Description

Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indianstates of Assam, Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal, Jharkhand,Manipur, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal, where it is a five-dayannual holiday.In West Bengal, Tripura, which has a majority ofBengali Hindus, it is the biggest festival of the year. In Assamdue to presence of huge number of Bengali Hindus and quite a largenumber of Assamese Hindus of Shakta sect of Hinduism (Assam ispredominently Vaishnavite Hindu populous state), it is one of thebiggest religious festivals, as the biggest festival is Bihu whichis secular in nature. Not only is it the biggest Hindu festivalcelebrated throughout the state, it is also the most significantsocio-cultural event in Bengali Hindu society. Apart from easternIndia, Durga Puja is also celebrated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh,Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Karnatakaand Kerala. Durga Puja is also celebrated as a major festival inNepal where 82% is Hindu, and in Bangladesh where the 8.5%population is Hindu. Nowadays, many diaspora Assamese and Bengalicultural organisations arrange for Durgotsab in countries such asthe United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany,France, The Netherlands, Singapore and Kuwait, among others. In2006, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was held in the Great Court ofthe British Museum.