In West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Tripura, Durga Puja is also called Akalbodhan ("untimely awakening of Durga"), SharadiyaPujo ("autumnal worship"), Sharodotsab ("festival of autumn"), MahaPujo ("grand puja"), MaayerPujo("worship of the Mother"), DurgaPujo, or merely as Puja or Pujo. In Bangladesh, Durga Puja used to be celebrated as Bhagabati Puja.

• The Many Forms of Durga-
  There are many incarnations of Durga: Kali, Bhagvati, Bhavani, Ambika, Lalita, Gauri, Kandalini, Java, Rajeswari, etc. Durga incarnated as the united power of all divine beings, who offered her the required physical attributes and weapons to kill the demon "Mahishasur".
• Durga's Many Arms-
  Durga is depicted as having eight or ten hands. This suggests that she protects the devotees from all directions.
• Durga's Three Eyes-
  Like Shiva, Mother Durga is also referred to as "Triyambake" meaning the three eyed Goddess. The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye represents action (the sun), and the central eye knowledge (fire).
• Durga's Vehicle - the Lion-
  The lion represents power, will and determination. Mother Durga riding the lion symbolises her mastery over all these qualities.

• The conch shell in Durga's hand symbolizes the 'Pranava' or the mystic word 'Om', which indicates her holding on to God in the form of sound.
• The bow and arrows represent energy.
• The thunderbolt signifies firmness. The devotee of Durga must be firm like thunderbolt in one's convictions.
• The lotus in Durga's hand is not in fully bloomed, It symbolizing certainty of success but not finality.
• The "Sudarshan-Chakra" which spins around the index finger of the Goddess, while not touching it, signifies that the entire world is subservient to the will of Durga and is at her command.
• The sword that Durga holds in one of her hands symbolizes knowledge, which has the sharpness of a sword.
• Durga's trident or "trishul" is a symbol of three qualities - Satwa (inactivity), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (non-activity) - and she is remover of all the three types of miseries - physical, mental and spiritual.

  Practices

  The Durga Puja festival is a ten-day event, of which the last five mark the popular practices. The festival begins with Mahalaya, a day where Shakta Hindus remember the loved ones who have died, as well the advent of Durga. The next most significant day of Durga Puja celebrations is the sixth day, called Shashthi where the local community welcome the goddess and festive celebrations are inaugurated. On the seventh day (Saptami), eighth (Ashtami) and ninth (Navami), the goddess along with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya are revered and these days mark the main Puja (worship) with recitation of the scriptures.

  The festival is a major social and public event in eastern and northeastern states of India, where it dominates the religious life, with temporary stage (pandal) built in community squares, roadside shrines and large Durga temples. However, it is also observed by some Shakta Hindus as a private, home-based festival.

  According to the sloka, Durga is omnipresent as the embodiment of power, nourishment, memory, forbearance, faith, forgiveness, intellect, wealth, emotions, desires, beauty, satisfaction, righteousness, fulfillment and peace.The specific practices vary by region. The following being most common:
  

  1. Preliminaries:
     The preparations before the actual Durga puja begins.

  2. Bodhana:
     The rites to awaken and welcome the goddess to be a guest, typically done on the sixth day of the festival.

  3. Adhivasa:
     Anointing ritual where in many symbolic offerings are made to Durga, where each item represents a remembrance of subtle forms of her. Typically completed on the sixth day as well.

  4. Saptami:
     Bathing of the goddess, selection of the priest, elaborate prayers (arati), recitation of texts describing Durga heading to war against evil, the ululu ritual (crying at high points by women), done on the seventh day of the festival.

  5. Mahastami:
     Similar to Saptami, more prayers, recitation and enactment of Durga legends and scriptures on the eighth day. The day is significant because the moment when it ends and ninth day begins is considered the moment Durga kills the buffalo demon, the good once again emerges victorious over evil.

  6. Sandhi Puja:
     One of the most important rituals during Durga Puja, it is a forty eight minute high point that celebrates the climax of war which goddess Durga was engaged in. It is done at the exact time Mahashtami ends and Mahanavami begins, with rituals being performed for the last 24 minutes of Mahashtami and for the first 24 minutes of Mahanavami. The goddess is then offered food (bhog) by women, and afterwards everyone eats. Major sites celebrating Durga Puja engage in a sixteen part devotional service.

  7. Mahanavami:
     The ninth day of festival observes rites similar to Saptami, with the difference that the celebration is after Durga's victory. The other deities on the stage are remembered and prayers offered to them.

  8. Vijaya Dasami:
     The tenth and last day, begins with Sindoor Khela, where married women smear sindoor or vermillion on the Goddess' idol, on her forehead and feet, before smearing it on each other. They also offer bhog to the goddess.

     It ends with a great procession where the clay statues are ceremoniously walked to a river or ocean coast for a solemn goodbye to Durga. It is an emotional day for some devotees, and the congregation sings emotional goodbye songs.

     When Durga is immersed in the water, the clay dissolves then she is believed to return to Mount Kailasha with. People distribute sweets and gifts, visit their friends and family members.

  Notes
  

  • In the Shakta tradition of Hinduism, many of the stories about obstacles and battles have been considered as metaphors for the divine and demonic within each human being, with liberation being the state of self-understanding whereby a virtuous nature and society emerging victorious over the vicious.

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