Durga Puja Maha Sasthi 2022: Date, Shashti Tithi, Shubh Mahurat, rituals and importance

Durga Puja Maha Sasthi 2022: Durga Puja is around the corner and all the devotees of Goddess Durga have started preparing for it. The devotees of Maa Durga and human beings who love authentic enjoyment wait for the entire 12 months for Durga Puja which is celebrated in some places as Shardiya Navratri. This nine-day celebration is full of devotion, zeal and enthusiasm.

Shashti Tithi 2022

This day will be celebrated with a lot enthusiasm and devotees specially Bengalis will commemorate this day with music, dance, and food. Devotees trust that Goddess Durga enters the mortal world on Maha Shashthi after she completes her journey in Kailash. It is stated that she comes to earth to go to her father and arrives with her kids – Ganesha, Kartika, Laxmi, and Saraswati. This day is often regarded as a custom for girls to take part and set up the Durga Ghat earlier than Durga arrives so that she feels welcomed to her father’s home. 

Durga Puja 2022

Durga Puja, additionally acknowledged as Durgotsava or Sharadotsav, is an annual Hindu festival celebrated to worship the Hindu goddess Durga. It is celebrated with a lot of fun and excitement in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, and Bihar.

Durga Puja essentially refers to the 5 days of celebrations from Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami, and Vijayadashami. According to the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin, the puja is on the sixth to the tenth day of the bright lunar fortnight.

While the celebrations begin from Shashti, the mood is set much earlier than the Goddess is said to depart from her abode in the Kailash for her paternal home in the mortal world.

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Rituals on Durga Puja Maha Shashti

• Kalparambho: The beginning of the Puja.
• Bodhon or Bodhan: The consecration of Goddess Durga idol. Also includes the unveiling of the face of the Durga idol.
• Amantran: To invite Goddess Durga.
• Adhivas: Sanctifying the stay of Goddess Durga in the area of the Puja mandap.

Importance of Durga Puja

This year Mahalaya will be celebrated on 25th September after which Devi Paksha begins, with Maha Shashthi (sixth day) on the 1st of October.

The first 9 days are known as Navratri when people offer prayers to Goddess Durga for slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura. The celebrations finish on the tenth day with Vijayadashami, which is on fifth October.

For Bengalis, it is by and large celebrated from the sixth day to the tenth day with zeal and grandeur.

The first day of celebrations, which is Shashthi (on 1st October), includes rites to awaken and welcome the goddess to be a visitor in the mortal world – a ritual which is acknowledged as Bodhan. This is followed by Maha Saptami ( on 2nd October) with the bathing of the Navapatrika with holy water.

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Maha Saptami is followed via Maha Ashtami (on third October). The Sandhi puja, involving the offering of 108 lotus and lights of 108 lamps is carried out to mark the end of Ashtami and beginning of Maha Navami. This is viewed an auspicious hour, the time segment between the end of one day and commencing of another.

Maha Navami starts just after (on 4th October) which is the 9th Day and is marked with the Homa (fire oblation) and Bhog.

The final day of this grand get together is Vijaya Dashami (on fifth October) and is marked through ‘Sindoor Khela’ which starts after the visarjan of the Goddess.