Dassera

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

Dassera

Dassera is the greatest Hindu festival of adoring God as Mother. Hinduism is the only
religion in the world which has emphasised much on the Motherhood of God. Mother is the dearest
and sweetest of all human relations. Hence, it is proper to look upon God as Mother.
Dassera, Durga Puja and Navaratri are one and the same. Durga is the Sakti of Lord Siva.
She is the representation of the power of the Supreme Lord. There is no difference between the Lord
and His power. She looks after the affairs of the world. The Divine Mother in Her aspect of Durga is
represented as having ten different weapons in Her ten hands. She is sitting on a lion. This indicates
that She has control over all forces, even over the brutal force which the lion stands for.
You will find in Devi Sukta of the Rig-Veda Samhita that Vak, the daughter of sage
Anbhirna realised her identity with the Divine Mother, the power of the Supreme Lord which
manifests throughout the entire universe among the gods, among men and beasts, among the
creatures of the deep ocean.
In the Kena Upanishad, you will find that the Divine Mother shed wisdom to Indra and the
gods, and said that the gods were able to defeat the demons with the help of the power of the
Supreme Lord.
Mahishasura, a great demon, was severely oppressing the gods. The gods invoked the aid of
the Divine Mother Durga. She assumed a form with ten hands bearing ten weapons and killed the
Asura. Devi fought with Bhandasura and his forces for nine days and nine nights and completed the
destruction of all Asuras on the evening of the tenth day, known as the Vijaya Dasami or the day of
victory. All the ten days are sacred to Devi.
The Hindus of Bengal worship Goddess Durga on the three days preceding the Vijaya
Dasami and perform the immersion ceremony on the Vijaya Dasami day. Durga is also worshipped
in March-April during the Vasanta Puja.

The Mother of Durga, wife of the king of Himalayas, longs to see her daughter Durga.
Durga is permitted by Lord Siva to visit Her beloved mother only for three days in the year. The
festival of Durga Puja is to celebrate this brief visit and it ends with the Vijaya Dasami day when the
Goddess Durga leaves for Kailas.
Sri Rama worshipped Durga at the time of the fight with Ravana, to invoke Her aid in the
war during the days preceding the Vijaya Dasami day. He fought and won through Her grace.
In Bengal, Durga Puja is a great festival. All who live away from home return home during
the Puja days. Mothers meet their distant sons and daughters, wives their husbands.
The potter shows his skill in making the images, the painter in drawing pictures, the
songster in playing on his instrument and the priest in reciting the sacred books. The Bengalis save
money all the year round only to spend it all during the Puja days. Cloth is distributed.
The Hindu woman of Bengal welcomes the Goddess with a mother’s love, and sends away
the image on the last day with every ceremony associated with a daughter’s departure for her
husband’s home and with motherly tears in her eyes.
May you all worship Goddess Durga with intense faith and devotion and attain eternal bliss
and immortality through Her Grace! Glory to the Divine Mother Durga and Her consort Lord Siva,
the joint parents of the universe.