Pujo Gyan
Know your Pujo
The stories, rituals, symbols, history and words of Durga Puja, explained simply in English, Bengali and Hindi. For first-timers, for children asking 'why?', and for everyone who loves Pujo.
The Story of Durga Puja
Every Durga Puja retells three stories at once: a goddess born from the gods' combined power to defeat a demon, a prince who woke her out of season to win a war, and a daughter who comes home to her parents for four days a year.
👑Ma Durga's Family and the Idol
Stand in front of any Bengali pandal and you will see the whole family on one stage. Here is who is who, what each one rides, and how the idol is made.
🔱Ma Durga's Ten Arms and Weapons
Durga is called Dashabhuja, the ten-armed one. The Devi Mahatmya says every god gave her a weapon from his own arsenal, so that she held the power of all of them together.
📿Durga Puja Rituals, Day by Day
Durga Puja is not one ritual but a sequence, each day with its own rites, food and feeling. Here is what happens and why, from Mahalaya to Bijoya. Dates are for 2026; exact timings are in the Puja Calendar.
🌾Pujo in the Villages of Bengal
Long before theme pandals and traffic jams, Pujo lived in the villages: in a pillared Chandi Mandap, in a pond where the Kola Bou was bathed, in rice-paste alpana on a mud floor, and in a whole village carrying the goddess to the river. Much of it still does.
🏛️A Short History of Durga Puja in Bengal
Durga Puja began as a private worship in the homes of the rich and became the biggest public festival of Bengal. This is how it happened.
📖Pujo Words: A Durga Puja Glossary
New to Pujo, or explaining it to a friend? These are the words you will hear in every pandal.
❓Durga Puja FAQ: Your Questions Answered
Quick, clear answers to the questions people ask most about Durga Puja.