Mother Durga

The study contains vivid details of the Durga Puja festival in Calcutta and its suburbs in the first half of the twentieth century focussing attention principally on the themes 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 Calcutta and its outskirts, despite periodic blackouts and other restrictions imposed during the Second World War 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 that War on the Durga Puja in the City of Palaces. Also colourfully described is the Vijaya Dashami celebrations marking the termination of Durgotsav. The study also dwells on the mystical, metaphysical and symbolic sides of the 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 thrust is on the first half of the twentieth century, particularly the forties, the study harks back to earlier times to emphasize the importance of Durgotsav to Bengali society.