Durga Puja Begins

It's that time of the year again .... the most awaited Durga Puja. Beautiful deities are created by skilled craftsmen and enormous pandals erected. People wear new clothes and go out, hopping from one pandal to another, enjoying the full colors of this festival.

This is that one time of the year when Kolkata stays awake 24x7, energetic and brimming with enthusiasm.

This is that time of the year when you wake up to the music of dhaak, the powerful rhythm filling your heart with joy of devotion.

And yes, this is that time of the year when you can proudly say you reside in Kolkata, witnessing the full grandeur of the Goddess.

Durga Puja celebrates the victory of Maa (Mother) Durga, symbolizing goodness, over the evil demon Mahishasur.

This is a 10 day festival. On the final day, the deities of Goddess Durga and her four children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya) are immersed in the sacred Ganges. Soon after, the wait and preparation for the next year's Puja begins. This year, the 10th day would be 24th of October.

Here are a few clicks taken from my camera during last night's tour of pandals.

All of a sudden, my camera stopped working. That was sad. However, my cell phone saved the day with its 5 MP camera. Below are the pics from my cell phone.

A Very Happy Durga Puja to all my blogging friends. Enjoy and have fun :-)