Durga Puja celebration in our lives has been a integral part without which we cannot live. The 4 day festival is not only a mere festival in Bnegal but has spread throughout India and infact across the globe. It is also a huge economic engagement that has enligtened several families. It is nowmore of a art festival that has changed the culture of the pujas. The Navaratri festival is celebrated all over India with great devotion. It is the celebration of the nine forms of Devi Durga which starts after the Mahalaya. Myhtology says Devi Durga fought for 9 days to kill the demon and ultimately on the 10th day she gained victory. Other scriptures say Devi Uma comes Home with her son and daughter for 4 days when she is worshipped.

Nine forms of Mother Goddess according to the authentic documentation for worshipping – Brihonnondikeshwar Puran, Devi Puran & Kalika Puran.

The NaboPatrika symbolizes these nine forms of Devi Durga and worshipped along with, from MahaSaptami. Colloquially, the NaboPatrika is termed as KalaBou. It is composed of nine different saplings and bound with the creeper of Shet Aparajita, red string and Alta (a red colored liquid used to decorate feet). Finally, it is covered with a red bordered white saree and placed on the same platform where the idol of Devi Durga is worshipped.
Each of the nine saplings symbolizes one form of Devi Durga :

1) Ramva symbolizes Devi Bromhanee.

2) Kalo Kochu is for the form of Devi Kalika.

3) Haridra represents Devi Durga.

4) Jayanti symbolizes Devi Kartikee according to Kalika Puran and Brihonnondikeshwar Puran. As per Devi Puran, it is the form of Devi Koumaree.

5) Billo represents Devi Shiva.

6) Darrim is for the form of Devi Raktodontika.

7) Ashok represents Devi Shokrohita.

8) Maan Kochu is for Devi Chaamunda.

9) Dhanno symbolizes Devi Laxmi.

Mythology also states that King Surath performed the first ever Durga Puja in Spring after getting instructions from Sage Medha. The legend in Markendeo Puran states that King Surath had lost his kingdom and wandered in the forests where he met Samadhi Vaishya who also had lost kingdom. In the jungle, they met Medha Muni who on request suggested them to perform Basanti Durga Puja to get back their lost kingdoms. King Surath and Samadhi Vaishya, thus, performed Basanti Puja and got back their kingdoms. This started the ritual of performing Basanti Durga in Basant season or Chaitra Month. This ius the Basanti Durga Puja. Lord Rama is believed to have performed ‘Akalbodhan’ (‘Akal’= untimely and ‘Bodhan’= awakening) to seek Goddess Durga’s blessings for defeating Ravana, which is the Sharadiya Durga Puja. Basanti Puja, however, is still performed in few Bengali households while observing all the ritual of Durga Puja.

The first grand worship of Goddess Durga in recorded history is said to have been celebrated in the late 1500s. Folklores say the landlords or zamindar of Dinajpur and Malda initiated the first Durga Puja in Bengal. According to another source, Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur or Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya organized the first Sharadiya Durga Puja. The baro-yaari puja was brought to Kolkata in 1832 by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar, who performed the Durga Puja at his ancestral home in Murshidabad from 1824 to 1831.

There are many incarnations of Devi Durga. She was mostly pictured as riding a lion (Singha Vahini). The Divine Mother is regarded as having ”Ten Great Wisdom Forms” (Dasha-mahavidya). These ten Goddesses are:

• Kali
• Tara
• Tripura Sundari
• Bhuvaneshwari
• Bhairavi
• Chhinnamasta
• Dhumavati
• Bagalamukhi
• Matangi (Saraswati)
• Kamala (Lakshmi)

Mythological Basis of Durga Puja:

1. Sri Ram was advised by Narada to initiate Devi Durga for killing Ravana. According to mythology it is known that that the gods remain asleep. Sri Ram performed the untimely waking known as Akalbodhan.

2. The second legend is about Devi Uma who is the daughter of Himavat and Menaka and her adobe in Kailash. Uma is our own daughter who comes home from Kailash for 3 days.

3. The third legend says about Sati daughter of Daksha. Sati married Lord Shiva against her fathers wish. Although this is not mentioned in Chandi.

4. The fourth legend says about the theme of Chandi. She is Mahamaya and she demolishes the demons to win over the evil. In the form of Chandika she killed Mahisasur. In the form of Chamunda she killed Chanda and Munda the two demons. Chandi is all about to glorify Shakti.

The mythology definitely epitomes the lifestyle of us and the good and evil in ourselves. Let the spirit purify the soul.