Kolkata, the City of Joy, is the place to be at the moment, as it is in full festival mode celebrating the Durga Puja Festival.
This is an annual Hindu festival – and one of the biggest celebrated in the eastern states of India (including Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Tripura and Odisha) celebrating the Mother Goddess, Durga. It is a 10-day long festival of creative and innovative street art, song and dance; exuberance and good food!
In the lead up to Durga Puja, the area of Kumartuli in north Kolkata is busy with thousands of artisans (many who are hired from other areas) working on the idols for the festival.
The Potter’s settlement of Kumartuli (kumar means potter; tuli – locality) is over 300 years old and was formed by potters who came to the area in search of a better livelihood. These days about 150 families live here, earning a living by making idols for festivals.
The idols are made out of environmentally friendly materials including straw, bamboo and clay.
The artisans start by making a bamboo frame for the idol, called a kathamo. Then to give it structure, they bind straw over it. Clay is then applied on top to give it its final shape – most of the clay is brought by boat down the Hooghly River from a nearby village.
After drying the statue in the sun for a few days, they paint and decorate it. The eyes are drawn on the idols of the Goddess on the day of Mahalaya, just before the start of the Durga Puja festival.
The goddess Durga is usually portrayed as a woman with piercing black eyes, draped in a red sari and adorned in gold jewellery. Her 10 arms are splayed and are often carrying weapons.
Although her image is that of a warrior, Durga is also worshipped in many other forms. As Parvati, consort to Lord Shiva, she takes on the role of loyal wife to her husband and caring mother to their divine offspring.
The beloved daughter of the King of the Himalayas, she willingly chooses a life of hardship alongside Shiva who lives in the wilderness, over the comforts of her parents’ home. She symbolises marital happiness, fertility and devotion.
Throughout the Durga Puja festival pandals (marquees) spring up in parks, open spaces, squares and community halls – and you will find the statues displayed on lavishly decorated public podiums all over Kolkata.
Although this is a 10-day festival, it is the last five days that are considered the most important.
Shasthi (4 October 2019) is when the Goddess Durga descends to earth with her four children. The colourful idols that have been crafted by hand are unveiled on this day.
Saptami (5 October 2019) The first day of Durga Puja when the holy presence of the Goddess Durga is invoked into the idols in a ritual that commences with the Kola Bou bath – a banana tree is bathed before dawn in a river or body of water, dressed in a sari like a newlywed bride and used to transport the goddess’s energy.
Ashtami (6 October 2019) the goddess is worshipped in the form of a young unmarried virgin girl. After the rituals the Dhunuchi folk dance is performed in front of the Goddess.
Navami (7 October 2019) the last day of worship which concludes with a maha aarti – a fire ceremony – to mark the end of the rituals and prayers.
Dashami (8 October 2019). This is the climax of the celebrations when idols of the goddess are immersed in local rivers at the end of loud and colourful processions, to the sounds of beating drums and chants. Before the goddess is immersed in the water married women apply vermillion powder first to the goddess and then to each other. The powder denotes the status of marriage and fertility. Afterwards there are visits to friends and family to give and receive blessings, and lavish dinners shared.
In 2019, Durga Puja dates are October 4-8.
In 2020, Durga Puja dates are October 22-26.
In 2021, Durga Puja dates are October 11-15.
Jo and Twig Ribbons visited Kolkata during the Durga Puja festival last year, “Nayana was a fantastic guide. She had a plan but asked us what we wanted and adapted it as we went along. She is extremely knowledgeable and well-connected in Kolkata which opened doors to places other tourists wouldn’t normally get access to. We had a fab time with her during Kolkata’s biggest festival, the Durga Puja.”
If you are interested in planning a visit to India or Kolkata to coincide with the vibrant festival of Durga Puja – or you’d like to chat to us about planning a trip to one of our destination countries – please contact Amanda Kay by email: amanda@travelmaxwellscott.com or telephone 01937 520677.
Top image courtesy of Andrew Buurman.