Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess: The

During a nine-day period every autumn, Hindus in India and throughout the world worship the Great Goddess, Durga -- the formidable deity who is loved like a mother. One of the most dramatic and popular of these celebrations is the Durga Puja, a rite noted for its visual pageantry, ritual complexity, and communal participation. In this book, Hillary Peter Rodrigues describes the Bengali style of Durga Puja practiced in the sacred city of Banaras from beginning to end. A romanization of the Sanskrit litany is included along with an English translation.

In addition to the liturgical description, Rodrigues provides information on the rite's component elements and mythic aspects. There are interpretive sections on puja, the Great Goddess, women's roles in the ritual, and the socio-cultural functions of the ritual.

Hillary Peter Rodrigues is Chair of the Department of Anthropology and Associate Professor in the Religious Studies Program at the University of Lethbridge.

Illustrations

ix

Acknowledgments

xi

Abbreviations

xiii

A Note on Transliteration and Pronunciation

xv

Introduction

1

(14)

Genesis of this Study

3

(4)

The Durga Puja

7

(8)

Part I: Context and Overview

The Setting

15

(20)

Which Navaratra?

15

(1)

Which Goddess?

16

(1)

Which Durga Puja?

17

(1)

Durga Puja in Bengal

18

(3)

Durga Puja in Banaras

21

(3)

Bengali Brahmanas in Banaras

24

(3)

The Ritual Performer (Purohita)

27

(1)

The Audience

28

(2)

Ritual Manuals

30

(1)

English Literature on the Durga Puja

31

(1)

This Description of the Durga Puja

31

(4)

Overview of the Durga Puja

35

(36)

General Comments on Puja

35

(2)

Overview of the Ritual

37

(34)

Part II: Description of the Durga Puja

The Durga Puja

71

(180)

Preliminaries

71

(13)

Bodhana

84

(36)

Adhivasa

120

(12)

Saptami

132

(62)

Mahastami

194

(16)

Sandhi Puja

210

(14)

Mahanavami

224

(12)

Vijaya Dasami

236

(15)

Part III: Interpretations

The Nature of Puja

251

(10)

The Nature of the Great Goddess

261

(26)

Gynomorphic Forms of the Goddess

262

(5)

Yantric Forms of the Devi

267

(6)

The Devi as Elemental Substances

273

(3)

The Devi as Life Forms

276

(11)

Functions of the Durga Puja

287

(26)

Cosmic Rejuvenation

287

(1)

Empowerment: Personal, Sovereign, Communal, Political, Economic

288

(8)

Controlled Fertility

296

(7)

Religious Ritual as Illustrated by the Durga Puja

303

(10)

Notes

313

(44)

Glossary

357

(6)

Bibliography

363

(22)

Index

385

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Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess: The Liturgy of the Durga Puja With Interpretations

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials