Durga Puja

Right, so beautifully Swami said because you still associate him with a political leader nonetheless.

but because of his contribution to spiritual literature he is remembered for a little longer not only literature we were speaking about how he was the one who started the grand Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations as we see today him being taken in procession I think even he had his influence in the Durga Puja which happens in the right side I think so so all of that contributed to his name staying for longer in our memory than the others

So true.

In fact, even in the 1990 series of discourses, if you see, where Swami goes step by step, somewhere towards the end, He talks about gunas.

Yeah, yeah, yeah

... forget Bangalore for some time He said that, uh, Durga Puja you cannot have, uh, alcohol.

Like zero alcohol will be served.

As in no one can serve alcohol, no question of drinking it.

... as a game.

Okay.

Drinking alcohol in, uh, Durga Puja.

Nice callback.

dance.

It's during Durga Puja celebration, which is a major Hindu festival honoring the goddess Durga.

I believe it's around October, like mid-October, usually.

Oh.

And it just lost me.

Oh,

I'm going to add a sharp to that Durga Puja celebration.

Yes.

I remember the gatherings from my childhood around religious and spiritual festivals.

In Bengali culture, Durga Puja is the big one.

In other Indian cultures, it could be Diwali and other various types of festivals.

And when I reflect back, those were amazing, fun cultural events where I bonded with friends and family.

I mean, it's like, it's graceful and elegant.

If you've seen the Bengali dancers with their, um, incense censers, they do this like Durga Puja time, they're doing this dance.

That's inspired by Chaitanya.

So they're doing a Chaitanya-inspired Vaishnav dance while they immerse the image of Durga on Vijayadashami.

Like a strong tide beating through the months rise and fall the twelve or thirteen great religious festivals or pujas.

Chief among them all in Bengal is the autumn Durga Puja, or festival of the cosmic energy.

A later month is devoted to the thought of all that is gentle and tender in the motherhood of nature.

Again it is the Indian Minerva Saraswati who claims undivided attention.

Similarly in Calcutta, as each puja comes round, characteristic articles appear in the bazaars.

At one time it is handscreens made of beetles wings and peacocks feathers, and every shop and every peddler seems to carry these beautiful fans.

Through September and October, as the Durga Puja approaches, the streets resound with carols to the mother.

But the most charming of all is the farewell procession with 'The Image'.

And then we have other things that are coming along.

Navratri, Mahalaya, Durga Puja, Diwali, everything coming up in the next few months.

I think it's just

the season.

There's not much of a winter in Kolkata.

Kolkata, no.

Now Kolkata has a GI tag for Durga Puja.

So...

Like a strong tide beating through the months, rise and fall the twelve or thirteen great religious festivals or pujas.

Chief among them all in Bengal is the autumn Durga puja, or festival of the cosmic energy.

A later month is devoted to the thought of all that is gentle and tender in the motherhood of nature.

Again it is the Indian Minerva, Saraswati, who claims undivided attention.

Similarly in Calcutta, as each puja comes round, characteristic articles appear in the bazaars.

At one time it is hand screens made of beetle's wings and peacock's feathers, and every shop and every peddler seems to carry these beautiful fans.

Through September and October, as the Durga puja approaches, the streets resound with carols to the mother.

But the most charming of all is the farewell procession with the image.