Durga Puja Celebrations Around the World
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, Durga Puja is celebrated with great fanfare. It forms the
biggest religious festival for the Hindu community, who form a minority
in Bangladesh. The festival is observed in almost every district of the
country, despite the dominant religion being Islam. Numerous Durga Puja
pandals are erected and decorated beautifully in every corner of
Bangladesh, including the villages. According to a 2007 census, the
approximate number of Puja Mandap in Bangladesh for that year was a
staggering figure of 20,649.
In Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, local residents seat a
virgin(generally a little girl) in the local temple during Durga Puja
festival. The virgin is regarded as a symbol of purity and worshippers
offer prayers to the virgin as a symbolic representation of worshipping
Goddess Durga. Here Bijoya Dashami, the concluding day of the Durga Puja
festivities, is a government holiday. The five-day Durga Puja festival
ends on this day with the immersion of idols in the rivers and sea
across Bangladesh.
Nepal
In Nepal, Durga Puja is known as "Dashain" and observed as a ten-day
festival that celebrates the triumph of Goddess Durga over the evil
force represented by Mahishasura. Nepal being predominantly a Hindu
nation, Durga Puja is the biggest festival of the nation as it is in
India. Both nations follow the same Hindu calendar and hence, the date
of the "Dashain" festival coincides with the "Durga Puja" in India. The
"Dashain" festivities not only witness religious observance by the
people of Nepal but also find them visiting their families and having a
joyous time. The King of Nepal plays a key role in the festivities,
particularly during Saptami (the Seventh day of the pujas). Inspite of
the overthrow of monarchy in Nepal, the Royal Family still has a
significant cultural role in the nation. During "Dashain", banks and
government offices are closed and most of the activities in the country
come to a halt. Most buses do not ply during the festive days.
Australia
In Australia, Durga Puja is observed by the Indian immigrants with great
gusto. In Sydney, the capital city of the country, thousands of Bengali
immigrants and other members of the Indian diaspora gather on Maha
Sasthi (the first day of the Puja) to provide a warm welcome to Goddess
Durga and her four children. The women drape themselves in in dazzling
Baluchari, Dhakai, Tangail and Kantha saris while the men wear kurta and
dhoti in keeping with the festive tradition. Clay idols of the Goddess
and her divine family are sculpted and painted by local Indian artists
and set up inside the colourful pandals (marquees) adorned with spring
flowers and other embellishments. Kids are encouraged to enter into a
drawing and painting competition while adults take part in or enjoy
musical performances consisting of traditional Rabindra Sangeet and
modern fusion music.
In Melbourne, Durga Puja is celebrated in the southern suburb of
Keysborough. It is attended by a large number of Bengalis from across
the state and as far as Canberra. The puja here is a community affair
with everyone taking part in the process, from men looking after the
management to women preparing the sweets and teenagers cutting the
fruits for prashad(offering). Throughout the festive week, Indians
(especially Bengalis) gather at the puja pandals after work.
Europe
Here Durga Puja is organised by the residing Indian community with great
fervor. In Belgium, the Durga Puja celebrations began in 2006 with the
efforts of Sarbajanin Puja Samity, Brussels. The “Durga Murti” (statue
of Goddess Durga) is specially made in Kumortali (West Bengal, India)
and flown to Brussels for this occassion. The Durga Puja(worship of
Goddess Durga) is done in typical Bengali tradition for all the five
days of the festival. Pandals may or may not be constructed in Europe;
the idols are an absolute necessity. On Bijoya Dashami, the Durga idols
are immersed in local waterbodies. Recently, the immersion of the Durga
idol has been allowed in the Thames river for the festival which is held
in London.
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