Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victory over Mahishasura. It is the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus and the Indian state of West Bengal. A 2019 study by the British Council estimated the economic value of creative industries associated with Durga Puja in West Bengal at ₹32,377 crores. West Bengal's capital city Kolkata's Durga Puja has been inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO in December 2021.
Dhakeshwari National Temple is a Hindu temple in Old Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is state-owned, giving it the distinction of being Bangladesh's 'National Temple'. The name "Dhakeshwari" means "Goddess of Dhaka". Bangladesh is the only country in the World to have a National Hindu Temple. It's one of the holiest Shakta pithas where the gem of Devi sati's crown fell but the gem is lost long ago and the main ancient Vigraha or stone murti is relocated to Kumortuli West Bengal during the partition time by the chief priest due to increased attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh.
Jagatdhatri or Jagaddhatri is an aspect of the Hindu goddess Durga, worshipped in the Indian state of West Bengal and other states like Odisha and Jharkhand. Maa Jagadhatri, the Goddess who is revered as the protector of the world. The Jagadhatri Puja and Mela at Bhanjpur Jagadhatri Podia is the biggest festival in Baripada, Odisha. Jagaddhatri Puja is particularly famous at Chandannagar and Rishra in Hooghly, Krishnanagar in Nadia and Ichhapur Nawabgunj in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal where it is celebrated as a five-day-long festival. Her worship and rituals are derived from Tantra. It is believed that her worship frees her devotees from ego and all other materialistic desires.
Kolkata has many festivals throughout the year. The largest and most magnificently celebrated festival of the city is Durga Puja, and it features colourful pandals, decorative idols of the Hindu goddess Durga and her family, lighting decorations and fireworks. Other major festivals are Diwali, Kali Puja, Holi, Saraswati Puja, Poush Parbon, Poila Boishakh, Christmas, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha.
Kasba is an upscale and standard locality of South Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. It is situated in the southern part of the city encircled by the Sealdah South section of the Eastern Railways to the west, Dhakuria and Haltu to the south, the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to the east and the locality of Tiljala to the north.
Chittaranjan Park is an upscale neighborhood in South East Delhi and home to a large Bengali community. It was established on a rocky terrain in the early 1960s under the name EPDP Colony and later renamed after the deshbandhu (patriot) Chittaranjan Das in the 1980s. Nowadays it is considered among the posh localities in South Delhi due to a rise in the market price of its plots. Despite its growing cosmopolitan nature, it remains home to a large Bengali community and is home to Kolkata-style street-food stalls, Bengali cuisine, fish markets, temples, and cultural centers. It hosts many festivities and cultural events. Durga Puja is the most celebrated festival here which boasts magnificent marquee.
Dharmanagar is a town with a municipal council in the northeast of India. It is the administrative center for North Tripura district, located in the northernmost region of the Country near the Bangladesh border on the east and the India-Bangladesh border on the west. It is the second largest urban area in the state, which make it one of the important commercial centre. The Juri river flows through the town.
Guptipara is a village in Balagarh, a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Sadar subdivision of the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Kumortuli is a traditional potters' quarter in North Kolkata in West Bengal, India. The city is renowned for its sculpting prowess. It not only manufactures clay idols for various festivals but also regularly exports them.
Barowari refers to the public organisation of a religious entity, mainly in West Bengal, India. Barowari has significance associated with the Durga Puja festival, in which the Hindu Goddess Durga is worshipped; symbolising the victory of good over evil. The word "Barowari" comes from the Sanskrit words "bar", which means public, and Persian word "wari", means For.
Asian Paints Sharad Shamman is an excellence award given to the best decorated Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata during the festival in October. Since its inception in 1985, Asian Paints Sharad Shamman has been heralded as the true achievement for excellence in decorating the abodes for Goddess Durga. As time has progressed there have been numerous awards being given by many other companies for creative excellence, but still Asian Paints Sharad Shamman is considered the most important award and the rightful judgement for excellence. It is a trendsetter for all the later awards.
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. For Shaivites and Shaktas, Durga is a form or actually is Goddess Parvati. For Vaishnavas, Durga is a form or actually is Goddess Lakshmi. However, the Vaishnava view contradicts the Navadurga belief and celebration as the nine goddesses included are all forms of Goddess Parvati. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra, and again in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navaratris. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri. There are 2 Gupta Navaratris or "Secret Navaratris" as well, one starting on the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Magha Month and another starting in the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of Ashadha Month.
Patachitra or Pattachitra is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. Patachitra artform is known for its intricate details as well as mythological narratives and folktales inscribed in it. Pattachitra is one of the ancient artworks of Odisha, originally created for ritual use and as souvenirs for pilgrims to Puri, as well as other temples in Odisha. Patachitras are a component of an ancient Bengali narrative art, originally serving as a visual device during the performance of a song.
The Bengali Hindu diaspora is the worldwide population of the Bengali Hindus of Indian and Bangladeshi origin.
Sarathi Socio Cultural Trust is a non profit organization in Bangalore, founded in 2003. The organization is involved in organizing socio-cultural events in Koramangala, the highlight being the grand "Durga Puja", which sees at least 150,000 to 200,000 visitors every year, and which got the "Senco Sharod Samman" award for the best ambiance and crowd management in 2018. In 2020, Sarathi used its funds to help many people, like the idol-makers and others, whose livelihoods were badly impacted due to the pandemic.
Dhaka is the most populous city of Bangladesh and is characterized by its busy urban life and a variety of cultural experiences, including festivals, cuisine, entertainment, shopping, and sites of interest. The nature of these activities mirrors the secular character of the city's population. Important holidays include Language Movement Day, Independence Day, Victory Day, and Pahela Boishakh. Religious festivals include Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Durga Puja, Buddha Purnima, etc. The culture of Dhaka is based on the culture of Bengal.
Melaghar is a small town located in the Indian state of Tripura and a Municipal Council in Sipahijala district, situated about 50 km from the capital Agartala. It is a neighbour to Sonamura and 10 km away from the Bangladesh International border. Neermahal is a famous tourist attraction in the town, situated in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake.
Chalchitra is a part of Bengal Patachitra. It referred to the Debi Chal or Durga chala, the background of the Durga Pratima or idol. Originally, these were used to give a proper proportion to the structure. This tradition is very ancient and is still maintained.
The Indian state West Bengal has a rich cultural heritage. Due to the reign of many different rulers in the past, arts and crafts in West Bengal underwent many changes giving an artistic diversity today in the forms of traditional handicrafts, terracotta, painting and carving, dances and music.
Durga Puja in Kolkata is an annual festival celebrated magnificently marking the worship of the Hindu mother goddess Durga. This festival is the biggest festival in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.
