Durga Puja celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura. It begins on the same day as Navratri, a nine-night festival in many northern and western states that more broadly celebrates the divine feminine (Shakti).
Bengali Durga Puja begins on Shasthi, the sixth day of Navratri. During the following three days of Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, the goddess is worshipped in her various forms as Durga, Chandi, and Shakti. The celebrations end with Bijoyadashami (“Tenth Day of Victory”), when, amid loud chants and drumbeats of Dhaki, sacred Pratimas are carried in huge processions to local rivers, where they are immersed. That custom is symbolic of the departure of the deity to her home and to her husband, Shiva, in the Himalayas.
Durga Puja 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 Indian state West Bengal.
There were about 3,000 Barowari pujas in Kolkata in 2022. More than 200 pujas were organized in the city with a budget of over one crore rupees.
Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO in December 2021.