West Bengal > Social Practices, Rituals and Festive events

Durga Puja

Durga Puja was originally a festival which was celebrated at home; in fact, some families still continue to celebrate it that way. Earlier it was celebrated with much solemnity with great respect to tradition. Today, the emphasis is more on the size and presentation of the puja mandap; the mandap takes the form of exotic structures like the Versailles Palace or a tribal cottage from the Nepal mountains.

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Nabanna

Nabanna literally means 'Nobo-Onno', or New Rice. This is a Bengali harvest celebration usually celebrated with food, dance and music.

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Poush Mela

Every year in December, Santiniketan celebrates the Poush Mela to commemorate
Rabindranath Tagore and his contribution to literature and higher learning at Santiniketan.

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