Durga Puja/Autumn Festival

This is a multi-day festival [see Schedule of Events below] that features elaborate temple and stage decorations, scripture recitation, performance arts, revelry and processions.

When: September 29 to October 1, 2017

Location: Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre

About Durga Puja [Source: Wikipedia]:

Durga Puja, also called Durgotsava and Navaratri, is an annual Hindu or Bengali Hindu festival in the Indian subcontinent that reveres the goddess Durga.^[3][4] It is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin, typically September or October of the Gregorian calendar.^[5][6] A multi-day festival that features elaborate temple and stage decorations (pandals), scripture recitation, performance arts, revelry and processions, Durga Puja is particularly observed by Hindus in eastern and northeastern states of India, in Bangladesh and in Nepal where it is called Dashain.^[3][7][8] It is a major festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism across India and Shakta Hindu diaspora.^[9][10][11]

Durga Puja festival marks the battle of goddess Durga with the shape-shifting, deceptive and powerful buffalo demon Mahishasura, and her emerging victorious.^{[12][13][note 1]} Thus, the festival epitomises the victory of Good over Evil, but it also is in part a harvest festival that marks goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.^[15][16] The Durga Puja festival dates coincide with Vijayadashami (Dussehra) observed by other traditions of Hinduism, where the Ram Lila is enacted, victory of Rama is marked and effigies of demon Ravana are burnt instead.^[17][18] 

 Schedule for Durga Puja and Cultural Events for 2017 [Source: http://deshantari.org/events.html]

Venue: Ron Kolbus Lakeside Center 102 Greenview Avenue Ottawa, ON K2B 8J8 Ph: 613-828-4313