Welcome To Festiveland

Welcome To Festiveland Fair Fair--A Hotels and Holidays Photo

Festivals and Fairs in West Bengal

Durga Puja

The largest Bengali festival is Durga Puja, held in the Bengali month of Aswin (October). Images of the ten-armed goddess are worshipped in ancient houses and at pandals, erected specially for the Puja. After the four-day ceremony, the images are immersed in the river. Durgapuja is the most important festival in the city of Calcutta.

Preparations start long before the festival. The group images are built up, stage by stage out of bamboo and straw frame work and layers of clay and finally tempera and rich clothes and costume jewellery. The group consist of seven figures. The central figure is that of the ten-armed Durga, the great deliverer, standing astride a lion and piercing the chest of the ferocious half buffalo-half man demon Mahishasura with a spear, grasped in one among her ten hands, while each of her other hand holds a traditional weapon. On either side of her are seated the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati representing wealth and learning, respectively. The former has an owl and the latter a swan for their mounts. A little in front of them are Ganesha, God of commerce, with a mouse for his mount and Kartikeya, God of war, seated flamboyantly on a peacock. The four deities are supposed to be the children of Mother Durga. The images depict her annual visit to her parents place on earth from her heavenly abode on Mount Kailas. A semi circular panel at the back of and above the group shows in a number of sections, pictures in pat style portraying the Mother's household and the various stages of her preparations for the journey. It is particularly a grand time for children who are given gaily coloured new dresses to wear and choice eatables, necessarily including sweetmeats, to eat. The actual puja runs through five days, starting with the ritual installation of the deity, the ceremonial worship for three days and immersion of the image in a river or a tank on the final day. Durga puja has come to be associated with a grand exhibition of cultural functions. The immersion ceremony (vijaya), provides an impressive finale. The image is carried to the water front in a procession with music and drums and after the immersion everyone greets everyone in a fraternal embrace and visitors to every home are treated to sweetmeats. The Calcutta area, where many thousands of pujas are organised in different mohallas, offers a grand spectacle with a fair-like atmosphere in the streets and markets and brisk buying and selling of articles for utility and beauty are made. Handicrafts have a hey day. Fairs are held everywhere on the Vijaya (victory) day.

The festival that follows is Deepavali, the festival of lights,. The worship of goddess Kali is marked by display of fireworks and crackers.

Kali Puja

A festival to propitiate the dark goddess Kali, Kali Puja is held in the dark of a new moon night. With her blue-black skin, blood-smeared face, terrifying third eye, Kali wears little other than necklaces of snakes and skulls. In her four hands, she bears weapons and blessings for her followers. This is one festival that is seldom performed within a home, and is often marked by animal sacrifices. The worship of Goddess Kali makes the festival of Diwali in the state of West Bengal very unique. The houses and temples all over the state are vivaciously decorated and lit with oil lamps, candles or `diyas`. All the family members gather around in the evening for the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. In this state the Diwali festival stretches over a period of three days. The first two days mainly comprises of feasting, gambling, drinking, family foregatherings, lighting of fire crackers and other such activities. The celebrations and lights are much less on the final day of Amavasya. Exchange of gifts and greetings also form a vital part of the festivities.

Bhai Phota

This is the day brothers and sisters put aside their family squabbles and celebrate their familial ties. Women maintain a fast through the morning and break it by applying a dab of sandalwood to their brothers' foreheads, praying for their safety and welfare and plying them with sweets. In turn they receive gifts from their brothers. Do wangle an invite to a Bengali house on this day if you can - it's a day when the kitchen turns out some of its best fare of the year!

Naba Barso

This much-awaited festival of West Bengal is the New Year celebration of the Bengali community and is celebrated in the month of Baisakh or in the month of April. It is an extreme joyous occasion for the Bengalis and the businessmen in particular. It is a great time for visiting the temples and relatives, making offerings, buying new clothes, greeting people and much more.

HOLI

The festive celebration of Holi in the state of West Bengal is almost similar to that of Orissa except for some minor aspects. The other names by which the festival of Holi is popular in this state are `Dol Purnima`, `Vasant Utsav`. This festival was started in this state by the far-famed pet laureate Rabindranath Tagore at the university of Shantiniketan of which he was the pioneer. The youth of the state not only welcomes the season of sprspring with colors and sweets but also by chanting of hymns and other devotional songs. Holika is burnt in the evening as the symbol of the victory of good over evil.