Mother Durga An Icon of Community and Culture

The book furnishes vivid details of the Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival, in Kolkata and suburbs in the first half of the twentieth century. It focuses attention principally on the thence of nationalism, communalism, the Bengal famine of 1943, and independence, and their connection with the goddess Durga. The gaiety and mirth accompanying the festival in Kolkata and its outskirts, despite periodic black-outs and other restrictions imposed during the World War II consequent upon the ensuing Japanese air-raids on the city, have been portrayed remarkably well in the book which contains a separate section on the impact of the war on the Durga Puja. Also colourfully described is the vijaya dasami celebration marking the termination of the festival. The study also dwells on the mythical, metaphysical and symbolic sides of the Durga puja, while detailing the reasons behind the transformation of the festival from a purely household affair to an elaborately established community worship. And although, the main trust is on the first half of the twentieth century, particularly the forties, the study harks back to earlier times to emphasize the importance of this festivals to the Bengali society.