Details of Durga Saptsati Puja
Durga Saptashati Puja is a Hindu religious ceremony that is celebrated in honor of Goddess Durga. It is a nine-day festival that falls in the Hindu month of Ashwin, usually in September or October. The festival is also known as Navratri or Durga Puja and is one of the most significant events in the Hindu calendar. The word "Saptashati" means seven hundred, and it refers to the 700 verses that make up the Durga Saptashati hymn.
The Durga Saptashati is a sacred text that praises the goddess Durga and her nine different forms. The nine forms of Durga are worshipped during the nine-day festival, with each day devoted to a different form of the goddess. The forms are known as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.
The Durga Saptashati hymn tells the story of the battle between the goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. According to Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was a powerful demon who had received a boon from Lord Brahma that made him invincible. He became arrogant and began to wreak havoc in the world, and the gods were powerless to stop him.
In desperation, the gods turned to the goddess Durga for help. Durga agreed to fight Mahishasura and descended to earth in her nine different forms. She battled with Mahishasura for nine days and finally defeated him on the tenth day. The victory of the goddess over the demon symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.