Durga Puja: The Countdown Begins

Pujo -- as the Durga Puja festival is fondly called in West Bengal -- is grandly celebrated across India as well.

While it is an annual reminder of the triumph of Good over Evil -- with the Goddess Durga killing the demon Mahishasur who was harassing the Gods -- it is also a time to dress up, savour bhog and pandal hop -- and those pandals are grand! -- as you discuss the merits of each one.

Thanks to Bollywood, we've had glimpses of how the festival is celebrated, including the joyous sindoor khela.

The nine-day festival begins this year on October 3.

Each day is devoted to one of Ma Durga's nine avatars -- Goddess Shailputri, Goddess Brahmacharini, Goddess Chandraghanta, Goddess Kushmanda, Goddess Skandamata, Goddess Katyayani, Goddess Kalaratri, Goddess Mahagauri and Goddess Siddhidatri.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com