Durga is tranquil and turbulent, severe and fierce, soumya and rudra at the same time. However, what is generally worshipped in Bengal is Durga as Mahishasuramardini, the vanquisher of Mahishasura, the buffalo-demon. The concept of Durga as Mahishasuramardini took a definitive shape in the Markandeya and other Puranas, particularly the Devi-Mahatyam or the Chandi that forms part of the Markandeya Purana where the importance of the Devi or the Supreme Goddess is highlighted. I conographically also, the image of Durga worshipped in Bengal is that of Mahishasuramardini as described in the Devi-Mahatyam with ten arms, each with a weapon symbolising shakti. One of these weapons is a spear with which the Goddess pierces the chest of Mahishasura. With her daughters and sons Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartika and Ganesha, standing by her on both sides, she presents a picture of massive power that prevails over all that is evil.

Durga is the progenitor of the universal process in its entirety. Durga, the divine mother and the emblem of shakti or cosmic energy, is also the symbol of the Hindu female hierophanty. The worship of Durga as mother is an important feature of Hindu religion. Durga also reflects the importance of what is called woman-power in modern-terminology. Durga is also the symbol of Prakriti, the primordial matter or substance, which provides the basis for all that exists in the universe. Since she fights all the forces of evil, the Supreme Goddess, as worshipped in Bengal, has been invested with ten arms equipped with a wide range of weapons. However, in the different scriptures, the number of arms varies from two to as many as thirty-two, the latter number serving as a reminder of the vast sweep of her powers. The Markandeya Purana narrates all these powers in a series of shlokas of which an oft-recited one reads "Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shaktirupena Sangsthita, Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah (repeated salutations to the goddess who is present in all living beings as 'Shakti').

Two different concepts of Durga are in vogue in Bengal, one of which is that of 'Mahishasuramardini'. The second is that of Durga as Uma, Gauri, Parvati, the daughter of the Himalayas, who, as the wife of Lord Shiva and the mother of Laxshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartika, radiates the peaceful ambience of the divine mother rather than the bellicosity and destructiveness associated with Mahishasuramardini. In this second sense, Durga Puja represents her homecoming from the Himalayan abode of her divine spouse, Lord Shiva. It is the concept of Durga as Uma, Gauri or Parvati that great poet Kalidasa projected in his 'Kumarasambhaba'. In the evolution of this concept, the scriptures, literary works as well as folklores have all made their respective contributions.

Sanatan Dharma is the most ancient and insightful among the Dharmas of the world. It is called Hinduism. The Vedas, Upanishada, Puranas and Gita have dealt with it extensively. This Vedic Hinduism is an eternal and unfathomable ocean. Hidden beneath its surface are the pearls of wisdom and essence of life. Many sages and great men have traveled on the path of legacy to inspire and help mankind. At a time when the inquisitiveness for and impact of Hindu thought and spirituality is increasing globally and when scholars from many disciplines are discovering parallels between Hindu thinking and scientific thought, the true spirit of Hinduism is very relevant in overcoming problems. It has answers to problems of relationship between man and man, man and God, and it brings man closer to man and creates love for all creations. Sanatan Dharma explains the way for attaining liberation according to each individual stage in life.

Hindu thought is essentially democratic, liberal and social. But there are a number of concepts in Sanatan Dharma which are rarely understood in true depth. According to historians, the concept of Durga as 'mother' might have evolved in Bengal under the influence of some cults from Assam, Meghalaya and Burma, where matriarchal traditions had strong roots. Alternatively, this tradition might have travelled to Bengal along with the Dravidians, who came from Mohenjodaro and Harappa, where a similar custom was believed to have prevailed. A somewhat identical practice was in vogue in Sumer. It is believed that the people of Sumer hailed from the eastern and north eastern regions of India and might have taken with them the custom of worshipping the 'mother'.

The Bengalees, it is claimed, were good seafarers and traders in ancient times and used to travel to the island of Crete in the Mediterranean. Some of these Bengalees were said to have colonised Crete where they introduced the worship of Goddess.

Whatever be the mythology and history, Durga Puja as a festival in the seasons of season in Bengal, the Autumn, has come a long way as a deep tradition of fraternity transcending the religio-cultural barrier.

Manindra Kumar Nath is general secretary, Mahanagar Sarbojaneen Puja Committee.