Durga puja by Ramachandra.Before I begin , let me extend to everyone my heartfelt wishes for Navarat

Durga puja by Ramachandra.Before I begin , let me extend to everyone my heartfelt wishes for Navaratri and Sharadiya durgotsav . Most of us are completely unaware but Devi puja has already begun yesterday in many old aristrocract homes and ancient pujas of Bengal through ghat sthapan and ‘bodhan’ ritual . Yesterday was the auspicious Navami tithi of Krishna Paksha . The puja that spans from Krishna paksha Navami to the following Shukla paksha Navami is called Durgotsav .It was much later when Durgotsav started transforming itself from a king’s royal festival to common man’s celebration , that the elaborate 15 days long worship became obsolete and the shorter 5 day alternative ( puja starting from Shashti the 6th day of Navaratri ) became normative . In modern times , most pujas begin on shashthi tithi . Most Bengalis are unaware of the original Krishna Navami bodhan and 15 days durgotsav .But although the Krishna Navami tithi is forgotten , the tale of Ramachandra’s worship of Durga remains popular .Kavi Krittivasa’s Bengali Ramayan narrates the story where Shri Ram sees Goddess seated inside the royal chariot carrying Ravana in her lap ! Realising that he is blessed and protected by the goddess , Rama looses hope and starts to despair ! The devas panic and approach Brahma for a solution . Brahma asks Ramachandra to worship Chandika and earn her favour . As Krishnaa Navami and Pratipad was already past , Rama was advised by Brahma to do a ‘bodhan’ and begin worship on Shashti .Ramachandra began to arrange for the worship with great enthusiasm , assisted by the vanaras and his associates . Ramachandra himself sculpted a clay image of the goddess and sat down to awaken her through bodhan ritual in dusk . But even after three days of puja , devi did not appear. Vibhisana advised to Rama to worship Durga with 108 blue lotuses that are only found in a distant Devi daha lake . Courageous Hanuman brought back the 108 blue lotuses and Rama began to offer them one by one after ‘sankalpa’ . However Devi hid one lotus to test Rama’s sincerity . When that one lotus was nowhere to be found , heartbroken Ramachandra decided to offer one of his eyes to the goddess because people call him lotus eyed one . Just as he was about to gauge out his eye , Devi appeared and held Rama by hand and said – “ Stop stop o lord . You are the purna brahman. You need not do such a thing . It is only to make my puja popular in the universe that you decided to sport such a leela . I am leaving Ravana . You may go and vanquish the demon king .This story has been passed through generations in Bengal . However Krittivasa is not the creator of this story . The episode finds mention in many puranas and tantras a long time before poet Krittivasa .In Devi Bhagavat Purana VedaVyas says –——–“ When the separation of Sita grew unbearable , Rama worshipped Bhagavati in Kishkindhya and through that act was enabled to defeat and kill the evil demon king and his accomplices . It was only through the mercy of Devi that Rama was able to return to Ayodhya and enjoy the throne . “At another place the purana seys –“ In the holy land of Bharata , it was Raja Surath who first worshipped the great goddess . Later Shri Ram worshipped her for killing Ravana and that is how her puja became popular all over the three worlds .”Kalika Purana describes –——“ In the olden times , Brahma awakened the great goddess in night to bestow benediction on Rama and kill evil Ravana . Thus awakened , the goddess entered Lanka and engaged Rama and Ravana in battle as she feasted on the blood and gore of the slain monkeys and rakshasas . She ensured that this battle lasts for one week . “Brihaddharma Purana describes ——–“ Brahma said to the devas – ‘O all knowing devas . We ought to perform swastyayana for Rama’s victory . But nothing can be achieved without the grace of Bhagavati who must be awakened . “Then Brahma and the devas began chanting hyms to devi who then appeared in form of a child and said – “ O Brahma and devas , im pleased with you all . Hear what I have to say to you . Tommorow at dusk perform bodhan and awaken me under the bilwa tree . Only then will your desires be fulfilled and Rama get his victory . “The next day the devas and Brahma went to the bilwa tree in a remote region and saw the goddess in form of a small girl , sleeping peacefully on a leaf of that tree . She was shining like molten gold , her waist was thin and she wore new garlands . Her lips were full like bimba fruits and everything about her was auspicious . Then everyone began to sing hymns to her to awaken her from her sleep . Devi got up , blessed the devas and disappeared .In the lalita Trishati Stotram of Brahmanda Purana one verse says - “ Lakshmanaagraja pujitaa ” . Goddess who is worshipped by the elder brother of Lakshmana . This small utterance also harks back to the legend of Ramchandra’s Durga puja .Krittivasa merely used the puranic tales and rearranged them in his own way .Ramachandra is inseperable from the culture of Durga puja in Bengal . Which is why one finds a painting of Ram durbar on the chaala chitra ( backdrop / prabhavali ) of the durga pratima . It is believed that after killing Mahiravana , Hanuman lifted the devi murti that he worshipped and had it brought to Bengal where he installed it in the sati peetha of Yogadya . Yogaadya is one of the 51 Sati peethas where body parts of sati’s body fell after daksha yajna . Eeven today , during the days of Durga puja , Ramayana paath and Ramayana gaan is performed in the temple premises .The Valmiki Ramayana however does not have any mention of Durga puja . There Ram recites aditya stav before killing Ravana . However it must be understood that the legends of Ram finds numerous expression through numerous authors and narrators in each region of the subcontinent . Each version has its own religio-cultural merit . And that pluralism is verily the beauty of Hinduism ! Even the story of Lakshmana drawing the lakshamana rekha around Sita is not there in Valmiki Ramayana but has its origins in Krittivasa’s Bengali Ramayana . But think how important the idea has become in modern indian culture !The word bodhan means to awaken the ‘Bodha’ . The same bodha which made Siddhartha Gautama into the Buddha . Bodhan also means to awaken the devi within us . In the dusk of Shasthi as the darkness slowly creeps in and birds return to roost …….. when the slight autumnal nip in temperature and the fragrance of freshly bloomed shiuli flowers have clothed the earth in robes of festivity ……… the Bhattacharya sits under the bilwa tree beside the lamp , invoking the great goddess from her sleep ! As night descends on the surroundings , light begins to shine within our hearts ! Just like the saying of Bhagavan in Gita – “ What is night for ordinary jeevas is day for the gyani “ ! That verily is the essence of bodhan !!Breaking the stillness of the night , the auspicious chants of Bodhan mantra can be heard – “ aim , ravanasya vadhaarthaaya ramasyaanugraha cha , a-kaale brahmnaa bodho devyaastwayi kritah pura “ Painting and text by Halley Goswami,if you want to buy this painting or others of the genre go to:https://www.facebook.com/Halleysart -- source link

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