Essence of the Mother Goddess Durga, Images from Kolkata

SangeetaOctober 15, 2013September 21, 2017 India, SoulFeed, Travel 30 Comments

The 10 day autumnal festival better known as Durga Puja is celebrated with grandeur for 5 days in the eastern part of India and is the major festival of the region. Kolkata, the erstwhile city of the Raj on the eastern banks of the River Ganges wears a festive look through the 5 days of Durga Puja almost transforming into a giant art gallery. You may wonder why autumn? Actually it is linked to the solstice and the end of the harvest season which gives reason to celebrate and prepare oneself for the long winter ahead. The energy of the Mother Goddess is the embodiment of feminine divinity which when connected to gives strength to the weak, invokes softness and love in the mind of the doubting , gives solace to the grieving that all is well and endows us with joy and all round happiness. Understanding the essence of Mother Goddess Durga is important for our well being in daily life.

She has 10 hands which protect us from all 10 directions (East, South East, South, South West, West, North West, North, North East, Top, Down). Each of these hands hold a weapon which is used to annihilate the negative and reinforce the positive in us. These weapons are adorned in her hands after completion of making the idol.

10 Weapons in Devi Durga’s Hands

Her 10 hands have 10 different weapons gifted from different gods (manifestation of different natural elements) which enabled her to fight the evil.

Sword – symbolizes knowledge which is as sharp as a sword to remove doubt
Bow and Arrow – depicts her control on all forms of energy
Thunderbolt – signifies firmness and a devotee must be firm in one’s convictions and face every challenge with confidence
Discus – better known as the Sudarshan Chakra which spins around the index finger of the Goddess signifying destruction of evil and demonstrating that the entire world is subservient to the will of Durga
Conch Shell – is the symbol of the universal sound OM which holds the secret of the universe
Lotus – in her hand is not completely bloomed represents the continuous spiritual evolution of the devotees and depicts certainty of success but not finality
Trident – Is a 3 headed sharp weapon which reflects her control of 3 worlds and 3 qualities – Satwa, Rajas and Tamas
Snake – symbolizes kundalini shakti in humans which when awakened endows us with good health and well being
Noose – is a reminder of how we are bound by desires, lust and ego
Bell – to invoke mental clarity and dispel air of negativity
Axe – symbolizes destruction of desires and attachments
Spear– is for penetrating insight
Goad – also known as Ankush is used to guide elephants. Spiritually the elephant signifies our huge material desires that need to be curbed and controlled
Shield – is the reminder of protection from evil forces
Club – is to take the world on a new path
Beads – the string is a reminder of lessons on concentration and spiritual growth

She is seen riding a lion which is symbolic of courage, royal grace and the ability to conquer difficult situations. She uses all the weapons to demolish demonic qualities symbolic of demon asura emerging from a buffalo representing dullness, lack of intelligence and ignorance

9 Forms of Durga during Navaratri – Durga Puja

Over the 9 days she is worshipped in 9 forms which are symbolic of the evolution of a woman from a daughter, to a student, to a young woman, wife, mother and finally into a spiritually enriched soul.

Shailputri
Brahmacharini,
Chandraghanta
Kushmanda
Skandamata
Katyayani
Mahagauri
Siddhidatri

Annihilation of 10 Asuras on Vijaya Dasami

The 10^th Day is celebrated as Vijaya Dashami or Victory Day where people wish each other with sweets and warm greetings. The Victory is over all the 10 qualities that the weapons of the Goddess was intended to annihilate