For Bengalis, Durga Puja is a festival that feels like welcoming a daughter back home. Each year, Bengalis think of Maa Durga returning to her baaper bari (parental home) to celebrate.
Why does Maa Durga return for Durga Puja?
For the Bengalis, Maa Durga’s image is Uma, the married daughter, who returns to her parental home and is welcomed with songs, prayers, love, music, dhak (drums), food and celebration.
Traditional literature shows that she returns with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh.
This is one of the many reasons why Bengalis Preserve the sense of the personal and the emotional among their community Puja festivals.
Where Religion meets Bengali Culture
The return of Maa Durga to her baaper bari is more of a devotional and cultural practice that Bengalis follow, rather than a practice described in Hinduism’s primary texts.
Maa Durga’s return to her parental home is celebrated each year, and has brought the emotion of a mother’s joy into the worship of the Goddess. As much as her return is celebrated, her eventual return back to Kailasha is mourned. Aasche bochor abar hobe (she will return next year) is the tradition to describe that anticipation.
Why this matters to Bengalis in Germany?
For the Bengali communities in Germany, Durga Puja is an opportunity to re-create a piece of home, nearly 7,000 kilometers away from Bengal.
The joy of the community celebrations, cultural programs and food, as well as Pushpanjali and the sound of dhak, connect all ages to our traditions and customs.
More Than a Festival
For students, families and first-generation or second-generation Bengalis, the story also carries a simple message ”home is not only a place, it is a feeling we carry with us”.
Conclusion
In essence, when Bengalis say Maa Durga is going to her baaper bari, they are celebrating their Goddess, and the joy of welcoming their daughter in their home.
FAQS
- Why does Maa Durga come to her baaper bari?
In the tradition of Bengal, Maa Durga is believed to take the form of a married daughter returning to her parents’ home during Durga Puja.
- Is Maa Durga’s visit to baaper bari documented in Hindu scriptures?
The annual visit is predominantly a Bengali cultural and devotional interpretation of the Goddess’s story.
- Why does Durga Puja matter to Bengalis living away from home?
For Bengalis living away from home, especially in different countries, Durga Puja helps maintain their identity through language, culture, food and way of life.
Curious about Bengali traditions in Germany? Explore other blogs we have on Durga Puja, Bengali culture, food, festivals and community life.
