NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA)

NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) IN BIHAR

NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) of Bihar, goddess Durga is revered during the autumn Navratri (Durga puja). In other parts, such near Sitamarhi close to Nepal border, the spring Navratri (Durga puja) attracts a large Ramanavami fair which marks the birth of Lord Rama as well as a reverence for his wife Sita who legends place was born at Sitamarhi. It is the largest cattle trading fair, and attracts a large handicrafts market in pottery, kitchen and house ware, as well as traditional clothing. Festive performance arts and celebrations are held at the local Hindu temple dedicated to Sita, Hanuman, Durga, and Ganesha.

Muslims, Hindus celebrate Durga Puja together in Purnia .

 In a rare show of brotherhood, Muslims in a village in Bihar's Purnia district joined hands with Hindus to celebrate the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA).Only four Hindu families live in Saguuniya, a Muslim-dominated village about 400 km from Patna. But they celebrate NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) with fanfare, thanks to the support of Muslims."We are lucky that Durga Puja is celebrated in our village by Muslims. This is unheard of anywhere else," said Nitai Gopal Chandra Roy, a Bengali Hindu villager.

"Without Muslims support, we can't think of celebrating the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) festival in such a big way," he said. Another Bengali Hindu in the village, Dhanajay Roy, echoed him. "It is a beautiful experience. Muslims not only help us prepare for the festival but also join us to offer prasad and other rituals," he said.The Muslims helped Hindus decorate the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA)  pandal. Mohammad Rizwan, one of the dozens of Muslims who helped Hindus celebrate the festival, said he and other Muslims were only continuing an age-old tradition.

"It is a matter of tolerance preached by Islam that one should help the other," Rizwan said.Shaukat Alam, another Muslim, said dozens of Muslim youths helped clean up the village and streets for the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) festival. "It is a classical case of communal harmony," he said. NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) was started in the village by the Roy family of Saguniya estate some 500 years ago. With time, most of the Hindu families migrated.

 

Durga Puja with global panorama in Patna Bihar.

 

They will fulfill your wishes of visiting the White House just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, or seeing the fabulous Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain.One could go to pandals designed as Buddhist pagodas or famous temples scattered across India.Already these have opened their gates for the devotees and visitors from different parts of Bihar, who hare making a beeline to the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA)

pandals after they threw open the gates for the 'darshan' or worship of Goddess Durga on the occasion of 'Saptmi' (Seventh day) of NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA).

 

It is too early to say which is attracting more crowd - the splendid 70-feet-high White House erected in Khajpura locality or the 85-feet-high Madrid Royal Palace a little farther at Rukanpura in western part of the city, but the visitors are loving it. Both the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA)

pandals have been designed by artists hired from West Bengal. The decorations were also brought from Kolkata."These NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) pandals are like exact replicas of the famous monuments. I don't know when I will visit US or Spain, but these have certainly succeeded in quenching my curiosity to some extent. They have made NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) special this time," said Anamika Singh, a student and a self-proclaimed NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) 'pandal hopper'.
    
Coming back to the local ones, Dak Bungalow Chowraha, right in the heart of the city is hosting  90 feet tall NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) pandal depicting the 12th century Mahadev Temple at Itagi in Karnataka. The venue and the road leading to it is awash with glittering LED lights.President of the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) Samiti at Dak Bungalow Chowraha, Sanjiv Prasad Toni said 11,000 pieces of semi-precious stones, mosaics, glass decorations and designs made of 'Shankha pola' (conch shell material) have been brought from Bangladesh to adorn the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) pandal.

The architecture of Bodh Gaya's Thai Temple is reflected at the NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) pandal made at the busy Boring Road crossing. Apart from the Goddess, it is especially showing Ganesha and Kartikeya battling various demons. The roadside decorations are depicting mythological scenes.Apart from the above ones there are NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) pandals designed on Kolkata's Victoria Memorial and Dakshineshwar Temple, Patna's own Takht Sri Harimandir Sahib, Jodhpur's Jaswant Thada Temple, Mumbai's Taj Hotel, Gujarat's Somnath Temple and several others.You will be spoilt for choice in the state capital of Bihar, and you can definitely take a global tour this NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) till you drop.

 

1200 licensed ‘pandals’ in Patna district this Durga Puja.

 

 

At least 1,200 NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) organizers have been licensed by the Patna district administration to erect NAVRATRI (DURGA PUJA) 'pandals' this year. According to the guidelines set by law-enforcement agencies, the Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandals' should not encroach on roads and should not be erected near high-tension wire or transformers. Patna was on Tuesday not in a position to say whether the number of Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandals' has gone up this year as "many puja organizers did not bother to take license last year". "But no Navratri (Durga puja) committee this year will be allowed to erect its Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandal' without a license," he said on Tuesday and added the licensing move would help the administration make adequate arrangements to facilitate peaceful celebration.

 

According to official records, the highest numbers of Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandals' will come up in the Patna City subdivision area where 362 puja organizers renewed their licenses while 153 puja organizers got new licenses. In Danapur subdivision, 360 licensed Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandals' are to come up. Of them, 165 puja committee licenses were renewed while 195 fresh licenses were issued.
 

Altogether 205 puja committees have been licensed to erect Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandals' in Patna  subdivision while 54 Navratri (Durga puja) 'pandals' have been licensed in Paliganj. Barh and Masaurhi will have 31 and 67 'pandals' respectively coming up this Navratri (Durga puja).The district administration's measures notwithstanding, several puja 'pandals' have come up in congested areas and, also, right below hanging electric wires. Most Navratri (Durga puja) pandals are yet to make arrangements for sand and water to meet incidents of fire. Asked about all this, a district official said monitoring teams of local SDO concerned will inspect the 'pandals' soon.

Durga puja pandals in Bihar assured 24x7 power.

 

Bihar State Electricity Board  has made elaborate arrangement to ensure round-the-clock power supply to pandals during Navratri (Durga puja).Announcing this in Patna, BSEB spokesperson Hare Ram Pandey said NTPC and NHPC have  assured BSEB to make special efforts to ensure maximum power supply to Bihar during Navratri (Durga puja).All the divisional control rooms and 10 temporary control rooms have ben asked to be in readiness for 24 hours.