BADV Durgotsav 2011 - Bengali Association of Delaware Valley

BADV Durgotsav 2011
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“Yaa Devii Sarvabhuteshu Maatrirupena Sansthitah
Yaa Devii Sarvabhuteshu Shaktirupena Sansthitah
Yaa Devii Sarvabhuteshu Shaaantirupena Sansthitah
Namastasyaih Namastasyaih Namastasyaih Namo Namah”
Bengali Association of Delaware Valley
Cordially invites you, your family and friends to our community’s very own
Durga Puja Celebration
October 7th, 8th and 9th, 2011
&
Lakshmi Puja Celebration
October 11th, 2011 at 7pm
At Hindu Temple (Auditorium)
760 Yorklyn Road, Hockessin, DE
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2011 Durga Puja Program
Friday, October 7th 2011
5:30 - 7pm:
Devi Bodhan, Adhibaas, Arati
7.00 – 8pm
Dinner Break
8.00 –10.30pm
Cultural Program at Temple Auditorium by Bangla Band Bhoomi
The band Bhoomi was initially created out of the interest of the two founding members Surojit Chatterjee and Soumitra Roy - to experiment with the vast store of traditional (and
in many cases non-attributed) Bengali Folk music (pচিলত গান, "procholito gaan") and
mix it with their repertoire of Western music and instrumentation. Folk styles like baul,
bhatiyali , moishaal, jhumur,saari gaan, qawaali forms the inspiration for Bhoomi's musical expression.
Saturday, October 8th 2011
11 – 12.45pm:
12:45 pm – 2.15pm
2:15pm - 3:00 pm
Saptami Puja , Arati, Pushpanjali
Ashtami Puja, Arati, Pushpanjali
Prasad, lunch
5:30-5:55 pm
6:00- 6:40 pm
6:50-7:35 pm
7:35 -8:05 pm
8:05-8:45 pm
Cultural Program at Temple Auditorium by Local artistes & BADV members and their families
Saat Ronga Sure, group song recital
Shur chhander Nokshikaa(n)thaa; group dance performance
Lokkhoner Shoktishel: BADV Children’s Drama
Dinner Break
Sorry Wrong Number, BADV Adult Drama
Sunday, October 9th 2011
11:00- 1.15pm:
1:15-1:30 pm
1:30 – 2.00 pm
2:00-3:00 pm
Sandhi Puja, Navami Puja, Arati, Pushpanjali
Kumari Puja
Bijoya Dashami Puja, Bisarjan
Bhog distribution, lunch
3.00 - 3.30pm
3:30 - 3:55 pm
Cultural Program at Temple Auditorium
Closing remark, Hindi Songs “Melodies ---Kaal Aur Aaj”
Kids Fashion Show
4:00- 5.30 pm
Musical program by local talents
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With Best Compliments from Ali Baba’s
Vedanta Philosophy from Some World Class Thinkers
What is Vedanta ? Vedanta is a Philosophy taught by the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of India.
Its basic teaching is that our real nature is divine. God the underlying reality, exists in every being. God
is our soul. We are primarily consciousness, part of the cosmic consciousness. There is no accident in
the cosmic universe. Human destiny is governed by the laws of cause and effect. We are born on earth
repeatedly to finish the unfinished work of realizing our divinity. Although we suffer because of our actions, we can control ourselves and hence our divinity. There is a higher state of consciousness which
can be achieved in this human birth. There are many ways to achieve this realization through the intellect, emotions, actions and the will. Vedanta stresses the idea of self-effort. It encourages every individual to realize the divinity within by the practice of certain methods, called Yogas, ( Bhakti yoga,
Jnana yoga, Karma yoga and Raja yoga) which channel the tendencies we already possess and lead us
to our goal.
- Sri Ramakrishna
“He who has faith has everything, and he who lacks it lacks everything. It is faith in the name of the
Lord that works wonders; faith is life and doubt is death”.
- Sri Sarada Devi
I am the Mother of the wicked as I am the Mother of the virtuous. Whenever you are in distress, just
say to yourself : “I have a MOTHER”.
- Swami Vivekananda
The main cause of all bondage is ignorance. Man is not wicked by his own nature - not at all. His nature is pure, perfectly holy. Each man is divine. Each man that you see is a god by his very nature.
This nature is covered by ignorance, and it is ignorance that binds us down. Ignorance is the cause of
all misery. Ignorance is the cause of all wickedness; and the knowledge will make the world good .
- Prof. Max. Muller
A well-known German Oriental Scholar, wrote an interesting Article on Sri Ramakrishna, ‘a real Mahatman’, followed by a book ‘Ramakrishna : His life & saying’. He further said, if we remember that
these sayings of Ramakrishna are not only his own thoughts, but the faith and hope of millions of human beings of India sub-continent. Max. Muller’s book and writing was the first introduction of Sri
Ramakrishna in the west.
- Sri Aurobindo
A Yogi of Pondicheery, & nationalist freedom fighter, wrote about sri Ramakrishna that he represents
the synthesis in one persons of all the leaders, unifying all the past movements . Sri Ramakrishna is
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the epitome of the whole. He is the power behind us and the future before us.
- Rabindranath Tagore
During his humble homage to Sri Ramakrishna at the birthday centenary celebration revealed that Indian Leaders considered themselves benefited by the spiritual message of Sri Ramakrishna.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Wrote on Sri Ramakrishna: “The story of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s life is story of religion in practice. His life enables us to see God face to face. No one can read the story of his life without being convinced that God alone is real and all else is illusion. Sri Ramakrishna was a living embodiment of Godliness.”
- Romain Rolland
The French savant felt attracted to Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda called them ‘prophet of new India’. He translated their biographies in French from English. Introducing ‘Life of Sri Ramakrishna to
western readers of man with two thousands years of spiritual life of three hundred million people. A
simple man of Modern India. He lived short lfe. He is no a hero like Gandhi, no genius like Goethe or
Tagore. He was a little village Brahmin of Bengal with limited incidents of political or social activities of
his time. But inner life embraced the multiplicity men Gods.
- Arnold Toynbee
The famous Historian wrote: “Sri Ramakrishna’s message was unique in being expressed in action……
Religion is not just a matter for study, it is something that has to be experienced and to be lived, and
this is the field in which Sri Ramakrishna manifested his uniqueness ……….his religious activity and experience were, in fact comprehensive to a degree that had never before attained by any other religious
genius in India or elsewhere”.
- Christopher Isherwood
A noted Scholar’s Biography is entitled Ramakrishna and His Disciples, where Isherwood by calling Sri
Ramakrishna as Something Extraordinary and Mysterious. …Just say to yourself as you read: This, too,
is humanly possible. Consider the implication of that possibility for rest of the human species.
- Leo Tolstoy
The Russian Philosopher, Tolstoy has love for the saying and parables of Sri Ramakrishna and has great
interest in Vedanta. Sri Ramakrishna was only 8 years younger than Tolstoy and passed away 24 years
before him. Unfortunately there was on opportunity for direct communication or meeting between the
two. Three years before Tolstoy passed away, he acknowledged Sri Ramakrishna to be a saint and
praised him as such. Tolstoy planned to publish a book on the saying of Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda in Russian Language. The book never materialized. But, Ramakrishna’s Life and Sayings was
translated in Russian Language from Max Muller’s book. Towards the end of life, Tolstoy openly expressed his agreement with Sri Ramakrishna’s saying frequently.
- Notes on Holy Mother
The Holy Mother – as Sri Sarada Devi is popularly called, was the illustrious consort of Sri RamaKrishna.
To her came countless men and women seeking spiritual solace. By her maternal solicitude, winsome
simplicity, and purity of character, she transformed the lives of many devotees. She nurtured the Ramakrishna Movement in its initial stages. In and through her Sri Ramakrishna sought to give India and the
world a myriad-faceted gem of the ideal of womanhood at its noblest and best. We find in her life reincarnate all those ideals for which the greatest of Indian women Sita, Savitri, Gargi and Maitreyi stood for
in the ages past.
Greatness of any person in any field is manifestation of divinity. Pure and simple life of Holy Mother Sri
Sarada Devi manifested divinity in its full measure in the most adverse situations and hence a great
inspiration to all of us. God incarnated in the form of Sri Ramakrishna in this modern age to establish
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Dharma - a harmonious balance between worldly prosperity and spiritual ideal. He entered into married
life for two reasons: 1) to present the ideal of spiritual life for householders 2) to assert the motherhood
of God through his divine consort, Holy Mother. An ordinary mother's love is limited to her own children. An ideal mother bestows love upon all children equally irrespective of color, race or religion. Holy
Mother looked upon everyone as God as well as her own child and rendered a great lesson of how to
become an ideal mother. She taught real universal brotherhood for people as well as for religions by
looking upon others as divine manifestations. Another lesson she taught- how to establish good relationship with each other. A lot of problems are arising because of the subject - object relationships. Holy
Mother teaches us to respect each other not on the humanitarian level but on the level of divine oneness. She says, 'If I am your mother, then you must become like me.' She has come, not only to give
us highest knowledge but also to improve our worldly life. She led the most simple life yet exuded joy,
peace and harmony to the fullest extent. Our spiritual life will be fruitful if we emulate her some of her
qualities.
Retold by Sudeb Das
-: DIVINE MOTHER’S BLESSINGS ARE ALWAYS WITH US :(Compiled from various Vedanta Literature. References may be made for additional reading The Vedanta Society of New York- A brief Survey, Oct. (2000)
The Journey of the Upanishads to the West - Ved. Soc. N.Y., Dec. (2002)
The Complete works of Swami Vivekananda (1968)
Best Wishes
from
Uma Chatterjee
&
Asoke Chatterjee
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By Adrika Gunin
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Sharodiya Durga Puja
Rajesh Patel & Family
Dunkin Donuts
2706 Concord Pike.
Wilmington, De 1980
Durga Puja
2 0 1 1
Prasenjit, Chandra & Avantika Senroy
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The Contest between Brahma and Vishnu
One day, Brahma and Vishnu asked Shiva who was better. So
Shiva gave them a test. He made himself so tall that his head couldn’t
be seen, and his feet couldn’t be seen underground. Someone had to
reach Shiva’s head, and someone had to reach Shiva’s feet. Whoever
reached their location first was the winner. Brahma flew on his swan
to reach the head. Vishnu became a boar and dug underground. As
Brahma flew, the flower on Shiva’s head fell down and Brahma caught
it. Brahma told Shiva that he had reached his head because he caught
the flower (symbolic of Shiva’s head). But Shiva knew that this wasn’t
true. Just then, Vishnu came up and told Shiva that he couldn’t reach
the feet. Shiva told him that he was the winner because he didn’t
cheat. So Vishnu won the contest.
By Arudra Baradwaj, 11yrs
Wilmington, DE
Best Wishes from…
Midway Plaza. 4712 Kirkwood Hwy.
Wilmington, De 19808
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Fax: (302) 475 4608
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Debraj Bhowmik
Atreya Saha
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ANNA HAZARE, MAN OF THE PEOPLE:
A LIFE INSPIRED BY SWAMIJI AND HIS MESSAGE
SWAMI TATHAGATANANDA
“You have heard that Christ said, ‘My words are spirit and they are life.’ . . .
“So are my words spirit and life; they will burn their way into your brain and
you will never get away from them!”
—Swami Vivekananda (Cit. from Marie Louise Burke,
Swami Vivekananda, His Second Visit to the West,
New Discoveries, 451)
Anna Hazare was the first child born to humble parents on January 15, 1940 in the small village of Bhingar, not far from Amednagar. His father was an unskilled labourer. When Anna was twelve years old, his father
relocated his family that had grown to seven children, to his native village of Ralegaon Siddhi. Anna Hazare was
raised by a childless aunt in Bombay. She provided for his education up to the seventh standard, when Anna had
to take a job to sustain him and help his family. He sold flowers at Dadar and opened his own store. After the
outbreak of the Indo-China War, he joined the army in 1963 as a driver. In 1978, at age thirty-nine, he voluntarily
retired from the ninth Maratha battalion. He returned home to Ralegaon Siddhi, where another battlefront of
drought, poverty, illiteracy, alcoholism, and caste prejudice immediately confronted him.
Hazare now became very depressed. He underwent a terrible inner ordeal, an existential ordeal that produces
a glorious outcome in the sincere and truthful soul. Anna Hazare was a deep thinker and observer of life as well as
an industrious young man. Endless difficulties made him question the goal of his human existence. Unable to find
it, he contemplated suicide. He wrote two pages explaining his desire to end his life but carried on nevertheless.
One day at the New Delhi Railway Station, he found himself drawn to a photograph of Swami Vivekananda
on the cover of a book by Swamiji that he purchased and read. Swamiji’s message that the motive of life is to
serve others gave him the reason to live and utterly transformed him. It was the supreme moment of his life, a
great phenomenon in the history of man’s spiritual journey. He read the works of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma
Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave. Swamiji’s dynamic words and blazing, fearless example of spiritual strength gave
Anna Hazare the direction to follow. He was endowed with a new vision of life. The problems in his village became a golden opportunity to apply Swamiji’s message.
Anna Hazare immediately harnessed the youthful energy of Ralegaon Siddhi into the powerful Tarun
Mandal and created various successful programmes of socio-economic and agricultural improvement in the village. He aroused the collective spirit of the villagers who share responsibilities and expenses for their marriage
ceremonies and social events. He greatly advanced education and removed caste prejudice. He brought about the
prohibition of tobacco, cigarettes, beedies and the illegal production and sale of alcohol through very strict methods of enforcement the approval of the Gram Sabha. Hazare says, “Doesn’t a mother administer bitter to a sick
child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother
does it only because she cares for the child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed.” Hazare further economically transformed the lives of villagers in Ralegaon Siddhi and seventy other
villages through a successful watershed development programme. The Government of India plans to establish a
training centre in Ralegaon Siddhi to learn Hazare’s techniques and apply them nationwide. He also improved
cattle breeding and made it the second largest industry in Ralegaon Siddhi.
For more than two decades, Anna Hazare has been heroically fighting corruption through peaceful agitation
and hunger strikes, following the example of Mahatma Gandhi. He always fought together with the Tarun Mandal,
the band of young men who were inspired to follow his idealism. He was once jailed for his steadfastness but released after three months due to the public outcry and support. His method of eradicating corruption through hunger strikes, including the one in 2011 at age 71, was previously repeated several times. It was only in 2011 that he
became famous when the entire world came to know of him due to the public outcry and media attention. His vow
to call for a nationwide demonstration if the anti-corruption ombudsman bill (Lokpal) was not passed, caused the
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Indian Parliament to agree to all his demands on April 8, 2011. Nearly 150 people had fasted with him; he excluded all politicians. Hazare ended his 98-hour fast that began on April 5, 2011 in the same selfless manner that
he has lived his entire life. He first offered lemon juice to some of those who supported him by fasting. Then he
took a little sip and addressed the people: “The real fight begins now. “We have a lot of struggle ahead of us in
drafting the new legislation. We have shown the world in just five days that we are united for the cause of the nation. The youth power in this movement is a sign of hope.”
This year, the Indian Institute of Planning and Management awarded Anna Hazare the Rabindranath Tagore
International Peace Prize. He has received many other prestigious awards and felicitations for his outstanding public service, including the World Bank’s 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service, the Padma
Bushan Award in 1992, the Padma Shri Award in 1990 and the Krishi Bushana Award in 1989 to name a few.
THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ANNA HAZARE
What sets Anna Hazare apart from other men is not public recognition. He is an inspired man. He saw Swamiji’s photograph and read his book. Swamiji’s words, that the goal of life is found by serving others, removed his
death wish and gave him a lasting sense of purposefulness from which his happiness derives. He describes the anti
-corruption movement to which he dedicates his life as the “second struggle for independence.” The inspiring
demonstration of his strength of character makes an immense impact on the people. His fasts—always in the presence of the photographs of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi—were captured in the public media of the
Internet. The people of India have shown very great enthusiasm. Anna Hazare virtually and universally arouses
the sincere interest of thousands of people from India and abroad. Well known social activists have joined his
campaign against corruption.
Anna’s immense impact has harnessed the dormant energy of India’s youth, in whom he has infused his idealism. Inspiring social ideas, positive emotions, and living a daringly meaningful life while suffering heroically, are
essential teachings for the young. A vital need exists for a social organization that gives them opportunities for
adventure and idealism and scope to develop and achieve self-realization. At an advanced age, Anna Hazare’s
courageous example gives the young a viable means to express their idealism.
Anna Hazare is not an ordinary person from a humble background. He is a transformed, self-made man of the
people, a true native of India’s spiritual culture. India alone can produce such a saintly personality as Anna Hazare
from her backward, impoverished masses. He has come to the global forefront neither by glamour or notoriety,
nor by the influence of great wealth or political power. He is known throughout the world today by his soul force
alone, through the straightforward demonstration of the strength of his character, through his sincerity, honesty,
acute mental vision, and dedication to a noble cause. His life is a demonstration of the triumph of the human spirit
over extreme odds. His moral authority and fiery faith bring others to his good cause. Anna Hazare has become
the symbol of the righteous battle against corruption in India, and thus, by geographic extension, against corruption
everywhere in the world.
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¨Best Wishes¨
from
Wilson Liquors
Joey’s Cigarette Outlet
Lincoln Smoke Shop
3802 Lancaster Pike
Wilmington, Delaware
(302) 998-8411
With Best Wishes for
2011 Durga Puja
from
Padmanabharao Family
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Chateau Granieri
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chateaugranieri.com
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Contributed by Visweswaran Baradwaj (Birdie)
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English Version
MIRACLE MAMATA
SWAMI TATHAGATANANDA
Only in India.
Mamata’s ousting of West Bengal’s leftist government is nothing but a miracle. The fall of a
government or ideology is not unique in the recent political history of the world. But the way
this miracle happened is possible only in India.
India is a nation standing on the solid foundation of her ancient civilization and profound spiritual culture. In the modern era, the advent of Swami Vivekananda is testimony of the greatness
of that civilization and culture. On 14 May 1895, in a letter to Alasinga Perumal, Swamiji had
written, “Infinite patience, infinite purity, and infinite perseverance are the secret of success in a
good cause” (C. W., 5: 84).
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On Friday, 20 May 2011, Swamiji’s statement proved to be 100% correct. That day, an ordinary daughter of West Bengal created history by ousting the leftist government’s 34-year governance in that state. Following the oath-taking ceremony at the Rajbhavan, the Governor’s
residence, Mamata Bannerji walked to her new office at the Writer’s Building a kilometer
away, together with hundreds of thousands of West Bengal’s common citizens. The short trip
took about forty-five minutes. The people who followed her expressed tremendous spontaneous enthusiasm because of the joy of this victory after more than three decades of leftist rule.
Women blew the conch shell and made the sound with the tongue called ulu-dhwani, a tradition
followed during all auspicious Bengali events; men sprinkled “abir,” a colored powder known
as “gulal” in Hindi, at each other.
There is a sad story behind this victory. Eighteen years ago, on 17 January 1993, the police,
following the orders of the leftist leaders Jyoiti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, forcibly
threw Mamata out of the Writer’s Building. That day, Mamata took a solemn vow that she
would one day enter that building with her head held high. Her dream became true on this historic day of her victory.
Mamata, the second of six siblings, was born on January 5, 1955 in a lower middle-class Bengali family that lived at Kalighat, on the bank of the Adi Ganga. Her father managed a small
business and passed away when she was young. Her mother, Gayatri Devi, is living today.
The house with its clay tile roof where Mamata lives is small. Her room is tiny—6 feet by 4
feet. Her furnishings include one small cot, a small mirror and photos of Maa Kali, Sri Ramakrishna, Sharada Maa and Swamiji. There is also a photo of her mother Gayatri Devi and of
Adya Maa. Every Friday, Mamata observes a fast in obeisance to Santoshi Maa.
On 20 May, before taking her oath at the Rajbhavan, Mamata observed a fast. Immediately after assuming the responsible post of Chief Minister, she proceeded to her office in the Writer’s
Building and on this very first day on her job, worked past midnight until 1:30 am. Presently,
she assumes the responsibilities of nine departments of the State Government.
During her Yogamaya college days, Mamata worked at a government-run milk distribution depot and received a monthly salary of sixty rupees. Her financially handicapped family considered even this small amount to be significant. While in college, she read Swami Vivekananda’s
“Call to the Nation” and Netaji Subhas Bose’s “Taruner Swapna” (Dream of Youth). These
books changed her life.
Thus began her community service. While in college, she formed a group dedicated to social
service. As part of this service, neighborhood residents received financial help whenever they
needed it. She founded a primary school for children and provided financial help as well as her
time. Mamata was always by their side in their need. The common people in her neighborhood
knew her as their compassionate well-wisher.
After graduating from college with a BA (Honors) Degree, Mamata landed a teaching job in a
school. During her college days, Mamata had gotten involved with the Congress Party. In
1983, Subrata Mukherji motivated Mamata to help Rajiv Gandhi in his work. That same year, a
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special Congress conference was held in Kolkata. On this occasion, Rajiv Gandhi inspired
Mamata to contest in the Lok Sabha election. She won, and that year went to Lok Sabha for the
first time. For the past twenty-eight years since then, she has not won the Lok Sabha seat only
twice. During this time, in addition to her political engagements, continued her studies and
earned three degrees: an MA in Islamic History and degrees in Education and Law.
We are proud of Mamata’s achievements and of her acquisition of the duties she assumes as the
Chief Minister of West Bengal. In every sphere of our national life today, we badly need her
kind of compassion for ordinary people, her unassuming simple way of life, her purity of character, and above all, her untiring Karma Yoga in the form of her unceasing efforts for the welfare of the common citizen.
God’s blessings be upon her, this is our prayer.
N. B.: This document is my translation of a Bengali article, “Shraddheya Mamata Bannerji
Prasanga,” by Revered Swami Tathagatananda Maharaj, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order and the Spiritual Leader of the New York Vedanta Society.
Amal Gupta.she
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With Best Wishes for
2011 Durga Puja & Diwali
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1708 Faulkland Road
Wilmington, DE 19805
Phone: 302-998-8910
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BADV Durgotsav 2011
Thank you
BADV Executive Committee and Puja SubCommittee leaders express their sincere
thanks to all members and friends of BADV
for their help in organizing this year’s
Durga Puja.
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From the Annals of History
The actual worship of the Goddess Durga as stipulated by the Hindu scriptures falls in the
month of Chaitra, which roughly overlaps with March or April. This ceremony is however not
observed by many
and is restricted to
a handful in the
state of West Bengal.
The more popular
form, which is also
known as Sharadiya (Autumnal)
Durga Puja, is
celebrated later in
the year with the
dates falling either
in September or
October. Since the
Goddess is invoked at the wrong
time, it is called
"Akaal Bodhon" in
Old painting of Durga Puja in Kolkata at Shobhabazar Rajbari
Bengali.
While the most recent revival of the Autumnal worship of Goddess Durga can be traced to revivalist tendencies in the early freedom movement in Bengal, the first such Puja was organized
by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of the Shobhabazar Rajbari of Calcutta in honor of Lord Clive in the
year 1757. The puja was organized because Clive wished to pay thanks for his victory in the Battle of Plassey. He was unable to do so in a Church because the only church in Calcutta at that
time was destroyed by Siraj-ud-Daulah. Indeed many wealthy mercantile and Zamindar families in Bengal made British Officers of the East India Company guests of honor in the Pujas.
The hosts vied with one another in arranging the most sumptuous fares, decorations and entertainment for their guests. This was deemed necessary since the Company was in charge of a
large part of India including Bengal after the battles of Plassey and Buxar.
Source: Durga Puja. (2011, October 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:47, October 5, 2011, from //
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Durga_Puja&oldid=454070491 42
BADV Durgotsav 2011
The Old Sobhabazar Rajbari Puja
Source: WBRi Kolkata Bonedi Barir Pujo Report (http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com) Calcutta, October 1, 2011 (Washington Bangla Radio) Kolkata embraces few of the best
known traditional house hold pujas that can be found in the entire nation. One such puja is of
course the Sobha Bazar Rajbari Durga Puja. The puja is celebrated in two houses adjacent to
each other.
"Baghbari" owned by Gopimohon Deb was constructed after the original residence was made
by Raja Nabakrishna Deb.
Raja Nabakrishna Deb was the famous exponent of Hinduism during the Brahmo Samaj Movement by Raja Rammohon Roy. It was in the year 1757 after the famous Battle of Plassey that
this Durga Puja was organized.
Like most of the families this one too has their own sets of rituals. The arrangement for the
puja starts from the day of 'Rath Yatra' itself when the the wooden frame work of the idol is
worshipped. The Durga idol is made inside the household and the ritual of bodhon starts 15
days before Nabami. For the Deb family, Goddess Durga is nothing else than the daughter of
their household idol, Gopinath Jeu.
The devi is placed in 'Ek Chala', decked with silver ornaments. The silver foils which were imported from Germany came through post meaning 'dak' and thus the decoration came to be
known as 'Daker Saaj'.
The idol of Sobha Bazar Raj Bari is adorned with gold ornaments like nose ring and 'bindi'
which are the only metal used to decorate the goddess. Considered to be one of the oldest pujas
in the city now, it is said that canons used to be fired in the initial days of the festival as a part
of the celebration. But now, gun shots have replaced them.
Debs' perform a ritual called "Kanakanjali". Gold coins dating to the time of Akbar's reign were
thrown at married women with children.
The Bisarjan ceremony (Immersion) is a spectacular affair.Women dress in red and white saris
while men wear dhotis carrying seven golden umbrellas.
A musical band play along and two Nilkantha birds are released. Around 60 men lend their
shoulders to the goddess on her way to the river. Previously the band was hired from Scotch
Highlander (Gorar Baddi). The myth behind the release of Nilkantha Birds is quite interesting.
The first Nilkantha is set free to go to Kailash to convey the message of Devi Durga's departure
to Shiva.
The other Nilkantha bird is set free in the middle of the river to ensure the message has been
conveyed in case the first one fails. After the goddess is immersed in the water then the holy
water collected which is called "Gana shanti jal" and it is sprinkled on everyone present.
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