It is believed that Durga visits her parents Haimavat (the Himalayas) and Maina during the ten days of the autumn Puja. Dashami (or Bijoya) the tenth day of the waxing moon, is the day when she must return to Mt. Kailash, the abode of her husband, Shiva. At midday, the goddess' hairparting is adorned with sindoor, the sign of marriage that most Bengali Hindu women wear, and she is sent on her way to Kailash. This is symbolised by the 'visarjan' or 'bhasan', the ceremonial immersion of the goddess' image in the river: the image is taken in festive procession down to the river, and with drumbeats and dancing is lowered into the water.

Durga is shakti, or female energy. She is the consort of the god Shiva, and the daughter of Haimavat, the Himalaya mountains, and of Maina. As shakti she has two forms, one mild, the other fierce.

In her milder form she is Uma - light, Gauri - brilliant or beautiful, Parvati - one who comes from the mountains, Haimavati - daughter of Haimavat, Jagan Mata - mother of the world, and Bhavani - the wife of Shiva.

But it is in her fierce forms that she is especially worshipped. In her terrible form she is Durga - the inaccessible, Kali (see 'Kali Destroys Evil') and Shyama - the black, Chandika - the fierce, Bhairavi - the wife of Shiva or Bhairav, and Chandi - this name being applied especially to her incarnation for the purpose of destroying the buffalo demon Mahishasur. She is also called 'Mahishasuramradini', which means 'the slayer of the demon Mahish'.

Durga is portrayed as a beautiful but fierce woman, with ten arms. In each of her ten hands she carries a divine weapon, given to her by the gods themselves to help her in her battle against Mahishasur.

Her steed is a lion, though sometimes it is portrayed as a tiger.

The worship of Durga is a celebration of the victory of good over evil, a victory which is symbolised in the story of Durga and Mahishasura.

Read the story of how Durga vanquished Mahishasura......

Durga Puja cont'd... 
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