The fifth aspect of the Mother Durga is known as ‘Skanda Mata’ – the mother of Skanda or Lord Kartikeya, who was chosen by gods as their commander in chief in the war against the demons. Who is Skanda Mata? She is worshiped on the fifth day of Navratri. She is accompanied by the Lord Skanda in his infant form. …

Durga Puja in Kolkata: One of the biggest social events of India, Durga Puja is considered the main festival for Bengalis. It is a ten-day carnival in West Bengal, the eastern state of India. Magnificently created puja pandals are erected at every other street of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. Every pooja pandal is unique in its own …

Durga Puja Celebrations: Durga Puja or Durgotsab is one of the most popular Hindu festival in India. It is a ten days long festival in which Goddess Durga, the Hindu goddess of power, Durga or Shakti is worshiped in nine different forms. It is a ten days affair in which last six days are observed with elaborate rituals and intricate …

A Durga Puja that is over 500 years old and is sponsored by the Tripura government continues to be a draw for devotees in northeast India as the royal family has kept its traditional sanctity. Tripura, the northeastern state currently ruled by the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist, is possibly the only one in India where …

108 Names of Maa Durga with their meaning – Goddess Durga is the personification of the divine force of the super power. The Durga means ‘the invincible’, so the Durga is regarded as the ever victorious warrior of the Gods lineage. Durga is the representation of courage, strength, ethics and protection. She is the destroyer of sin and evil and …

Different Forms of Durga: The festival of Durga Puja is celebrated with religious observance by the Bengalis all over the world. During the festive season especially in India, the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped on the nine days, each symbolizing a religious significance. Named differently, each form of the deity had different goals, when they assumed their avatars. …

Durga Puja is a ceremonious occasion, wherein a number of rituals are performed to please the deity of power and courage – Goddess Durga. On the occasion, the devotees of the Goddess chant mantras and sing bhajans, to praise her. One of the very ancient mantras is Durga Kawach, which is a compilation of special shlokas from the Markandeya Purana. …

Durga Puja is celebrated with fun and fervor by Bengalis in India as well as across the  world. All through the ten days of celebrations, people in West Bengal are busy in the merrymaking. They enjoy fasting and feasting with equal pleasure. Maa Durga, the deity of courage and strength, is worshiped for nine days and her idol is immersed …

Donkey And The Emperor: One day, Emperor Akbar and Birbal went together for a walk. At the sunset Birbal sat down on the river-bank and performed ‘sandhya’ — the Hindu ritual. The Emperor was very much impressed. He said to Birbal, “Birbal, tell me how to perform ‘sandhya’. I like it very much and I too like to do it.” …

Navratri Bhajans: Navratri Bhakti Sangeet – There are two Navratri celebrations in India. The first Navratri is called the Chaitra Navratri and the second is called Ashwin Navratri. The first one is celebrated in the month of March- April and the second is celebrated in the month of September – October according to the Gregorian calendar. The celebrations of both these …