Durga Puja 2008

Durga Puja 2008 or the five day Durga Puja festival honouring the Goddess Durga, was celebrated from 2008-10-05 (Shashti) to 2008-10-09 (Dashami). Like previous years, Durga Puja was celebrated with the usual pomp and grandeur in West Bengal especially in Kolkata. The competition among the Puja Pandals and the level of creativity was at its best.^[1]

Time table for Puja 2008

The main events of the puja ceremony were scheduled as follows.^[2] The tithis are non-uniform since they represent the transitions of the moon into different zones, following the lunisolar Bengali calendar.

• Mahalaya ‘Tarpan’:- 29 September (Monday) (12 Ashvin 1415): 1:15pm - 30 oct 12.55pm
• Maha Panchami :- 4 October (Saturday) (17 Ashvin 1415): 3 oct 4:35pm-4 oct 6:28pm
• Maha Shashti - 5 October (Sunday) (18 Ashvin 1415): 4 oct 6:29pm-5 oct 8:32pm. Ritual Events: "kalparambha" before 9:27am; Durga Devi "bodhan" "Amantran" and "Adhibas' in the evening )
• Maha Saptami - 6 October (Monday) (19 Ashvin 1415): 5 oct 8:33pm-6 oct 10:35pm. Ritual Events: "naba patrikA" before 9:27am; pre-dawn bathing of "kalA bou"
• Maha Ashtami - 7 October (Tuesday) (20 Ashvin 1415): 6 oct 10:36pm-8 oct 00:29am. Ritual events: sandhI puja 00:05am–00:53am, sacrifice 00:29am
• Maha Nabami - 8 October (Wednesday) (21 Ashvin 1415): 00:30am-9 oct 2:04am
• Bijaya Dashami - 9 October (Thursday) (22 Ashvin 1415): From 00:30am-10 oct 2:04am. Ritual events: sindur-play in the morning, followed by bisarjan.

Gallery of images from 2008 Pujas

• 

  Modern image of Durga at 66 pally pandal, (near Kalighat metro). This stylized vertically symmetrical image shows her ten hands not with the traditional weapons, but all used for pinning down mahishasura, who appears to be coming out of the earth in front of her.

• 

  Durga image from Chakraberia Sarvajanin at Bhowanipore, Kolkata. The image shows a stylized durga in a benevolent pose rather than the traditional mahishashur impaling posture. Even the asur is quite peaceful, as if making obeisance to her.

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  College Square Pandal, lit up at night. You can see a waterpolo goalpost in the foreground - the tank is a major swimming pool in less festive times.

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  The pratima at the Badamtala AShARh sangha. This pandal attempts to replicate a village square or baT-talA. In 2008, this club puja was sponsored by an exptritate Bengali group from the USA.

• 

  Durga image from Cooperative Park Puja, Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi

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  Arati or light worship at the rakshitbari puja in Giridih, Jharkhand. The priest is performing a ritual motion with the pradeep or oil lamp.

Asian Paints Sharad Shamman (2008)

This years Asian Paints Sharad Shamman was also declared on the night of Ashtami. Unlike previous years, seven winners were declared judged by people from various artistic fields. Discovery of the Year was given as a joint winner to separate Puja pandals.^[3]
Winners:

• Best Puja : Telengabagan Sarbojanin
• Best Puja : Laketown Natunpally Pradip Sangha
• Best Puja : Tangra Gholpara Sarbojanin
• Discovery of the Year : Santoshpur Lakepally
• Discovery of the Year : Hatibagan Nabinpally
• Creative Excellence : Naktolla Udayan Sangha
• Best Artisan : Barisha Club (Shri Purnendu Sen)

Finalists

• Hatibagan Sarbojanin
• Bosepukur Talbagan
• Darpanarayan Tagore Street
• Laketown Adhibashibrindo
• Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha

The panel of judges included Agnimitra Paul (fashion designer), Kaushik Sen (actor), Suman Chattopadhyay (journalist), Sanatan Dinda (painter), Locket Chatterjee (actor).

Preceded by Durga Puja 2007	Durga Puja 2008 October 6, 2008 - October 9, 2008	Succeeded by Durga Puja 2009
Asian Paints Sharad Shamman
Best Puja
Preceded by Pathuriaghata Pacher Pally Khidderpore 25 Pally Laketown Natunpally Pradip Sangha	Telengabagan Sarbojanin Tangra Gholpara Sarbojanin Laketown Natunpally Pradip Sangha October 2008	Succeeded by incumbent
Discovery of the Year
Preceded by Kankurgachi Mitali Sangha	Santoshpur Lakepally Hatibagan Nabinpally October 2008	Succeeded by incumbent
Creative Excellence
Preceded by New Alipore Suruchi Sangha	Naktolla Udayan Sangha October 2008	Succeeded by incumbent
Best Artisan
Preceded by Chakraberia Sarbojanin Shri Purnendu Dey	Barisha Club Shri Purnendu Dey October 2008	Succeeded by incumbent

References

1. ^ Durga Puja 2008
2. ^ Time table for Durga Puja 2008
3. ^ 2008 Asian Paints Sharad Shamman

External links

• দুর্গাপূজা Pictures of Durga Puja 2008 in Kolkata & Barasat
• Calcuttaweb.com "Kolkata Durga Puja 2008"
• Overseas schedule for Durga Puja 2008