"namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaH" ||
"Ya Devi svarbhabhuteshu Matrirupena sangstitha" |
"namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaH" ||
"Ya Devi svarbhabhuteshu Shantirupena sangstitha" |
"namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaH" ||
For the 3rd time we have gathered to celebrate a long-awaited grand festival, Durga Puja in Brussels, Belgium. The countdown begins for Durga Puja to arrive ... an eager wait for five days of pure joy and merriment, fun and frolic, for young and old alike ...
It is a time for coming together, of reunion and rejuvenation, of the rebirth of our spiritual selves ... and last but not the least, the season to love, to share and to care. Durga Puja means more to us than just an annual religious festival ... it is a celebration of life, of our culture, our popular customs and traditions...
Let us celebrate Durga Puja in a whole new way this year, and make the Puja come alive with love, light and laughter in the hearts of one and all.
To get a closer glimpse and enjoy the Puja ceremonies in full extend, please cooperate with us financially as well as with every other possible means to make it successful.
We are fully occupied with the preliminary preparations.
Every day 11.00 till 21.00 hours.
at
Rue Marcelis 34
B-1050 Brussels (Ixelles)
Bagchi Sushanta
Brussels 1210
Belgium
ph: +32 (0) 484/638.767
sarbajan
Contact Informations » Please use the phone numbers or fill-up the form on right to send an email to us. We are always there to listen to you.
Who We Are
We collected some money from our members to start Sarbajanin Durga Puja. also many Asian people helped us to organise this celebration by giving their financial contribution and supports at last we made it happen for the first time in 2006 with a big success.
Our puja was performed in the most Hindu religious way as it is done in our countries. "Durga" Murti (statue) was imported from Kumortali (Kolkata) India. Our Purohit (Brahmin) came from France and Belgium to do the Puja for all of the five days as per Bengali tradition and calendar.
So this year we are again organising the second edition of the Durga Puja and we are hoping to involve many other people from different background to come and celebrate with us this traditional Hindu festivity.
Any body interested and wanting to participate in our Durga Puja are kindly requested to contact our committee by email, Telephone and Fax.
Modern Fasting Trends Purpose of Observing Fast Durga Puja Fast Devotees of Goddess Durga observe fast on the occasion of nine-day-long Durga Puja celebrations every year with full faith and sincerity. The purpose of observing fast is to propitiate Durga Ma and seek her divine blessings. Having been religiously carried out since ages during the festival of Navratri or Durga Puja, the fast has become an intrinsic part of the festival.
It is interesting to note that the present generation has retained the custom of fasting during Durga Puja. Though many observe fast in its true meaning some have molded it suit their taste buds. Rush of people in the stall selling vrat (fast) ki chaat and vrat ki namkeen is a common site especially in metropolitan cities. Restaurants too offer a special menu to those observing Navratri fast. While many look at the changing trends with skepticism others feel that such transformation does not matter a lot as long as people have faith in Durga Ma.
Hindus have high regards for Goddess Durga whom they look upon as Ma or Mother of all. Fast to them is a denial of the physical needs of the body and a means to attain spiritual gains besides blessings of the Mother Goddess. Hindus sincerely believe that fasting helps in establishing a harmonious coordination between body and soul. Besides, fasting is also considered to be good for the body. It helps to keep body healthy by giving digestive organs some rest and cleansing the body of toxic materials.
Sarbojanin Durga Puja
Sarbojanin Durga Puja literally means Durga Puja celebrations “For all people” or “involving all”. If we look at the word “Sarbojanin” closely, we’ll find that it is an association of two Bengali (Sanskrit) words “Sarbo” meaning all and “jan” meaning people. Durga puja is a community festival, wherein people from all classes come together and celebrate the festival with compassion and equality. This is one of the biggest qualities of Durga Puja. It is a festival for all human beings. No caste, creed or color is defined here. While eating the Bhog (food containing Devi Durga’s blessings) in the traditional marquees built for Maa Durga, people from all possible classes and gotra (surname) sit together and enjoy the delicious recipes.
In a Sarbojanin Durga Puja, we see a large number of people participating together to raise funds and establish the Durga Idol and the auspicious marquee. The word Sarbojanin has tremendous power to pull the hearts of every Bengali and unite them under the umbrella of Durga Pooja. So much so that this word has been adopted as the name by several Durga Pooja committees. Every town and every city has atleast one Sarbojanin Durga Puja. In big cities like Kolkatta, Delhi, Mumbai etc, we find several clubs with the same name, much to the confusion of normal people.
In Sanskrit Durga means " She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach ." Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshipped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe and is a symbol of a female dynamism. Goddess Durga
Once a year, in the autumnal month of Ashwin, Goddess Durga comes home to her parents, together with her four children, Ganesh, Laxmi, Karttik and Saraswati, and enjoys all the love and attention lavished on her. Unfortunately, this visit lasts only three days, and on the fourth day she starts on her journey back to her husband's abode in the mountain kingdom of Kailash.
Durga
Goddess of deliverance - comes to earth on the seventh day after the autumn new moon. She is depicted by the 'kumors' or potters as a resplendent golden figure standing on a lion's back, each of her ten arms bearing a particular weapon, as she triumphs over the demon Mahisasura.
Durga, a beautiful warrior seated upon a tiger, was the first appearance of the great goddess. Also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. Destroyer of demons, she is worshipped during Durga puja, most popular among Bengalis.
Durga is worshipped in various other forms also. She is
Uma, "light";
Gauri , "yellow or brilliant";
Parvati, "the mountaineer";
Jagatmata , "the-mother-of-the-world"
Durga "the inaccessible";
Kali , "the black";
Chandi , "the fierce";
Bhairavi , "the terrible."
Hindu Gods and Goddess
Kali : sect name of the goddess Durga is depicted as wife to Shiva. Her idol is black, smeared with blood, has huge teeth and a protruding tongue that drips with blood. She wears a garland of skulls, earrings of corpses and is girdled with serpents. She usually has four arms, symbolizing absolute power over all finite things. One hand holds a sword, the second holds a severed human head, the third is believed by her devotees to be removing fright and the fourth is often interpreted as granting ecstasy.
Kali, all-powerful, absolute and all pervasive, is beyond fear and finite existence and is therefore believed to be able to protect her devotees against fear and grant them limitless harmony and peace. Finally, as total night, devouring all that exists, she is sometimes depicted as standing on Lord Shiva, which, like the necklace of skulls, symbolizes the remains of finite existence. Kali's devotees reportedly pleased her in the past with human sacrifices.
Kali, all-powerful, absolute and all pervasive, is beyond fear and finite existence and is therefore believed to be able to protect her devotees against fear and grant them limitless harmony and peace. Finally, as total night, devouring all that exists, she is sometimes depicted as standing on Lord Shiva, which, like the necklace of skulls, symbolizes the remains of finite existence. Kali's devotees reportedly pleased her in the past with human sacrifices.
Below are few other Hindu Gods and Goddesses:
Aditi
Highest creator of all that has been created. Variously described as the mother, wife and/or daughter of Vishnu; ma of the gods and all heavenly bodies.
Ambika
a personification of Parvati in Hindu mythology. An amazingly beautiful woman who lured devils to their deaths. She announced that she would not summit to anyone who had not defeated her in battle and when they approached to fight her she killed their retinue with a supersonic hum, then transformed herself into the fearsome Kali and slew them.
Brahma
the post-Vedic form of Prajapati; the originator and creator
Devi
A twelve-armed warrior goddess,created by Brahma, Vishnu and Siva to slay Mahishasura, the buffalo-demon, who menaced the universe.
Durga One of the forms of the goddess Shakti, She was born fully grown. Durga is famous as the man-armed many-weaponed goddess who slays the buffalo-demon Mahish.
Ganesha
The god of wisdom and prosperity. He is depicted with a chubby human body, four arms and an elephant's head. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati.
Kama
God of desire and love. Son of Vishnu and Lakshmi and husband of Rati
Krishna
He is believed and worshipped as an incarnation of Vishnu by his devotees.
Lakshmi
A companion of Vishnu and mother of Kama. She is the goddess of beauty, wealth and enjoyment.
Mahashashthi
On this day Goddess Durga arrives to the mortal world from her heavenly abode, accompanied by her children. She is welcomed with much fanfare amidst the beats of dhak. Unveiling the face of the idol is the main ritual on this day. Kalaparambho, the ritual performed before the commencement of the puja precedes Bodhon, Amontron and Adibas.
Mahasaptami
Saptami is the first day of Durga puja. Kola Bow or Nabapatrika is given a pre-dawn bath. This is an ancient ritual of worshiping nine types of plants. They are together worshiped as a symbol of the goddess. The main Saptami Puja follows Kalparambho and Mahasnan.
Mahaastami
The day began with a recital of Sanskrit hymns in community puja pandals as thousands of devotees offered anjali to the goddess. Kumari Puja or the worship of little girls as the mother goddess was a special part of the rituals observed in a number of traditional and household pujas. As the day wore on, it was time for the important Sandhi Puja, which marks the inter-linking of the Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami.
Mahanavami
This is the concluding day of Durga Puja. The main Navami puja begins after the end of Sandhi Puja. The Navami Bhog is offered to the goddess. This is later partaken as prasad by the devotees.
Dashami
After the three days of Puja, in Dashami , in the last day, a tearful farewell is offered to the Goddess. Most of the community pujas postpone the farewell as long as possible and arrange a grand send-off. The images are carried in processions around the locality and finally is immersed in a nearby river or lake. Vijaya Dashami is an event celebrated all over the country.
Source: http://durgapujabelgium.com
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