Durga Puja, also popularly known as Durga Pujo, is the most-awaited festival of the Bengalis in India and is nothing short of a carnival. The festival dedicated to Durga Maa is celebrated with great enthusiasm across India, especially in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, and Tripura. The festival, marked for five days, includes Subho Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Vijayadashami or Dusshera. This year, Durga Puja 2023 in Kolkata will begin on Friday, October 20, and will continue till Tuesday, October 24. The seventh day of Durga Puja, popularly referred to as the Maha Saptami, marks the day of Pran Pratishthaan and Kola Bau Snan.

Maha Saptami 2023: Date, Significance, Rituals To Perform On Second Day Of Durga Puja

Maha Saptami is celebrated on the seventh day of 'Shukla Paksha' in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin. On this day, the pandit is believed to bring the idols of Goddess Durga to life by chanting mantras from the religious scriptures. This year, Maha Saptami 2023 will be celebrated on Saturday, October 21. Kola Bou Puja Significance: Know About the Ceremonial Bathing of Kala Bou, aka Banana Bride, and Her Transformation into a Goddess on Saptami.

Maha Saptami 2023 Date

Maha Saptami 2023 will be celebrated on Saturday, October 21.

Kola Bou Snan Puja Puja Vidhi

  1. Devotees start the day of Maha Saptami with the ritual of Bodhon, where the priest symbolically awakens the Goddess and invites her to descend to Earth through prayers, mantras, and the blowing of the conch shell.

  2. Maa Durga is then bathed with water, milk, honey, yoghurt, ghee, and sugar in this ceremonial bath. This is followed by a ritual called ‘Shodashopachara’ (16 forms of paying homage).

  3. Another ritual named Kobolu snan is done where a small banana plant, representing the goddess, is bathed alongside the main idol.

  4. Devotees then perform the ritual of Kalparambha, signifying the beginning of the Durga Puja.

  5. Devotees offer flowers to the goddess while reciting mantras, and an elaborate aarti is performed, which symbolises offering light, removing darkness, and seeking the blessings of the goddess.

  6. Special food offerings are prepared for the goddess and later distributed as prasad to the devotees.

  7. Prana Pratishtha takes place on the day. This is defined as a rite or ceremony by which a murti (vessel for the spirit of god) is consecrated in the pandal, wherein hymns and mantras are recited to invite the deity to be a resident guest, and the murti's eye is opened for the first time.

Maha Saptami Significance

Maha Saptami is a significant day for Maa Durga devotees as the Maha Puja of Durga Puja starts on this day. Saptami means 'seven' in Sanskrit, and hence Maha Saptami is the seventh day of the Durga Puja festival. As per religious beliefs, it is said that the battle between Goddess Durga and the demon king Mahishasura began on this day and ended on Vijaya Dashami, which is celebrated as Dussehra.

Durga Puja 2023: Know Start & End Date, Rituals, Significance & When To Perform Dhunuchi Naach

On the day of Maha Saptami, a young banana plant, popularly known as the Kola Bou, is taken to a nearby river, bathed, and is then draped in a saree. As per beliefs, this banana plant is considered to be the wife of Lord Ganesha and is believed to carry the goddess's strength.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2023 07:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).