History of Durga Puja
Durga Puja is one of the famous festival in India,specially in West-Bengal and Assam.Durga Puja is also known as Navratri and Durgotsava.Although it is significant Hindu religious festival,but it also provides a path to intermingle for people of various cultures to each other.Durga Puja is ten days long celebration.
Devotees worshiped the ten armed devine goddess Maa Durga,riding on Lion with great fervor and zeal.Specially Bengalis,across the glob celebrates this festival with great enthusiasm.
Mythological Origin of Navratri
As per Hindu mythological aspects,it is believed that the first ever Durga Puja was performed by Lord Rama in the Hindu month of Ashwin ie according to English Calendar,in month of September or October.It is believed that Lord Rama involked the blessing of the goddess Maa Durga,before announcing the war with devil,Lanka King Ravana.As per the legand,since then the tradition of Durga Puja began.
Historical Origin of Durga Puja
It is believed that worship of Goddess Durga is began in late 1500s.Wealthy Zamidars of Dinajpur and Mandla in the region of Bengal first initiate Durga Puja festival.According to some other legand's aspects,in 1606c,king Kangshanarayan of Taherpur or Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya organized the first Sharadiya or Autumn Durga Puja in bengal.Raja Nabakrishan of Shobhabajar,under British rule,organized an grand Durga Puja celebration in his household in 18th century.This grand and eloborated celebration were open for both to peasantry as well as to royalty and from here Durgotsava comes in public domain.
However Durga Puja celebration comes in public mainly when a major step is taken by twelve friends of Guptipara in Hoogly,West Bengal.They were the first to collect money from the local residents and organize the first small scale community Durga Puja in 1970,which came to known as "Baro-Yari"puja.As we know that as time changes,things will also change.So small-scale community puja is slowely changed into a large-scale community puja,by 1910.The first puja that was organized by full public contribution and support was establised in Baghbazar in Kolkata by the Dharmotsahini Sabha.So,these were some step of evolution and history of Dorgotsava.
Durga Puja has immensely evolved since the medival times.Today,modern aspects as well as technology has become its integral part but the essence of religious devotion for the Mother Goddess remains the same.
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