Durga Puja celebrated during Chaitra is known as Basanti Pujo. While Durga Puja which is celebrated during Sharad is widely kown today, it is Basanti Pujo that began prior to the Sharadiya Durga Puja. Read on as we share with you the tale of Basanti Pujo.
Basanta kaal e Basanti Pujo – this is something that I have heard ever since I can remember. Here, Basanta kaal refers to Spring and Basanti Pujo refers to Durga Puja. Basanti Pujo, which is also known as the Chaitra Durga Puja, is a festival that is celebrated during Spring, Chaitra or Basanta Kaal. This is similar to the more famous Sharadiya Durga Puja which takes place during Ashwin (September-October).
Durga Puja is a five-day festival that is celebrated twice every year, once during Chaitra and once during Ashwin. Both of these fall during Navratri, which too happens twice every year, once in Spring and once in Autumn.
Maa Durga is worshipped during Durga Puja. It is widely believed that during Durga Puja, Maa Durga visits Earth and resides in her maternal home during this time.
Durga Puja begins on the sixth day of Navratri and ends on the ninth day with Navami (Ram Navami during Basanti Pujo). The tenth day, also known as Dashami (Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami during Sharadiya Durga Pujo), is when people immerse the idol of the Goddess in a river/ water body. On the day of Dashami, Maa Durga returns to her heavenly abode.
Sharadiya Durga Puja is also known as Akal Bodhon. The word ‘akal’ means untimely and ‘bodhon’ means worship. This refers to the untimely worship of Maa Durga by Lord Ram before he went to war with Ravaan when Maa Sita was abducted by Ravaan. Today, Sharadiya Durga Puja is celebrated widely and is also known for being the biggest festival for Bengali Hindus.
However, Basanti Pujo is a festival that was initiated prior to the Sharadiya Durga Puja. Today, it is mostly celebrated in traditional Bengali Hindu households whereas Sharadiya Durga Puja is both a sarvajanik as well as homely celebration.
Basanti Puja has been mentioned in the Markandeya Puran. According to legends, King Surath, the ruler of the Vanga kingdom, was the one who first worshipped Maa Durga during Chaitra which eventually came to be known as Basanti Pujo. This was much before Lord Ram worshipped Maa Durga to win the war against Ravaan which is also known as Akal Bodhon.
King Surath was a powerful king and a skilled warrior who had never lost a battle. However, when a when a neighbouring kingdom attacked him, he was defeated. At such a time, his family and other members of the royal family cheated him and took this as an opportunity to loot him. Devasted, King Surath left the kingdom and the capital city of Bolipur (present-day Bolpur).
He then met Vaishya Samadhi who was thrown out of his house by his son and wife. the two of them then met Sumedhas Muni who advised them to worship Maa Durga.
King Surath and Vaishya Samadhi worshipped Maa Durga. It was after worshipping the goddess that the two of them got back whatever they had lost. Eventually, King Surath returned to Bolipur and preached about Maa Durga to Earth Dwellers.
King Surath then started worshipping Maa Durga during the month of Basanta Kaal, which marked the beginning of Basanti Pujo.
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