Kolkata –the city of joy, is one of the most colourful cities in terms of everything and Bengalis just need one reason to celebrate with full of energy and joy. Life in West Bengal is full of enthusiasm, and delight. It is really an incredible place to experience the different colors, energy, and beauty of festivals.
The entire atmosphere gets elevated and charged up during the festival season. Each festival here in Kolkata is a tool to bring life to a state of exuberance and enthusiasm. Without them, life would become an endless series. Every festival celebration in Kolkata is a memory for a lifetime.
So, let us get started with the Top 5 Bengali Festival in Kolkata
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1. Durga Puja:
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Durga puja is one of the grandest and biggest festival of West Bengal. This festival happens in the period between September and October every year. The massive celebration that happens during the festival is famous throughout the world. It commemorates the triumph of Good over Evil. People have this belief that Goddess Durga defeated the demon “Mahishasura” after a fierce battle that lasted for ten days.
The last day or tenth day is called Vijay Dashmi. People starts making beautiful and brilliant pandals showing their enormous talent in Durga puja. On this auspicious day, people dress up in new colorful clothes, visit puja pandals of different communities, and pay reverence to the ten-armed goddess Durga.
In the pandals, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, and Kartikeya are beautifully ornated and decorated. The priests do the prayers at prearranged times whereas the devotees visit pandals during the day.
2. Poila Boishakh:
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Poila Boishakh is also known as the Bengali New or Nabo Borsho. . Poila Boishakh This festival is celebrated with processions, fairs, family time, and traditional Bong food. This day denotes the beginning of a new year, a fresh start, for every Bengali household and hence is celebrated with much aplomb.
This festival is one of the most popular and big festivals in all Bengalis’ life. At this festival all the delicious dishes are prepared, new clothes are worn and families get together and exchange pleasantries.
Poila Boishakh is regarded as a very special day for all traders and businessmen as they generally start a new accounting book on this auspicious day. , it is observed as a state holiday and folks of West Bengal mark the day by taking a dip in rivers and offering prayers to Lakshmi and Ganesha.
3. Jamai Shoshti:
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This is one of the important and beautiful Pujo festival that commemorates the relationship between a son in law and mother in law. This day brings the warmness back in their relationship. Jamai is a term that refers to the “son in law”. On this day a grand celebration is organized by the in-laws of the jamai when he goes to his mother in law and seeks her blessing for a prosperous future.
On this day the mother in law prepares a variety of mouth-watering and delicious Bengali dishes and gives gifts to her son in law. Every year Jamai Shoshti is celebrated in May or June with lots of fun and memories. This day is also marked with giving gifts to the son in law from his in-laws too and also being blessed by them with having a long and prosperous life ahead.
4. Saraswati Puja:
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It is one of the unique celebrations of Kolkata is the day celebrating the Homecoming of the Hindu Goddess of Learning, Goddess Saraswati. Saraswati Puja in West Bengal is performed between January and February. Saraswati Puja is also known as Vasant Panchami in the Northern areas of the country.
This special day is considered for education and learning-related things, and it is special for the children who begin their academic learning, it is considered to be a highly fortunate occasion.
During this auspicious Puja, the idols of Goddess Saraswati are nicely decorated and the girls wear colorful attires like Sarees going out on the streets to visit the richly decorated pandals of Goddess Saraswati to take the Darshan of the goddess. On this puja many people consider this day to be very fortunate for their children to start writing for the first time.
5. Kali Puja:
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This is another and most important festival that takes place here in West Bengal. This is a long festival that goes on for about twenty days. Kali Puja is the largest festival that happens after Durga Puja every year in October or November. Kali Puja festival is celebrated in the honor of Goddess Kali. It is recognized by the chanting of mantras in the nighttime that goes till dawn.
The Goddess is ornated with beautiful garlands made of hibiscuses. . All the sacred chanting of mantras is carried out in the presence of the holy fire. Devotees offer several types of offerings to the Goddess that includes sweets, lentils, and rice although animal sacrifices are also made at a few places, now have been greatly reduced. Kali Puja is celebrated when the rest of the country celebrates Diwali- the festival of lights.
So these were some of our selections for the Top 5 Bengali Festival in Kolkata. Hope you liked it! Comment below and share with us what other festivals you like and enjoy celebrating in Kolkata, till then #StayDarooon.