Durga Puja festival is a 10 Days long festival that starts off on Mahalaya (the day of new moon) – the first day, when Goddess Durga is believed to come in to the world to destroy the evil. The festival ends up on Dashumi – the last day, when the Goddess Durga is believed to go back to her heavenly home, leaving behind the trails of happiness, goodness and purity. This is the day of the Lord's victory over the unrighteousness and is celebated as Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra, which means "The Victorious Tenth Day" of the war. The salient ritual of Durga Puja spans a five days period – Maha Sashti – the Sixth Day after the day of new moon, Maha Saptami - the Seventh Day, Maha Ashtami – the Eighth Day, Maha Nabami – the Ninth Day and Vijaya Dashami – the last Day. The most notable feature of the foreign celebration of Durga Puja festival is that, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was carried out the Great Court of the British Museum in the year 2006.
Durga Puja is the worship of Goddess Durga – the symbol of overwhelming power, valour and invincibility. This festival involves the worship of the creative energy that demolishes the evil power of destruction. The mighty Goddess Durga is believed to be exquisitely beautiful with ten arms and three eyes each shaped like a petal of lotus. The lush dark hair rippling down to her waist and the bright glow of her skin gives her look a beauty of entirely different dimension. Her eyes emit the glow of fierceness while killing the fiercest demon – the symbol of evil power and destruction.
Durga Puja festival comes once every year in the month of October, But the spirit arrives much earlier when the tiny baskets of milk white clouds could be seen amidst the vast blue sky. The chants of religious hymns of "Mahishasura Mardini" raise up the spirit to a great extent right before the Durga Puja. The countdown begins much earlier and the garment stores of the malls start waving off with loads of garments of the most contemporary fashions for all generations. Bengali homes are decorated with new stuff. Sweets are an essential part of the thing. Fun treads up to the zenith. People of all generations forget their pains and simply flag on the voyage to the world of enjoyment – miles away from the hectic bustle of life.