Karnataka - Mysore   

Adding diversity to Dasara celebrations

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Festive sprit: Bengali community celebrating Durga Puja in Mysore.

MYSORE: Adding a dash of colour and diversity to the Dasara celebrations in the city is the Durga Puja by the Bengali community complete with a colourful idol of Goddess Durga rendered by artisans from Kolkata.

Visitors to the venue at the Shivamma Mahadevappa Choultry, off the KRS Road, are greeted by the rhythmic beat of the “dhak”, a traditional drum, and the special aroma of “dhoono” or incense sticks. A 6.5-foot tall idol of the goddess decorated in myriad hues enthrals the devout who make a bow reverentially to seek the blessings of the divine mother. The Bangiya Samithi of Mysore has organised the puja.

Durga Puja as celebrated by the Bengalis is universally renowned for the artistic depiction of Goddess Durga. This is the most popular of all the festivals celebrated by the Bengali diaspora across the world. The tradition and the rituals that are followed are, however, uniform.

According to Salil Kumar Das of the samithi, the traditional rites include invocation of the goddess on “Maha Shasthi”, which fell on October 17 this year, marking the arrival of the goddess from her heavenly abode.

The main puja during the celebrations include “Bodhon” or the invocation followed by “Anjali daan” or floral offerings by the devout. This is preceded by an elaborate ritual and worship as per the sacred injunctions and the “aarthi” that follows includes the “Dhunuch nritya”, a traditional Bengali style of performing “aarthi” with effervescent smoke.

Durga Puja celebrations include special rituals and prayers on “Maha Saptami”. On “Ashtami” special prayers and elaborate rituals are followed by “Anjali daan”. “Maha Ashtami” begins with recitation of sacred hymns when large number of Bengalis congregate at the puja venue.

Various cultural programmes are held during evening.

The idols are specially made to order by artisans from Kolkata and have a distinct charm, akin to Ganesh idols in myriad avatars as depicted in Maharashtra.

This is the 29th year of celebrations by the samithi. The samithi had participated twice in the Jamboo Savari in the past and had walked away with first prize for its tableau depicting the Durga Puja as celebrated by the Bengali community on both the occasion.

The traditional “farewell” to the goddess will be on Vijayadashmi day, Sunday. The “visarjan” or immersion will take place at Sangama in Srirangapatana.

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