Idol

Durga Puja is the main festival of Bengalis. It is believed that Mother Durga comes to earth (her mother's home) every year for Navratra that is nine nights...... twice a year. We worship Durga as the daughter of the household and pamper her for the last six days of the navratra from sashti to Dashami. A lot of stories are associated with this festival which is held on a grand scale. You can read them here.

The festival is also the biggest social occasion as Durgotsavs are not celebrated in the households but in the groups and gatherings. Men and Women dress up in their finery for this five day festival. In Kolkata the city stops completely in these five days and the people are all out strutting their finery, shopping, gifting, eating, all of it on a very very large scale. They go all out and about in this festival. It is my favorite time of the year.

Durgotsav is celebrated twice a year....... once during March and once during September-October, depending on the moon. This is the idol of Ma Durga during the Sharadiya Durgotsav festivities last year in September. The second pic is of all kids with their pets and Mahishasur.