From the archive record
Devotional songs fill the air as devotees take part in the Maha aarti during Durga Puja Dashami. The priest is sen with an offertory plate filled with flames from clarified butter and standing in front of the idol of goddess Durga. This is a ritual which is popular in Hindu worship where the offerings are made in the form of flames. Durga Puja is celebrated among Hindus in India in various forms as a celebration of women and the goddess Durga who is also worshipped in many other forms. Durga Puja is mostly celebrated in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, Tripura and Bihar. Durga Puja is also the commemoration of the goddess Durga's triumph over Mahishasura, the shape-shifting demon in Hindu mythology. Mostly Durga Puja is a grand affair with many activities as part of the festivity b