WHY IS BENGALI DURGA PUJA CALLED "SHARADIYA UTSOB"?

 This moron Shamik Bhattacharya, BJP does not know why in Bengal Durga Puja is called "Sharadiya"?? He is insinuating that because "some seculars" are "ashamed" to call it Durga puja.



WHY SHARODIYA

Durga Puja in Bengal is called "Sharadiya" because it is celebrated during the autumn season, known in the traditional Hindu calendar as Sharad Ritu. The name directly translates to "pertaining to autumn" or "the autumn festival".

The worship occurs during the Hindu month of Ashwin (typically late September to October), which marks the transition into autumn. In Bengal, this period is synonymous with clear blue skies, white fluffy Kash flowers blooming along riverbanks, and the fragrance of Shiuli (night-flowering jasmine).



AKAL BODHON (Unseasonable Awakening)

Traditionally, the primary or original scriptural time to worship Goddess Durga was during spring (Basanti Puja in the month of Chaitra).

According to the Krittivasi Ramayan (the Bengali adaptation of the Ramayana), Lord Rama wanted to seek Goddess Durga's blessings before his battle against Ravana. Since autumn falls during Dakshinayana—the six-month period when the deities are believed to be in a state of celestial slumber—Rama had to perform an Akal Bodhan (an "out-of-season awakening") of the Goddess.

Because Durga in invoked during the Sharad season, this autumnal celebration gained prominent popularity over the spring worship, giving rise to the term Sharadiya Durga Utsav.

WHY BENGALI SHARADIYA PUJA IS NOT NAVARATRI

The actual ritual of Bodhan/Akal Bodhan (awakening the Goddess from her divine slumber) happens traditionally on Sasthi (the 6th day of Devi Paksha), though in some traditions it begins on Pratipad (Day 1). That is why Bengali Durga Puja is not navaratri but starts on Sashthi.

PRACTICALITY BASED ON WEATHER

In Bengal, Basanti Puja and Sharadiya Puja are both done, with the Sharadiya having the greater prominence practically driven by a more cool and salubrious weather as prevailing in Bengal during September-October as opposed to the intense heat and humidity during Chaitra (March-April)

HISTORY

Historically, the first recorded initiator of the autumnal Sharadiya Durga Puja in Bengal is widely credited to Raja Kangshanarayan Roy of Taherpur, Rajshahi (now in Bangladesh) during the late 16th century (around 1580–1600 CE).

Before Raja Kangshanarayan, Durga Puja in Bengal was primarily celebrated in the spring as Basanti Puja. Historical chronicles suggest he wanted to host a grand, unprecedented religious ceremony to match the grand scale of ancient royal sacrifices. Advised by his royal priests, he chose to perform the Sharadiya (autumn) Durga Puja based on the tradition of Lord Rama's Akal Bodhan. He reportedly spent a staggering sum of around eight lakh rupees at the time to organize a massive public feast and celebration.

A few other early notable initiators helped solidify the Sharadiya tradition across Bengal:

Bhabananda Majumdar of Nadia (1606 CE): The ancestor of Raja Krishna Chandra Roy of Krishnanagar, he initiated the royal Sharadiya Durga Puja in Nadia shortly after Kangshanarayan.

Lakshmikanta Majumdar / Sabarna Roy Choudhury Family (1610 CE): He organized the first recorded Sharadiya Durga Puja in the Kolkata region at Barisha, a tradition that the family continues to this day.

Raja Nabakrishna Deb (1757 CE): He initiated the famous Shobhabazar Rajbari Puja in Kolkata to mark Robert Clive's victory at the Battle of Plassey, which transformed the festival into a high-society political and cultural affair during the British era.

NORTH INDIA

The North Indian analogue is the two navaratri that they celebrate. In North India, the primary direct equivalent is Sharad Navratri, while the spring counterpart is celebrated as Chaitra Navratri.

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