Durga Puja

Apart from Bengali, Durga Puja celebrations takes place in states such as orrisa, Kerala, Assam, parts of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Punjab, Maharashra and Bihar. Bengali non-residents living in United States Germany, France, England and Australia also celebrate the festival. The festival includes worship of gods such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, Shiva in addition to mahishasura. After Bengali’s independence, durga puja celebrations were marked with vigor and turned out to be the largest celebrated festival on earth .

Durga Puja celebrations entail people immersing the image of the goddess in water. The practice has raised alarms due to pollution of water. Many Hindus shun gods made from water friendly materials thus end up using gods made from other materials. Environmentalists claim that these gods contain non-biodegradable elements such as plastic as well as plaster of paris. These compounds pollute water making it unsafe for consumption. Dyes present on these gods make water toxic making it unfavorable for consumption.

Many aquatic animals such as fish have perished due to the practice of Durga Puja since these toxins diminish oxygen concentrations in water bodies making them uninhabitable. In west Bengali, the government grants citizens two weeks holiday to celebrate Durga Puja.During this time, locals travel much as a way of celebrating. During the festivals, businesspersons make money due to a high number of shoppers.

Many film industries release movies that concur with puja.

During Durga Puja celebrations, youngsters gather and taste food sold nearby. This practice is called pandal hopping. Most media houses broadcast puja festivals all day. Another significant god of the Hindu religion is Devi. Durga Devi means the worship of this goddess. Durga goddess known to be very attractive with a bright form has ten hands, lush hair, red glowing skin and eyes that resemble lotus. The goddess is clothed with a gown that radiates oceanic-like rays. Many ornament hung from her hands, neck and feet. These ornaments represent prosperity because they are made of gold.

These gods lived in temples where worshipers flock to worship. Women craving children worship the gods with faith of gaining reproductive power. Pooja is the art of keeping a close relationship with the gods with a mission of linking the physical world with the spiritual world. Durga Puja keeps morals among the Hindus in check to prevent any worshiper from going astray. Achievement of these morals comes after people follow written guidelines during Durga Puja.