Durga Puja (Durgotsava) is one of the most celebrated festivals in Bengal. It starts with Mahalaya, the first phase of Shukla Paksha in Aashin maas (Ashwin month). Maha Sashti or Durga Puja Shashti is the first day of Durga Puja in Bengal. Click here to read more about Durga Puja 2012 schedule and calendar..
The detailed Durga Puja 2012 calendar (dates & Schedule) in Bengal:
15 October 2012, Mahalaya Durga puja
20 October 2012, Durga Puja Sashti (Maha Sasthi)
21 October 2012, Durga Puja Saptami (Maha Saptami)
22 October 2012, Durga Puja Ashtami (Maha Ashtami / Durga Ashtami)
23 October 2012, Durga Puja Navami (Mahanavami)
24 October 2012, Durga Puja Dashami (Bijoya Dashami)
The main Durga Puja starts on Maha Saptami and ends on Mahanavami. On Bijoya Dashami day, Durga Puja ends with Durga Bisarjan (Durga immersion).
Durga Puja is celebrated with lot of gusto in cities of West Bengal like Kolkata, Siliguri, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Durgapur, Bishnupur, Krishnanagar, Chandan Nagar, and Midnapur. It is a scintillating festival even the cities outside Bengal like Bangalore, Mysore, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, and towns in Assam, Orissa, and Sikkim.
The Hindu communities, especially Bengali community residing outside India celebrate Durga Puja in tremendous manner. Durga Puja is the biggest Hindu celebration in USA (Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, New York, Texas, and many more cities in America), UK (London, Leicester, Birmingham, Leeds), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth), Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, and some Europe cities.
Here is the detailed Muhurat or best time for Durga Puja 2011 festivities as per Bengali calendar.
The Nine Nights of Goddess, called Navaratri, is a powerful launch pad which will fire your quest for happiness on all fronts. Whether you are looking for money or a spiritual path to higher truth, the nine days of Goddesses, this September (9/19 to 9/27) holds your mystical key
I am blogging about Navratri and Durga Puja from Elmhurst, Queens, New York City over the next 9 to 10 days. See how people are celebrating in New York City at two Hindu temples through writing, photos, audio, and video. Hope to hear from you all. blogs.journalism.cuny.edu/interactive2010/2009/09/18/navratri-durga-puja-9-day-hindu-festival-starts-tomorrow/
Daniel Tucker
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