Atiśa Dīpankara Śrījñāna, (982–1054) , the renowned Buddhist religious leader and master from Bengal was one of the major figures in the spread of 11th century Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in Asia and inspired Buddhist thought from Tibet to Sumatra. He is recognised as one
This year Durga Puja has been different. In all senses. Even the Calcutta High Court judgement barred rituals like Sindoor Khela and Pushpanjali that for centuries have been a part of Durga Puja. However, if one goes deeper into the context of Sindoor Khela, one
When your Puja ends, theirs start. This is Khadimpur village, 12 km away from Raiganj town in North Dinajpur district. The village starts their traditional Balaichandi Durga Puja on the night of Vijaya Dashami. Around 7,500 members of 1,500 families living in the village start
The spirit of celebration stays bright in the hearts of the largest FB group Community of Canada, even during one of the most difficult times of our collective memory. Bengalis of Toronto GTA, a social media group of Toronto, Canada, is celebrating Durga Puja with
Historical evidences in Markanda Purana, suggest, Raja Surath, democratic emperor of Bengal with his Vaishya friend, performed the first ever-recorded puja of Durga, in spring. The Raja who lost everything he owned and believed only a worship of the Ati Prakruitika Shakti, Durga, would reverse
When the country is rising to almost every other day either breaking communal harmony, or preaching the same, there are certain zamindar families of Bengal that had used Durga Puja as a sign of inclusiveness for centuries. Take for example the 350-year-old Durga Puja of
As the countdown to Durga Puja 2020 begins, one thing is clear – it is going to be a very different affair from what the festival has been known to Bengalis for so long. In the initial months of lockdown, the situation was so grim
For all the enthusiastic photographers who used to throng Kumartuli every year to catch behind their lens the well-known procession of the idols leaving the artisans’ studio and making a beeline for various city pandals will be in for a surprise. But well, this safety
The Banerji para Durga Puja of Raghunathganj has always been unique, primarily because it has held on to the anti-communal feeling for more than 300 years. People of all religions are given a priority and everyone participates. Take for example the Bhog ceremony, where the
Bengalis are born foodies and they really know their food. An Indian map will certify that. Bengal is situated to the East of India and borders Bangladesh. And that’s where all the food stories begin. After fish, Bengali sweets is a quintessential Bengali topic of