When it comes to festival celebrations in Bengal, one name that deserves a special mention is Durga puja. Celebrated on a grand scale, Durga puja festival is dedicated to Goddess Durga, who is believed to have nine distinct forms. Durgapuja in India is a popular festive occasion for pageantry. Full of gusto and enthusiasm, people spend loads of money during Durgapuja. It is not just a merry making festivity, but has a lot of religious significance for the people of Bengal. Durga puja usually falls in the mid of October. Well, Durga pooja in the year 2008 is on the 5th October.

In this section, we will focus on the following aspects associated with Durga Puja:

Durga Puja History
Goddess Durga represents the unification of all the divine forces to overpower the evil spirits. To fight with the demon Mahishasur, the gods decided to create a real powerful force. At that moment, it happened that a lightening came forth from the mouths of the three Hindu Gods, namely Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, giving rise to a gorgeous woman having ten hands.

Durga Puja celebration
With the coming up of the concept of joining clubs, the Durga puja festival celebration has become cosmopolitan in nature. In the contemporary times, Durga puja festivity is like a grand extravaganza. Many days before the arrival of this festivity, people are full of excitement and enthusiasm. As a part of Durga pooja celebrations, beautiful pandals are erected and embellished with flowers.

Goddess Durga
The festivity of Durga puja is celebrated on a grand scale in the state of West Bengal. This popular festival is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Durga, who is known for her power. The term Durga in Sanskrit language means someone who is very difficult to reach. People worship Goddess Durga in both the forms, as the Goddess of power as well as the destroyer of demons.

Different forms of Durga
The Hindu Goddess Durga, who is portrayed as having ten arms, is believed to have nine different forms. On one hand, where we get to see her in the form of a gracious woman, who symbolizes the female dynamism, then on the other hand, she is given a terrifying look of a destroyer that is apt to frighten the demons.