All you wanted to know about Durga and Durga Puja. In 40 colorful panels we describe the story of Durga and Mahish-asura, Rama, and we learn about the layout and calendar of Durga Puja.

2. Created in Inkscape
Fonts from Google fonts:
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- Open Sans by Steve Matteson
"Lilboox Durga"
Edited and Illustrated by
Somdip Datta © 2015
- LoveYaLikeASister by Kimberly Geswein

3. The Boon

4. The devas of the heaven,
and the asuras of the
netherworld,
were nearly always at war.
determined to
bring victory
to the asuras,
prayed to
Brahma -
the creator.
Mahish-asura

5. He meditated on
the name of the God.
He observed penance,
in scorching heat,
and biting cold.
He stood firm in
wind and hail,
and finally
the creator
could not
ignore him
any more.

6. What
do
you
want
my
child?

7. I
wish
to
be
immortal
That is a
boon I never
give. But you
shall find
victory in war.
no God or man
can kill you!

8. Mahish-asura immediately
went to war. His army routed
the devas of the heaven,
and the kings of the earth.

9. the lord of the sky,
who strikes with the
thunderbolt, led the army
of the devas,
riding his
white elephant
known as
Airavat.
Indra -
Even he was
defeated.

10. The Birth

11. to the
creator
I can't recall
my boon.
But the trinity
will
find a way.
The exiled devas appealed

12. The trinity got together.
the Protector
the Creator
the Destroyer
Brahma
Shiva
Vishnu

13. The trinity
focused their
energies,
and a new
creation came
forth in a
blinding light.

14. was born.
She was
beautiful
and fearsome
at the
same time.
The gods found their
hope.
They armed Durga
with their own
weapons.
She had three eyes
and ten hands.
Durga

15. Vishnu gave
her the
discus
Kaal (time)
fashioned her
sword and
armour
Indra (Sky)
gave his
thunderbolt
Varun (Water)
gave his
conchshell

16. Vayu (wind)
gave his bow
Surya (Sun)
gave his
quiver
and arrows
Yama (Death)
gave his
iron staff
Shiva gave
his trident
Agni (Fire)
gave his
fire dart

17. and Himalaya
gave her the Lion
- as her ride.

18. The Battle

19. Her army scattered the asuras,
while she unleashed terror
with her weapons.
Her lion tore apart
whatever came
in its way.
When Mahish-asura saw Durga
approching his citadel,
he was struck by her beauty.
He proposed to her,
but Durga spurned him and
challenged him to war.

20. Mahish-asura resorted to
magic. He changed into an
elephant and
charged,
but Durga
stopped it
short

21. The asura then took the form
of a lion, but it was no match
for Durga. Then he resumed
his favorite form -
the buffalo. He charged ...

22. The people of
heaven and earth
were overjoyed.
They resolved to
worship Durga
every year,
in the spring,
with great
ceremony.
The lion pounced and tore its
belly. As Mahish-asura emerged
from it, Durga struck him with
her trident and he collapsed to
his death.

23. Rama and
Durga

24. Many years later..
Rama of Ayodhya
crossed the sea and reached
the city of Lanka. He came to
rescue his wife
who had been abducted by
the rakshasa
king
Sita
Ravana

25. Aided by the army of monkeys,
he devastated the rakshasas,
and killed most of the
generals of Ravana.
However, Ravana himself was
undefeated.
His ten heads would
regenerate as soon as killed.

26. Frustrated, Rama
appealed to Durga.
Though it was autumn,
not spring,
he performed the
ceremony without
the smallest
detail
overlooked.
When he was one
short of the
108 blue lotus
needed for the
ritual,
he offered
his own
blue eye
instead.

27. Durga was pleased. With her
blessing Rama killed Ravana
and Sita was rescued.
Thereafter,
the annual celebration of
Durga was permanently moved
to the autumn.

28. About
Durga Puja

29. Durga Puja is celebrated as
a community event. A large
structure is setup at a
community site. Clay images
of Durga and her four children
are worshipped for five days,
with many rituals, as well as
cultural events.
The next pages will help you
identify the images at a
Durga Puja.

30. Mahish-asura
Lion
Portrait
of Shiva
in the back
Buffalo
Durga

31. Ganesha
(God of
Well-being)
Laxmi
(Goddess of Wealth)
his Mouse
and her Owl
on her Right
Banana plant (his wife)

32. Saraswati
(Goddess of
Wisdom) her Swan
Veena
Kartik
(God of War)
and his peacock
on her Left

33. Durga Puja follows a
lunar calendar. The
new moon (phase 1 ) in
the month of Ashwin
is known as
on this day many pay
respect to
their ancestors at the
river, early at dawn.
The festival is
then five days
away.
mahalaya

34. Durga Puja starts on
the 6th phase of the
moon with
On this day Rama had
started the Puja,
without waiting
for spring
bodhan

35. Durga Puja continues
through phase 7th to
9th. People celebrate
with new clothes,
food, music, dance
and much more.

36. Durga Puja ends on
the 10th phase with
The images of Durga
and the other Gods
are cast into a pond
or river.
visarjan

37. The 10th phase is also
known as
or
when the story of
Rama is played by
actors. At the end of
the act, an image of
Ravana, stuffed with
fireworks, is set to
fire. This was the day
when Rama had killed
Ravana.
dussera
ramaleela
The 15th phase is the
Full Moon after which
the moon starts
waning (shrinking).

38. In another 15 phases
the moon is gone again.
This is the night of
the Festival of light,
to celebrate the return
of Rama to Ayoddha.
diwali

39. The End

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