Durga Puja: Origins

Origins of Durga Puja

   Durga is an ancient deity of Hinduism, according to various archaeological and textual pieces of evidence found by our archaeologists. However, the origins of Durga Puja are very clear and undocumented; as no proper mention of date and time is found anywhere. Some of the surviving manuscripts from the 14th Century have laid down some guidelines for Durga Puja, while historical records suggest royal and wealthy families were sponsoring major Durga Puja festivities since at least the 16th century. The 11th or 12th Century Jainism text Yasatilaka written by Somadeva about a festival and annual dates that were dedicated to a warrior goddess, celebrated by the king and his armed forces and the description mirrors attributes of Durga Puja.

                              

     The word Durga, and other related terms appear in Rigveda hymns and Atharvaveda. There is also a mention of a deity named Durgi in Taittriya Aranyaka. While the Vedic literature has various citations of the word Durga, the description lacks the details about her or Durga Puja that is found in Hindu mythology. Scholars estimate that between 400 to 600 CE, this Hindu text was originated, which refers to the mention of Durga. She is represented as the goddess who appears in different forms, to fight the deceptive and shapeshifting demon called Mahishasura.

                              In the epic Mahabharata also, there is mention of  Durga. Both  Yudhishthira and Arjun characters of Mahabharata offer hymns to Durga, she appears in Vishnu's eulogy, and Pradyumna's prayer also. But the mentioning of Durga is inconsistent. Versions of Ramayana found in North, West and Southern manuscripts mention that Rama, the avatar of Hindu god Vishnu, to be remembering Surya(the Sun God), while those found in Bengali manuscripts of the 15th century, it's mentioned as Rama worshipping Durga.

             According to Pranab Bandyopadhyay, the worship of Durga, and her darker, more violent form Kali, became very popular in Bengal after the medieval era Muslim invasion. The worshipping of the goddess increased after the Islamic forces tried to deny and abolish the practice, people started to revolt against this opposition by the Islamic forces, and later it became the symbol of persecution and opposition by the Bengali Hindus in Bengal Sultanate and late medieval era religious politics led to a revival of Hindu identity and an emphasis on Durga Puja as a social festival that is celebrated across the country.