-vegetarian food (not even onion and garlic) during Durga Puja because it's the time when Maa Durga visits her devotees' homes.
4. This is an auspicious occasion, so avoid taking debts or loans during this time. Also, refrain from betraying anyone during this time.
5. Take a red-coloured cotton cloth and cover it around a coconut, asking for blessings from Mother Goddess. Repeat your prayer seven times, holding a wrapped and then immerse it in flowing water.

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