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The most important and the most popular of all
Bengali festivals is the Durgapuja. It is celebrated throughout the
state, but with great grandeur in Kolkata. There are some ancestral
houses in Kolkata where Durgapuja is being observed over decades and
even over centuries. West Bengal celebrates Dussehra as Durga Puja craftsmen make beautiful idols of Goddess Durga which are welcomed in the houses, as a daughter who has come to visit her parents' home. The Goddess is ' Shakti ' the cosmic energy which animates all beings. The idols of the Goddess are worshipped for nine days and on the ninth day, the idols are immersed in rivers or ponds. The procession accompanying the immersion include drummers and conch blowers. The message of Durga Puja is to burn the evil within ourselves and follow the path of virtue and goodness. It reminds people to keep in mind the instance of Ravana, who was a great scholar and ardent devote of Lord Shiva, but despite all his might and majesty he was destroyed due to his gross misuse of power. The festival that follows is Deepavali, the festival of lights,. The worship of goddess Kali is marked by display of fireworks and crackers.
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