Statue of Maa Durga at The Ponds Community Hub / Image: Saraswati Singh

Durga Puja festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Sydney. This year, the auspicious festival of Durga Puja was celebrated with great pomp from 20th October to 24th October. People of Indian community participated enthusiastically in this festival which lasted for five days. This time in Sydney, Durga Puja was organized in many community centres. And different tableaux of Maa Durga were seen everywhere, as in India, the tableau of every pandal is different from the other, this time there was a similar scene in Sydney too. Although Durga Puja is special for all Indians, but all Bengalis around the world celebrate this festival in a very special way. Sharodiya Durgotsav was organized by the Bengali Community Dorpon Cultural and Religious Association at The Ponds Community Hub in Sydney. On this occasion, a large crowd of people came to see Maa Durga.

Bengali women in traditional Lal pad saree were seen engrossed in the worship of Mother Goddess. The aroma of Havan and Lohwaan had made the atmosphere even more devotional. With the sound of thumping, it seemed as if the devotees had invoked Goddess Durga. The puja was done with full rituals at all places and ended with havan bhog along with the consecration of Mata's life. Also, people of all ages paid floral tributes to Goddess Durga. Amidst the chanting of mantras, it did not seem as if you were so far away from your motherland.

One of the organizers of Sharodiya Durgoutsav from the Bengali Community Dorpon Cultural and Religious Association Asim Chaudhary said,“This is the third we are doing it in Sydney, we are from the Bengali community. I love to see many people come here together and we are celebrating it together. I ask everyone come to gather and enjoy the festive season. I can see the enthusiasm from the people that it's being done here.back in the country lot of festivity and lot of people come we can’t compare but we can see good amount of people in here in Sydney. We have been anticipating over the 1000 people will be joining us. We are doing all the rituals that we used to do  like Pushpanjali and sindurkhela we are following it as usual.”

It is a ten-day long festival in which the last five days referred to as Durgotsav, it is celebrated as Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Mahanavami and Vijayadashami.The sixth day of the festival, Shashthi, fell on Friday, 20 October. The festival started with the welcome of Goddess Durga in temples and community halls. Navratri puja rituals are extensive and complex. For nine days, shlokas and aartis along with Vedic mantras are sung and several Sanskrit texts from the Devi Mahatmya text are also included in the puja.In Sydney too, people recited Durga Saptsati and worshiped girls on Ashtami and Navami days.

Women of Bengali community in traditional red pad saree.Image: Saraswati Singh

Dorpon Cultural and Religious Association member Komal Roy said, “all the didi (sister) bhaudi (sister-in-law) and kids are actively participating in the puja which is our main motive to connect the new generation with the cultural roots. All the kids and family have been preparing themselves for puja for the last two weeks and all the decorations like rangoli were done by them. That is how everyone is contributing something to make it better. And we are passing to our kids all the knowledge of our culture so when they grow up, they will also follow.”

Ashtami day, also known as Durga Ashtami, Kumari Puja, or Sandhi Puja, was celebrated on Sunday, October 22. The purpose of the puja performed on this day is to prepare the goddess for her confrontation with Mahishasura. On the evening of Maha Ashtami, the fluttering tune of Dhak along with the traditional Dhunuchi dance has special significance.

Group of women in Durga festival. Image: Saraswati Singh

Mahanavami, often known as Durga Navami Homa, is the day when good triumphs over evil. It was celebrated on Monday, 23 October. It is said that on this day the war between Goddess Durga and demon Mahishasura ended, in which Mother Durga was victorious.

Vijayadashami or also known as Sindoor Utsav, was celebrated on Tuesday, 24 October. The last day of Durga Puja, which falls on Dussehra, is marked by various customs. On this day, women in Sydney also applied vermillion on Durga idols and also applied vermillion on each other, which is highly revered in Hindu religion. It is believed to bring good luck in marriage.