Ya devi Sarvabhuteshu
Buddhi – rupena Samsthita
Namas – Tasyi Namas – Tasyai Namas Tasyi Namo Namah
(To that Goddess who resides in all beings in the form of intelligence, consciousness, power, peace, and compassion, Salutations to her … again and again)
With the first smell of petrichor and the first bloom of the Kaash phool, the seasonal vibe changes. It signals the arrival of the Devi, the divine feminine consciousness, in several incarnations. While Bengalis celebrate her as Durga, the demon slayer, many celebrate all nine forms of the Goddess during Navratri. Together, each one invokes the supreme power, the Shakti. As Kolkata opens its gates to the Durga Pandals, we turn our gaze to India's North Eastern states, where people worship the Goddess through unique rituals.
Assam is already famous for Kamakhya, the seat of the divine Yoni. Here, the Goddess is celebrated as she who protects and gives birth. Year-round, including during Durga Puja, Kamakhya worshipers venerate the sacred Yoni peetha instead of the traditional idol. The priest chants the Chandi Path, which awakens the oral worship tradition by narrating the story of the victory of good over evil. Another Shakta ritual associated with the festivities is the worship of young girls through Kumari Puja. The main objective of this ritual is to convey that the deity is not just a cosmic presence but a tangible being roaming around us.
Another intriguing ritual is the singing of Vaishnavite naam-kirtan at Burha Goxai Than temple complexes in Assam. While the beats of the dhaak are more familiarly associated with the festivities, the singing of the Kirtan, which is a regular part of Vishnu and Krishna worship, is a unique example of the co-existence of the Vaishnavite and the Shakta traditions. Local women come forward to actively participate and create an atmospheric trance which helps one connect to the Supreme through spiritual pursuits.
In Meghalaya, Nature worship takes a prime seat. Keeping this belief intact, the Nartiang Durga Temple worships a banana tree trunk. Breaking the conventional clichés of idol worship and marrying the rituals of Shakta worship to Khasi-Jaintia tribal cultural traditions, the Goddess is symbolized and worshipped in the form of a banana plant with its trunk decorated with marigold flowers, often wearing a sari or a white cloth. Moreover, the plant is also ceremonially immersed at the end of the celebrations, a ritual accompanied by gun salutes.
Tripura follows a very set hierarchy for Durga Puja Visharjan during Vijaya Dashami. According to tradition, the Prabhu Bari Durga idol is immersed before any other idol, including the one from the royal family’s Durga Bari Temple. This hierarchy is highly revered and has continued for decades. The Prabhu Bari Durga Puja was established in 1849 by Maharaja Ishan Chandra Manikya in honour of his Vaishnav guru Prabhu Bipin Bihari Gowami. Prabhu Bari, in essence, translates to the house of the King’s spiritual mentor and thus the immersion of their Durga idol is given first priority. This is an unbroken traditional protocol happening every year for the last 177 years at the Dashami ghat on the Haora River.
Ever heard of a throne sitting inside a State Museum getting a full guard of honour and respect during Durga Puja? This is the story of the Ivory Throne inside the Ujjayanta Palace, which now serves as Tripura’s State Museum. While there are many beliefs and myths behind the throne, a popular one is that it was a gift from Yudhisthir to the 47th King of Tripura, Maharaja Trilochana. The throne displays intricate ivory craftsmanship and is a prized possession preserved from the archives of the Tripura Royal family. The throne plays a significant part in Durga Puja, where the Head of the Royal Family pays tribute to the Throne alongside other Puja rituals.
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