Basanti Puja is Durga Puja in spring, in Chaitra: its original season in Puranic tradition, King Suratha and Samadhi, family observance, Chaitra Navratri.
A Durga image for Basanti Puja, the spring worship of the goddess. Photo: Chandrapirh Chakraborty, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The Hindu year has two great seasons of goddess worship, spring and autumn, each with its own Navaratri (nine nights).
A Durga image for Basanti Puja, the spring worship of the goddess. Photo: Chandrapirh Chakraborty, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The Devi Mahatmya, the text at the heart of Durga worship and part of the Markandeya Purana, is told within a frame story.
An illustrated leaf of the Devi Mahatmya. Photo: SpeakingArch, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Where it is held, Basanti Puja follows the same broad pattern as the autumn puja: the goddess is installed and invoked around Shashthi, worshipped through Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, and bid farewell on Dashami.
A Durga image for Basanti Puja, the spring worship of the goddess. Photo: Chandrapirh Chakraborty, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Basanti Puja coincides with Chaitra Navratri, the spring Navaratri observed across much of India, which ends with Rama Navami, the birthday of Rama, on the ninth day.
Sabudana khichdi, a common Navratri fasting food. Photo: Mrudit161187, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
In the same Chaitra fortnight, many Bengali households and temples worship Annapurna, "she who is full of food", a form of Parvati who feeds the world.
Phuchka, Kolkata's favourite street snack. Photo: TAPAS KUMAR HALDER, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
For the autumn festival's origins see akal bodhon and the history of Durga Puja.
Bodhon, the awakening of the goddess, on the evening of Shashthi. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Basanti Puja is Durga Puja in spring, in Chaitra: its original season in Puranic tradition, King Suratha and Samadhi, family observance, Chaitra Navratri.
Basanti Puja → Next story: Bhai Phonta: when sisters bless their brothers All photo storiesMusic: Tomay hriday majhe rakhbo chere debo na - Baul Song Performance - Tarun Khyapa and Ananda Khyapa with Group - Saturday Haat - Sonajhuri - Birbhum 2014-06-28 5315, Gangulybiswarup, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.