Maha Saptami

Durga Puja is celebrated in the Hindu month called Ashwin and lands in either September or October on the Gregorian calendar. The ceremonies of Durga Puja are centred on the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga who is iconically depicted as a a 10-armed mother-goddess with her four children standing nearby. Durga Puja is also a time of family reunions and appreciation of the cultural heritage of the Bengali people. The dates chosen for Durga Puja are based on the time when Prince Rama is thought to have invoked the aid of the goddess Durga, who then (legend has it) came to battle and ultimately defeat the demon-buffalo king Ravana and his evil henchmen. The first Durga Puja in recorded history occurred in Bengal around the turn of the 16th Century A.D. Annual celebrations continued and later spread to Delhi in 1911 when many Bengalis moved there to work in the then-new capital of British India. The holiday was also transported to Mumbai (Bombay) and other cities to which Bengalis immigrated. Finally, Bengalis who live in other nations also often observe the feast. The biggest and most significant Durga Puja festival, however, still takes place in West Bengal in the municipality of Kolkata. The entirety of the Durga Puja season encompasses 10 days of fasting, feasting and worshipping Durga. The last five days of celebration, however, are the most important. They are observed as follows: There are numerous festivals and activities in all parts of India where Durga Puja is kept that tourist often attend, including: