When is Durga Puja held, and where is it most prominent?

It is held over several days in the autumn month of Ashvin, in September or October, and it is above all the great festival of Bengal, kept also in Assam and Odisha and by Bengali communities abroad.

How is Durga Puja linked to the story of Rama and Sita?

Rama is said to have invoked Durga out of season, in the autumn, before his battle to recover Sita from Ravana, so the festival is connected with the goddess's untimely awakening and with Rama's victory.

What is Vijayadashami, and how is it kept in northern India?

It is the tenth day, the day of victory, and in northern India it is marked by performances of the Rama story and by burning huge effigies of Ravana.

Why does the presence of an avatar matter to the meaning of the festival?

Rama is worshipped as a descent of Vishnu, so his defeat of Ravana shows God entering the world to overturn evil, and devotees take it as evidence that divine help is available to them too.

WJEC A-Level Religious Studies 603-0277-X

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Hinduism: Practices and Religious Identity

Durga Puja and the divine mother

3 things to know
AS Unit 1

Overview

Recall questions on Mahishasura, the many arms and their weapons, the link to Rama and Sita, Vijayadashami, visarjan, kumari puja, and the text recited through the festival.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

Tell the story of Durga and Mahishasura.

Numbers

How does the community keep the traditions of Durga Puja?

Key term

Why is Durga shown with many arms holding different weapons?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
When is Durga Puja held, and where is it most prominent?
Model answer
It is held over several days in the autumn month of Ashvin, in September or October, and it is above all the great festival of Bengal, kept also in Assam and Odisha and by Bengali communities abroad.
2
Tell the story of Durga and Mahishasura.
Model answer
The buffalo demon Mahishasura could not be killed by any god or man, so the gods poured their combined energies into a single female form, and Durga fought him for nine nights and destroyed him on the tenth day.
3
Why is Durga shown with many arms holding different weapons?
Model answer
Each of the gods gave her his own weapon, so the many arms show that she carries the united power of all the deities.
4
How is Durga Puja linked to the story of Rama and Sita?
Model answer
Rama is said to have invoked Durga out of season, in the autumn, before his battle to recover Sita from Ravana, so the festival is connected with the goddess's untimely awakening and with Rama's victory.
5
What is Vijayadashami, and how is it kept in northern India?
Model answer
It is the tenth day, the day of victory, and in northern India it is marked by performances of the Rama story and by burning huge effigies of Ravana.
6
Why does the presence of an avatar matter to the meaning of the festival?
Model answer
Rama is worshipped as a descent of Vishnu, so his defeat of Ravana shows God entering the world to overturn evil, and devotees take it as evidence that divine help is available to them too.

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