Lucknow: The six-day Shri Shri Durga Puja festival began at Ramakrishna Math in Nirala Nagar, Lucknow with traditional rituals, Vedic chanting, devotional music and spiritual discourses. The celebrations will continue until October 21, following the monastery’s longstanding traditions. All programmes are also being livestreamed on the official YouTube channel of Ramakrishna Math, Lucknow.
The first day, observed as Shashthi, began with Mangal Aarti and prayers at 5 am, followed by Kalparambha at 6.15 am and Vedic chants and hymns dedicated to Goddess Durga at 6.50 am.
At 7.15 am, Swami Muktinathananda, president of Ramakrishna Math, Lucknow, delivered a special online discourse on “The Living Durga — Sri Maa Sarada”.
Describing Sri Sarada Devi as the living embodiment of the Divine Mother, Swami Muktinathananda highlighted her unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness and spiritual strength. He said she accepted everyone as her own child and taught that true spirituality extends beyond rituals to encompass love, service, sacrifice and concern for all living beings.
He also recalled her enduring message: “If you want peace, do not look at anyone’s faults; if you must look for faults, look at your own.” The discourse emphasised purity of mind, devotion and selfless service as essential elements of spiritual life.
Swami Muktinathananda explained the significance of Shashthi, which marks the formal beginning of Durga Puja rituals, including Kalparambha, Bodhan, Adhivasa and Amantran. During Kalparambha, devotees take a ceremonial resolve to conduct the worship, accompanied by the installation of a sacred water-filled copper vessel and the worship of Goddess Durga and Chandi.
At 7.30 am, Swami Pratibhanandaji Maharaj of Ramakrishna Mission Sevashram, Vrindavan, performed worship and Chandi Path at the Durga mandap. Swami Shivadhishananda of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur, presented devotional songs, accompanied on the tabla by Shubham Raj. He returned in the evening for another musical presentation.
The evening programme featured the ceremonial Bodhan of Goddess Durga at 6.30 pm. The ritual formally invokes and welcomes the goddess, who is worshipped along with her divine family, including Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya.
As part of the traditional Shashthi observances, the invocation was performed using nine types of plants: banana, black taro, turmeric, jayanti, manakachu, ashoka, paddy, pomegranate and bel.
The Bodhan ceremony was conducted under the supervision of Swami Satyavidananda of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Mylapore, Chennai, while Brahmachari Soumyajit of Ramakrishna Math, Puri, performed the rituals. A large number of devotees attended the ceremony and participated in the worship.
The elaborately decorated Durga mandap, adorned with flowers and other decorative materials, emerged as a major attraction. Devotees from Kolkata arranged the floral decorations and garlands for the goddess. Following the monastery’s tradition, monks and brahmacharins, led by Swami Muktinathananda, also presented traditional Agamani songs welcoming the Divine Mother.
Alongside the worship of Goddess Durga, the presiding deity of the puja, Shri Shri Narayana, was worshipped through the Shaligram Shila. Prasad was distributed among devotees after the rituals.
The day concluded with a special Bengali-language discourse by Priyasi Sen Bagchi from 8 pm to 8.30 pm on the theme “Sri Maa Sarada in the Life of Sri Maa Sarada”.
The daylong celebrations, featuring sacred rituals, Vedic chants, Chandi Path, devotional music and spiritual discourses, filled the monastery with a devotional atmosphere as devotees gathered to mark the beginning of the annual festival.
