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Durga Pujo: Kolkata's Favorite Festival
Kolkata, India
by Esha Samajpati |
Above is the final depiction of the mighty warrior Goddess Durga who represents power in Hindu mythology. She has ten hands clutching ten different weapons and rides a fierce lion, the symbol of strength. She is surrounded by her family of four, each one of whom has a pet of their own. The evil demon Asura lies slain at her feet reinforcing the belief that good triumphs over evil. Photo by Indrani Samajpati. |
India is diverse when it comes to languages, customs and festivals and even the images of Goddess Durga vary from Pandal to Pandal giving way to an artist's imagination. Photo by Indrani Samajpati. |
Inside another Pandal. Gifts and flowers pile up at the Goddess's feet as the days go by. Photo by Indrani Samajpati. |
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| Durga Pujo decorations usually revolve around different themes. These themes may vary from literary characters to movies to current events. In the picture above, we have a character from "Goopy Gyne Bhaga Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha)", a classic film by Satyajit Ray. Many know him as one of the world’s best directors and of course, as the recipient of an Oscar Award for Lifetime Achievement, but few know that he was a talented artist who sketched each scene right down to the last detail prior to making the film. For those interested in filmmaking and Ray, please visit satyajitray. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati. |
After five days, the clay idol of the Goddesses are immersed in the River Hooghly, a river largely responsible for trade since the British days. The above picture is of the Second Hooghly Bridge (VidyaSagar Setu) which spans the river connecting Kolkata to Howrah. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati. |
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