User talk:Apurbaganguly

Bangla Baro mas-e Tero Parban
Bengali New Year (Nava Barsha) - First of Baisakha/Mid of April The Bengali New Year is called Nava Barsha. It is the first day of Baisakha (middle of April). This is not relegious but more of a social occasion. People wear new clothes, hold gatherings and feast others on this day. The trading classes often take this as the first day of their financial year.

Jamai Shasthi - Jyaishthya/June On this day, generally in June, elderly ladies bless their son-in-laws and invite them to sumptuous dinners. Mother-in-laws also present gifts to the son-in-laws. It is also customary for elderly people on this day to present gifts to the children of their respective families and wish them health and prosperity.

Ratha Yatra - Ashara/June This festival comes about in the Bengali month of Ashara(June-July) in commemoration of the journey of Lord Jagannatha(Sri Krishna) to his aunt's house(Masir Bari,in Bengali) along with his elder brother Balarama and sister Subhadra. This journey is made in a car or chariot(i.e. a ratha) and is there fore called Ratha Yatra. The Ratha Yatra at Puri in Orissa is very famous. The car, dragged by devotees with a huge rope along a street of Puri, is majestic in appearance. Not only the images of the three deitees, placed in the car, but the car itself is an object of worship. In Bangal, Ratha of Mahesha, situated between Serampore and Konnagar, in the district of Hooghly is very famous.

Visvakarma Puja - Bhadra/September Lord Visvakarma is the supreme architect of the universe. He is worshipped on the last day of Bengali month Bhadra, which occurs in the middle of September. On this day all craftsmen and in fact all people working on any kind of machinery refrain from handling any tool or machine. all machinery and tools are objects of veneration on this day. Images of Lord Visvakarma are worshipped with appropriate mantras and rituals. In flying kites is must for the younger people on this day.

Sri Sri Durga Puja - Aswina/September-October This puja is most important festival of all Bengalee Hindus. They observe the ceremony all over the world; infact Puja is held wherever there is a sizable community of Bengalee Hindus. The goddess Durga is not worshipped alone. She is accompanied by two daughters - Saraswati (goddess of learning) and Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and two sons Kartika (the military leader of the gods) and Ganesha (the god who grants success in human endeavours). The goddess Durga and her companions (called Vahanas of the deities) - are worshipped on five consecutive days in Bengalee month of Asvina (September - October). The days are named Sasthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dasami. The images are all immersed in some river or tankon the Dasami day. After the immersion of the images, all people young and old, exchange greetings among one another in the spirit of universal amity and affection. This day is also marked by distribution of sweets. The durga Puja is a cheerful festival and all members of the Bengali community put on new clothes during this festival.Durga Puja to Bengali Hindus is what Christmass is to Christians viz. the season of home-coming.

Lakshmi Pujah - Asvina/October Some four five days after the Durga Puja the goddess Lakshmi is worshiped separately ona full moon night. The Bangalees take this puja quite seriously. It is believed that prosperity and grace can come to men and women only as gifts from the goddess Lakshmi.

Kali puja and Diwali - Kartika/October November The goddess Kali (also called Syama) has a terrible appearanca. She wears a garland made of severed heads of human beings and the garland is so large that it hides her nakedness. Kali puja is held on a dark new moon night coming a fortnight after the Lakshmi puja. The image of the gooddess shows her with a Kharga(sword) in her hand and herself standing on the supine body of her divine consort, the lord Shiva. The image of Kali standing on the body of Shiva is full of symbolic significance.Ssiva is Mahakala or eternity and Kali is time.Kali puja is quite common these days among Bengalee Hindus, but Diwali, the festival of lights coming on the following day, is a very important festival among people of northern India. Both on Kali puja night & Diwali night, fairworks make a dazzling show in the sky over towns in particular. It is also customary among trading classes in northern India to take this day as the first day of the financial year. It is quite common among ladies of the affluent classes to buy golden ornaments on this day.

Bhrati Dwitiya/Bhaiphonta - Kartika/November This day comes one or two days after the Kali Puja night. This day could wellbe called the Brother's Day. On this day, sisters observe aceremony in which they express their sincere concern for the safety and prosperity of their brothers. Brothers also express their affection for their sisters. The ceremony is marked by the exchange of gifts and eating of delicious food items. This ceremony has its appropriate mantras in sanskrit and in the spoken language also but the ceremony has not much religion about its observances.

Pousha Parvana/Pausha - January The Bangalees observe the last day of the Bengali month Pausha (Dec-Jan)- often called Pausha Sankranti-, as a festive occasion. On this day they eat some special cakes made of rice, lentil, coconut pulp, wheat flour, milk etc.

Saraswati Puja/Magha-January The worship of the goddess Saraswati(the goddess of learning) is held in the Bengali month of Magha(January-February). The all-white image of Saraswati, seated on a white lotus with a white swan by her side, is full of symbolic meaning. This puja is rather simple in respect of rituals connected with it. The universal popularity of this Puja is beyond any question. This ceremony is observed in all educational institutions and in most cultural organisations and even in ordinary households. Even the meal served in connection with this puja, is marked by simplicity and some grace about it.

Shivaratri/Phalgun-March Some 25 days after the Saraswati Puja, Sivaratri is observed with great solemnity. It is a 24 hour programme,with fasting and worship of the image of Siva at suitable intervals. Sivaratri is observed specially by the womwn folk. The urgge which gives life to this puja is a desire on the part of the woman to have men with the quality of the Lord Siva in their character.

Dol Yatra/Holi - Phalguna/Chaitra-February/March On a full moon day(Purnima) in the Bengali month of Phalguna(February-March) Bengalees observe through worship and songs(called "Kirtana")the Dolyatra and remember the divine love between Radha and Krishna(deities in human form). It is likely that this day, also known as Holi all over India, was originally the Spring Festival, celebrating the end of winter. For many centuries however the day has been observed as the festival of colour. On this day people smear others and even themselves with coloured powders and sprinkle coloured waters at others. People also serve sweets to their friends and relations. Young people often forget religion and take this day of revelry. As a result this day is often marked by law and order problems.

Presented by B.N. Ganguly 24,G.T. Road(Weast) P.O. Konnagar, Dist. Hooghly, W.B. India

Courtesy: Sri Rabi Chakraborty & Sri Pallb Laha