WHO IS MA DURGA

She is the wife of Lord Shiva and exists in various divine (both friendly and fearful) forms. Two of her fierce but very powerful forms are Durga (goddess beyond reach) and Kali (goddess of destruction).
Both have eight hands and great power and energy (Shakti). Durga rides on a lion and Kali rides on a corpse of a demon. Parvati was called Sati in her previous divine incarnation. The family of Lord Shiva, Parvati and their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya is an ideal example of family unity and love. She has a charming personality. She is adored by married women for a happy married life.

The gods called this goddess Durga, the invincible one. They armed her with their weapons – Varuna, the sea-god, gave her a rope; Indra, the god-king, gave her a thunderbolt; Vishnu gave her a discus; Kumara gave her a lance; Surya, the sun-god, gave her a bow and arrow; Chandra, the moon-god, gave her an axe; Yama, the god of death, gave her a mace; Brahma gave her a shield; Agni, the fire-god, gave her an axe; Vayu, the wind-god, gave her a conch; Shiva gave her a trident.
Now equipped with the fearsome weaponry and magical powers of the gods, and dressed in golden armor and jewels she set off, seated gracefully upon the lion.

Durga Chalisa

Durga Chalisa
Maa Durga
Invoke the divine blessing of Durga Ma by reading aloud Shri Durga Chalisa everyday.
Click here to read the Translation of Durga Chalisa in English.

Durga Chalisa
Namo Namo Durge Sukh karani,
Namo Namo ambe Dukh harani.

Nirakar hai jyoti tumhari,
Tihun lok pheli ujayari.

Shashi lalat mukh mahavishala,
Netra lal bhrikutee vikarala.

Roop Matu ko adhika suhave,
Daras karat jan ati sukh pave.

Tum sansar shakti laya kina,
Palan hetu anna dhan dina.

Annapurna hui jag pala,
Tumhi adi sundari Bala.

Pralaya kala sab nashan hari,
Tum gauri Shiv-Shankar pyari.

Shiv yogi tumhre guna gaven,
Brahma Vishnu tumhen nit dhyaven.

Roop Saraswati ko tum dhara,
De subuddhi rishi munina ubara.

Dharyo roop Narsimha ko amba,
Pragat bhayin phar kar khamba.

Raksha kari Prahlaad bachayo,
Hiranakush ko swarga pathayo.

Lakshmi roop dharo jag mahin,
Shree Narayan anga samihahin.

Ksheer sindhu men karat vilasa,
Daya Sindhu, deeje man asa.

Hingalaja men tumhin Bhavani,
Mahima amit na jet bakhani.

Matangi Dhoomavati Mata,
Bhuvneshwari bagala sukhdata.

Shree Bhairav lara jog tarani,
Chhinna Bhala bhav dukh nivarani.

Kehari Vahan soh Bhavani,
Langur Veer Chalat agavani.

Kar men khappar khadag viraje,
Jako dekh kal dan bhaje.

Sohe astra aur trishoola,
Jase uthata shatru hiya shoola.

Nagarkot men tumhi virajat,
Tihun lok men danka bajat.

Shumbhu Nishumbhu Danuja tum mare,
Rakta-beeja shankhan samhare.

Mahishasur nripa ati abhimani,
Jehi agha bhar mahi akulani.

Roop karal Kalika dhara,
Sen Sahita tum tin samhara.

Pan garha Santan par jab jab,
Bhayi sahaya Matu tum tab tab.

Amarpuni aru basava loka,
Tava Mahirna sab rahen asoka.

Jwala men hai jyoti tumhari,
Tumhen sada poojen nar nari.

Prem bhakti se Jo yash gave,
Dukh-daridra nikat nahin ave.

Dhyave tumhen jo nar man laee,
Janam-maran tako chuti jaee.

Jogi sur-muni kahat pukari,
Jog na ho bin shakti tumhari.

Shankar Aacharaj tap keenhon,
Kam, krodha jeet sab leenhon.

Nisidin dhyan dharo Shankar ko,
Kahu kal nahini sumiro tum ko.

Shakti roop ko maran na payo,
Shakti gayi tab man pachitayo.

Sharnagat hui keerti bakhani,
Jai jai jai Jagdamb Bhavani.

Bhayi prasanna Aadi Jagdamba,
Dayi shakti nahin keen vilamba.

Mokon Matu kashta ati ghero,
Tum bin kaun hare dukh mero.

Aasha trishna nipat sataven,
Moh madadik sab binsaven.

Shatru nash keeje Maharani,
Sumiron ekachita tumhen Bhavani.

Karo kripa Hey Matu dayala,
Riddhi-Siddhi de karahu nihala.

Jab lagi jiyoon daya phal paoon,
Tumhro yash men sada sunaoon.

Durga Chalisa jo gave,
Sab sukh bhog parampad pave.

The Essentials of Durga Puja

Durga Puja
The decorated puja platform with all the required essentials.
Specific items are needed for each day of Durga Puja. There is a detailed method to worshiping Goddess Durga that are mentioned in the scriptures. Items which are needed for the ritual worship of the goddess should be collected beforehand so that the ritual is performed smoothly. The list of essentials of Durga Puja are:

Items needed for Kalparambho, the ritual performed before the commencement of the puja and Mahasna:
Food Offerings : Panchashasha (grains of five types - rice, mung or whole green gram, til or sesame, mashkalai or any variety of whole black leguminous seed, job or millet), panchagobbo (five items obtained from the cow - milk, ghee or clarified butter, curd, cow dung and gomutra ), curd, honey, sugar, three big noibiddos , one small noibiddo, three bowls of madhupakka (a mixture of honey, curd, ghee and sugar for oblation), bhoger drobbadi (items for the feast), aaratir drobbadi mahasnan oil, dantokashtho, sugar cane juice, an earthen bowl of atop (a type of rice), til toilo (sesame oil).

Water Offerings: Ushnodok (lukewarm water), coconut water, sarbooushodhi , mahaoushodhi, water from oceans, rain water, spring water, water containing lotus pollen.

Puja Items: Sindur (vermillion), panchabarner guri (powders of five different colours - turmeric, rice, kusum flowers or red aabir, rice chaff or coconut fibre burnt for the dark colour, bel patra or powdered wood apple leaves), panchapallab (leaves of five trees - mango, pakur or a species of fig, banyan, betal and Joggodumur or fig), pancha ratna (five types of gems - gold, diamond, sapphire, ruby and pearl), panchakoshay (bark of five trees - jaam, shimul, berela, kool, bokul powdered in equal portions and mixed with water), green coconut with stalk, three aashonanguriuk (finger ring made of kusha).

Cloth Offerings: Gamcha or a piece of cloth to cover the pot, a dhoti for Vishnu, a sari each for bodhon and Chandi.

Decorative Items : Ghat or a pot, kundohari , a mirror, four arrows, tekatha or a triangular frame of wood, horitoki flowers (myrobalan), chandmala (garland with circular decorations), aashon (a mattress of jute or hay).

Other Items : Water camphor and perfumed sandal wood paste. soil - extracted from elephant tusks, from the teeth of the pig, from the horns of the ox, from the bank of rivers Ganga and Saraswati, from both the banks of a river, from a place where four roads intersect, from palaces, from the ant hill, from the mountains, Vishnu toilo.

Items needed for the Shashthi puja of Goddess Durga:
Food Offerings: A stem of wood apple with fruits, green coconut with stalk, an earthen bowl full of atop, three bowls of madhupakka, sesame seeds, curd, honey, clarified butter, sugar, three big noibiddos, one small noibiddo, bhoger drobbadi, aaratir drobbadi, grain, fruits, one dozen bananas with a single stem, white mustard seeds.

Puja Items : A pot, four arrows two ashonanguriuk, panchapallab, pancha ratna, panchashasha, panchagobbo, tekatha, dubba grass, sindur, swastik pituli, conch shell, kajol (corrilium), gorachana, yellow thread, chamor, a fly-whisk made of yak's tail used for fanning, earthen lamps, panch pradip for arati.

Cloth Offerings: Gamcha to cover the pot, a dhoti for the wood apple tree, a sari for bodhon, one sari for amontron.

Decorative Items: Myrobalan, flowers, chandmala, adibas oil, turmeric, soil from the bank of river Ganga, perfume, stone, gold, silver, copper, iron, mirror and alta.

Items Needed For Saptami Puja of Goddess Durga:
Food Offerings: Sesame seeds, myrobalan, flowers, two earthen bowls full of atop, green coconut with stalk, wood apple leaves, white mustard, madhupakka (40 or 22 bowls), honey, sugar, noibiddos (40 or 22), one main noibiddo, fruits, items for bhog.

Puja Items: Jute ropes, red thread, alta, four finger rings, four yadnyopaveet, a pot, a mirror, a tekatha, sandalwood, mashkolai, hibiscus flower, small noibiddo, one big earthen lamp, panchapallab, pancha ratna, panchashasha, panchaguri, vermillion, items for arati, items for the yadnya - sand, wood, dry khorke grass, cowdung, kusha grass, ghee, 108 bel leaves and a bowl.

Cloth Offerings: Clothes for the Pundit, a piece of cloth, gamcha for arati, 40 or 22 finger rings made of kusha, sari for nabapatrika, one sari for the main puja, saris for Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Chandi, dhoti for Kartik, Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, clothes for nine planets, clothes for peacock, mouse, lion, demon, buffalo, ox, snake, chandmala, a nosering, iron, conch shell.

Plants and flowers offerings: Flower garland, belpatra garland, Banana plant, turmeric plant, colacassia plant, wood apple stem, pomegranate stem, a stem of Jayanti plant, arum plant, rice plant, ashoka stem, twigs of white aparajita plant, two banana stems.

Items needed for Ashtami Puja of Goddess Durga:
Food Offerings : Fruits, items for bhog, items for arati, 40 or 22 bowls of madhupakka, honey, sugar, curd, ghee, 40 or 22 noibiddos, four small noibiddos.
Cloth Offerings : One sari for Durga, new clothes for Lakshmi, Saraswati, Chandi, Kartik, Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, nine planets, the peacock, mouse, lion, demon, buffalo, ox, snake, Jaya, Bijoya and Ram.
Puja Items : One dantakashto, 40 or 22 finger rings made of kusha, one nosering, iron, two conch shells, a box of vermillion, flowers, a garland, belpatra garland, one chandmala, one ghoti.
For Sandhi Puja - Flowers, gold ring, a bronze bowl for madhupakka, a small sari, main noibiddo, one small noibiddo, one plate, one pitcher, iron, one nosering, one pillow, a mat, a chandmala, 108 earthen lamps, items for bhog, and items for the arati .

Items needed for Nabami and Dashami Pujas:
Food Offerings : Betel leaves, pan masala, 40 or 22 bowls of madhupakka, honey, sugar, curd, ghee, 40 or 22 noibiddos, four small noibiddos.

Cloth Offerings : Clothes for Lakshmi, Saraswati, Chandi, Kartik, Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, the nine planets, the peacock, mouse, lion, demon, buffalo, ox, snake, Jaya, Bijoya and Ram, one dantakashto , one sari for the main puja.

Puja Items: Flowers, 40 or 22 finger rings made of kusha, one ghoti , one nosering, iron, two conch shells, a box of vermillion, flower garland, belpatra garland, a chandmala, one plate, items needed for the yadnya (fire sacrifice), bel leaves, gift for the Purohit.

For the Dashami puja - Perfume, flowers, durba grass, basil leaves, bel leaves, incense sticks, an earthen lamp, noibiddo, curd, murki, sweets and items needed for arati.

Durga Shailputri (Daughter of Mountain)
She is a daughter of Himalaya and first among nine Durgas. In previous birth she was the daughter of Daksha. Her name was Sati - Bhavani. i.e. the wife of Lord Shiva. Once Daksha had organized a big Yagna and did not invite Shiva. But Sati being obstinate, reached there. Thereupon Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati could not tolerate the insult of husband and burnt herself in the fire of Yagna. In other birth she became the daughter of Himalaya in the name of Parvati - Hemvati and got married with Shiva. As per Upnishad she had torn and the egotism of Indra, etc. Devtas. Being ashamed they bowed and prayed that, "In fact, thou are Shakti, we all - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv are capable by getting Shakti from you."

Brahmacharini
The second Durga Shakti is Brahamcharini. Brahma that is who observes penance(tapa) and good conduct. Here "Brahma" means "Tapa". The idol of this Goddess is very gorgeous. There is rosary in her right hand and Kamandal in left hand. She is full with merriment. One story is famous about her. In previous birth she was Parvati Hemavati the daughter of Himvan. Once when she was busy in games with her friends. Naradaji came to her and predicted seeing her Palm-lines that, "You will get married with a naked-terrible 'Bhole baba' who was with you in the form of Sati, the daughter of Daksh in previous birth. But now you have to perform penance for him." There upon Parvati told her mother Menaka that she would marry none except Shambhu, otherwise she would remain unmarried. Saying this she went to observe penance. That is why her name is famous as tapacharini - Brahmacharini. From that time her name Uma became familiar.

Chandraghanta
The name of third Shakti is Chandraghanta. There is a half-circular moon in her forehead. She is charmful and bright. She is Golden color. She has three eyes and ten hands holding with ten types of swords - etc. weapons and arrows etc. She is seated on Lion and ready for going in war to fight. She is unprecedented image of bravery. The frightful sound of her bell terrifies all the villains, demons and danavas.

Kushmanda
Name of fourth Durga is Kushmanda. The Shakti creates egg, ie. Universe by mere laughing .She resides in solar systems. She shines brightly in all the ten directions like Sun. She has eight hands. Seven types of weapons are shining in her seven hands. Rosary is in her right hand. She seems brilliant riding on Lion. She likes the offerings of "Kumhde." Therefore her name "Kushmanda" has become famous.

Skanda Mata
Fifth name of Durga is "Skanda Mata". The daughter of Himalaya, after observing penance got married with Shiva. She had a son nam