Durga Festival - Oct 3rd to Oct 6th 2011

Goddess Durga

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus held in the Autumn season. Puja means "worship," and Durga's Puja is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Ashshin, which is the sixth month in the Bengali calendar. It is celebrated with intense fervour and zest. The festive mood is seen in every part of the city of Kolkata.

In India woman is worshiped as Power and Goddess Durga is perhaps the most widely worshiped aspect of Shakti [ Power]. 

Shakti (power)

The puja is held over a ten-day period, which is traditionally viewed as the coming of the married daughter, Durga, to her father, Himalaya's home.

Durga with husband Shiva and son Ganesha

It is the most important festival in Bengal, and Bengalis celebrate with new clothes and other gifts, which are worn on the evenings when the family goes out to see the pandals (temporary structures set up to venerate the goddess).

Pandal (an artificial structure created for the festival)

 Although it is a Hindu festival, religion takes a backseat on these five days: Durga Puja in Bengal is a carnival, where people from all backgrounds, regardless of their religious beliefs, participate and enjoy themselves to the hilt

In Kolkata alone more than ten thousand pandals (artificial temples) are set up. The city is adorned with lights. People from all over the country visit the city at this time, and every night is one mad carnival where thousands of people go 'pandal-hopping' with their friends and family.

Though worship of Durga was done from time immemorial, it was during the 18^th century, however, that the worship of Durga became popular among the landed elite of Bengal, Zamindars. Prominent Pujas were conducted by the landed zamindars and jagirdars, enriched by British rule, including Raja Nabakrishna Deb, of Shobhabajar, who initiated an elaborate Puja at his residence. Many of these old pujas exist to this day.

Sobhabazar Family Puja

Durga puja mood starts off with the Mahishasuramardini' – it is a recitation of hymns from the scriptures from the Devi Mahatmyam or Chandi.

Inside these complex edifices is a stage on which Durga reigns, standing on her lion mount, wielding ten weapons in her ten hands.

Another Pandal

 This is the religious center of the festivities, and the crowds gather to offer flower worship or pushpanjali (offering flowers) on the mornings, of the sixth to ninth days of the waxing moon fortnight known as Devi Pakshya (lit. Devi = goddess; Pakshya = period; Devi Pakshya meaning the period of the goddess). 

Offering flowers to the goddess

Ritual drummers – dhaakis, carrying large leather-strung drums –– show off their skills during ritual dance worships called aarati.

Dhakis (ritual drummers)

 On the tenth day, Durga the mother returns to her husband, Shiva, ritualised through her immersion into the waters.

Durga immersion 

The worship always depicts Durga with her four children, and occasionally two attendant deities Jaya and Bijaya and some banana-tree figures. Attached is an image of Durga with her children, her pet lion and the demon though splayed by the goddess still claims to fame and gets the opportunity to come with her on her earthly visit and even get worship of people.

 It is a worship of power of Good which always wins over the bad.

Our tour to Kolkata Durga Puja will be a gala affair of four days. Read details bellow

Day 1. SAPTAMI    OCT 21, 2012

Tour starts at 9am.

The first day tour will take you to the erst while babu houses or landlord houses of Kolkata which includes :

1.       The house of Rani Rashmoni the rich lady who had taken up the control of the business after the death of her husband. This puja was started from 1793.

2.       Thanthania Dutta House, where even today 120 members of the family all live together. Puja started in 1866

3.      Latu babu and Chattu babu house. Even though they were siblings they had great rivalry in business.

4.        Khelat ghosh House. It’s a house which has still maintained its grandeur and wealth.

5.       Shobhabazar House. There are two houses here where puja started just after the Battle of Plassy  1757.

Drop back at the hotel.

Evening at leisure or a Heritage Tram ride could be arranged for the ones interested.

Day 2. ASTAMI  Oct 22, 2012

Tour starts at 9am.
You will be taken to a family home where a young girl before she starts her menstrual cycle is worshiped as the embodiment of the Goddess.

After the ceremony you will be treated to a gala lunch with the family. This will be a Marwari family from Rajasthan. These families have made Kolkata their home from the middle of 1800s and now are an intrigal  part of Kolkata life.

Back to hotel for freshen-up for the evening festivity.

Many other communities  of India has also made Kolkata their home. The evening will be spent with the people from Gujarat who celebrate this festival in their own unique style. They worship the nine forms of Durga and to them the festival is Navaratri. Dance is an intregal part of their worship where all assemble and do the Garba and Dandia dance. You can also join in, in their playful mood and learn a step or two. 

Day 3. NABAMI   OCT 23, 2012

Tour starts at 9am.

It’s going to be the most fun day as you will be taken around the city visiting the temporary temples made for the Goddess. They can look like anything, from Taj Mahal to Buckingham Palace, Eifel Tower to a hut in the remote hills of Assam.

The morning will be spent visiting Pandals (artificial temples) of South Kolkata

Lunch will be served in a Bengali home with traditional Bengali cuisine.

Then the rest of the day will be hopping around North Kolkata Pandals.

Day 4. DASAMI   OCT 24, 2012

It’s the last day of the festivity.

You will get a hena tattoo done by an expert who will meet you in your hotel room at 10.30 in the morning.

At 3.30pm you will get all dressed up in sari for ladies and dhoti kurta for men for the last ceremony of the festival. You will then be escorted to a traditional babu house where you will joing in Sindur Khela (playing with vermillion), it’s a tradition with married ladies for the good life of their husbands and for unmarried girls for a better future. Then you will walk upto the Ganges with all the family members where they carry the Goddess on their shoulder for emersion ceremony.

Package price:

Tour cost per person: INR 23,500/- =  USD 534@ 44

Package includes :  

Four days tours in couch/car with English speaking Guide , lunch on day 2 and day 3, hena tattoo, sari for ladies and dhoti kurta for men with experts to drape them.

Package does not include : 

Air fare, hotel accommodation, heritage tram ride and  other expenses. 

However we can book accommodation for you just inform us your desires for accommodation.

We book hotels (all budget), Ashrams and Homestays.

For further details mail at travelcalcutta@gmail.com

Call Suren at +7602418005 private number 

we also organise hand rickshaw tour, walk tour of kolkata bazzar tour, pilgrtim tour, cruise tour ,

SHANTINIKETAN STUDENT TOUR

KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA

KATHMANDU 

NORTH EAST WITH HONEYMOON

THAILAND

HIMACHAL

JHAMMU AND KASHMIR

AND MANY MORE ASK FOR ALL SORTS OF LUXURY TRANSPORT, ASSISTENCE, GUIDE, HOTEL BOOKING, TRANSFERS

Wedding Planner

Want your wedding to be really fun do it the Indian way. Indian weddings are a gala affair of 3 days. The tying of nuptial knot in the traditional Bengali style entails an elaborate and long affair, with series of colorful and charming rituals. Since wedding is a significant occasion in one's life, the day is organized in one of the most elegant ways, which makes a Bengali wedding a very special one to look forward to. The rituals truly mesmerize the spectator and leave him/her with only one thought in mind - Bengali wedding is truly amazing!

Now go through the wedding customs and try to create a visual image of the celebration.

The Bengali Hindu wedding ceremony starts with traditional bath of Bride and the groom with turmeric paste.

In the evening when the marriage procession of the groom (with ringing of bells, blowing of conch shells and ululation) arrives at the doorsteps of the bride’s residence, they are greeted with fresh flowers. An elderly female relative of the bride holds the welcome tray.  The plate is first touched to the groom's forehead, then to the ground. Thereafter, it is touched back again to his forehead. The groom is then given sweets and sherbet. As the groom enters the bride’s house, rosewater is sprinkled on him. After the groom is welcomed by the bride's family, he is brought to the wedding spot. Meanwhile, the bride is carried to the mandap (wedding spot) in a piri (flat stool), accompanied by four of her friends. 

When all these are done, the bride keeps her eyes hidden with a beetle leaf that she holds in her palm  She is then rotated seven times around the groom and then placed in front of him. Now, the bride and the groom face each other for the first time during the wedding. This is called the shubho drishti (the auspicious look)

Next the bride and the groom exchange flower garlands for three times, while the priest does the chanting.

Thereafter, the paternal or maternal uncle of the bride gives her away, which is known as 'sampradhan'(giving away).

The groom then puts vermilion on bride’s forehead and the wedding is concluded. 

The next morning the bride goes to the grooms home and the groom’s family gives a warm welcome to her. That night is their first night together and so the nuptial bed is richly decorated with flowers.

The third day is called ‘Bou Bhat’ when in the morning the groom makes promise to take care of all the necessities of the bride and gives her gifts. The bride then serves rice to all the family members. Evening there is a reception party thrown by the groom’s family where all the bride’s friends and relatives are invited.

Want to experience the same fun mail us at travelcalcutta@gmail.com  and we will arrange your Bie (wedding) call us 09062573227 surendra sharma