It's That Time of Year Again: Durga Puja Returns

A look at the Goddess and her Festival in the United States, from the NorthIndyStar.com: For weekend, school hosts Hindu goddess By Chris Sikich Posted: October 13, 2008 Northview Middle School took on a new look this weekend for a Bengali religious event called the Durga Puja. Hundreds of people from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana flocked to Indianapolis on Saturday and Sunday for the 24th annual Tri State Durga Puja and erected a shrine in the Far-Northside school's gym. The holiday honors the goddess Durga. Hindus believe she comes to Earth once a year to destroy evil and bring happiness to families. Bengal is a state in northeast India, and the Bengali people practice a form of Hinduism that celebrates Durga Puja as its major holiday. Dipan Basu, 60, president of the Bengali Association of Indiana, compares Durga Puja to Christmas in its importance. The Indianapolis event drew 700 adults and 200 children. A statue of the 10-armed goddess showed her riding a lion and defeating a blue demon. Statues of her four children flanked her. The devotees left their everyday clothes behind and donned traditional colorful robes and shirts for the celebration. They took off their shoes, knelt and prayed, and placed offerings of fruit, flowers and sweets on the floor before the statues. They also listened to and watched musical and dance performances in the school's auditorium and enjoyed traditional Indian food. Basu, a Rolls-Royce Corp. engineer from Carmel, said the event also serves social and cultural purposes, giving participants who don't see one another often the chance to connect. Rabindra Mukerjea, 63, West Lafayette, director of strategic planning and assessment at Purdue University, sang philosophical and religious songs Saturday night. "This is a wonderful gathering of people, not only for religious traditions but also for fellowship," Mukerjea said. Saturday's festivities lasted past midnight, but many people were back at the school in time for the closing religious ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday. In Bengal, the holiday lasts 10 days; families observe five of the days privately and five with the community. Here, the five public days of celebration are condensed into a weekend, said Sudip Das, 49, Carmel. The Tri State Durga Puja comes to Indiana every four years after making a stop in Kentucky and two in Ohio. Related Information: Durga: The most powerful deity The Bengali believe the goddess Durga visits Earth once a year to destroy all evil and bring happiness to families. She's the most powerful god or goddess in Bengali tradition and is depicted with 10 arms. During Durga Puja, the Bengali pray and offer the goddess and her four children gifts such as fruit, flowers and sweets. After she defeats evil, she leaves Earth and returns to her husband, the god Shiva. Source: Dipan Basu, president, Bengali Association of Indiana