Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess, livre ebook

A first-hand description of the Durga Puja, the Hinda celebration of the Great Goddess.

A first-hand description of the Durga Puja, the Hinda celebration of the Great Goddess.

During a nine-day period every autumn, Hindus in India and throughout the world worship the Great Goddess, Durgā—the formidable deity who is loved like a mother. One of the most dramatic and popular of these celebrations is the Durgā Pūjā, a rite noted for its visual pageantry, ritual complexity, and communal participation. In this book, Hillary Peter Rodrigues describes the Bengali style of Durgā Pūjā 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. Rodrigues maintains that the Durgā Pūjā is a rite of cosmic rejuvenation, of empowerment at both the personal and social levels, and a rite that orchestrates manifestations of the feminine, both Divine and human.

Illustrations


Acknowledgments


Abbreviations


A Note on Transliteration and Pronunciation


1: Introduction

Genesis of this Study
The Durga Puja

PART I: CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW


2: The Setting

Which Navaratra?
Which Goddess?
Which Durga Puja?
Durga Puja in Bengal
Durga Puja in Banaras
Bengali Brahmanas in Banaras
The Ritual Performer (Purohita)
The Audience
Ritual Manuals
English Literature on the Durga Puja
This Description of the Durga Puja

3: Overview of the Durga Puja

General Comments on Puja
Overview of the Ritual

PART II: DESCRIPTION OF THE DURGA PUJA


4: The Durga Puja

4.1: Preliminaries
4.2: Bodhana
4.3: Adhivasa
4.4: Saptami
4.5: Mahastami
4.6: Sandhi Puja
4.7: Mahanavami
4.8: Vijaya Dasami

PART III: INTERPRETATIONS


5: The Nature of Puja


6: The Nature of the Great Goddess

Gynomorphic Forms of the Goddess
Yantric Forms of the Devi
The Devi as Elemental Substances
The Devi as Life Forms

7: Functions of the Durga Puja

Cosmic Rejuvenation
Empowerment: Personal, Sovereign, Communal, Political, Economic
Controlled Fertility
Religious Ritual as Illustrated by the Durga Puja

Notes


Glossary


Bibliography


Index