Puja season begins

The grand season of Durga Puja has begun, filling the air with the sweet scent of sewali flowers, which signals a deep sense of festive joy. This sacred festival celebrates the triumph of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, symbolizing the eternal victory of good over evil. As the Indian hemanta season – late autumn – skies clear, towns and cities transform into vibrant hubs of art, faith, and community spirit. The countdown for Durga Puja started last week with Mahalaya, a quiet, early-morning invocation that marks the end ofPitru Paksha (the fortnight for honouring ancestors) and the beginning of Devi Paksha, signalling the arrival of Goddess Durga and the official countdown to Durga Puja. Ancient Kamarupa is said to be the original home of Shakti, or Mother Goddess; worship of the Devi in her Shakti form has been practised in temples across Assam since ancient times. References in texts like the Kalika Purana note that Shakti and Goddess Durga worship in ancient Kamarupa is over a thousand years old. Durga Puja with earthen idols in Assam was first introduced during the reign of Ahom King Swargadeo Susenghphaa (Pratap Singha) in the 17th century, while prominent royal and queen-led traditions developed later under rulers like Queen Ambika Devi (who built the historic Devi Doul in Sivasagar in 1734 AD) and the Uzanbazar Rajbari (Guwahati) lineage linked to Queen Mahindri. What, however, is significant to note is that Durga Puja – and, for that matter, the worship of the Mother Goddess in several forms – has given rise to a very special category of oral literature in the Assamese language. The ‘gosani-naam’, which was originally composed orally and was subsequently brought out in printed form, is unique to Assam and the Assamese language. This is only one aspect.