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Known as the biggest festival celebrated by Bengali Hindus, Durga Puja is also known as Akalbodhan, Vijaya Dashami, Dashain and Dussehra.

The festival is celebrated from the sixth month on the Bengali calendar and in the Gregorian calendar, these dates to the months of September or October. The word Puja simply means worship and it is held over a ten-day period where it is traditionally viewed as the coming of the married daughter, Durga to her father in Himalaya’s home. The Bengalis celebrate the festival with new clothes and they have other gifts which are worn during the evenings when the family goes out to see the pandals or the temporary structures set up to worship the goddess.

During this festivity, the entire state of West Bengal life comes to a complete standstill where every playground, traffic circle, pond and wherever space may be available will set up structures called the pandals. During the tenth day, it is believed that Durga, the mother, returns to her husband, Shiva, ritualize through her immersion into the waters which is known as Bishorjon.

[tags] durga puja, India, festival [tags]