How Swami Vivekananda gave Durga Puja at Belur Math an idol makeover

Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) was 21 years old, then September 28, 1884, the Mahashtami day. When Sri Ramakrishna visited the house of Ram, sang songs and had discussions with the Brahmo Samaj devotees. Narendra was sitting in front of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (affectionately also called Thakur by his devotees). As he spoke, Thakur glanced at young Narendra. Sri Ramakrishna immediately stood up, and placing his foot on Narendra's knee, stood in samadhi, unconscious of the outside world, with his eyes fixed. Touch of Thakur's feet on Durga puja must have been one of most sublime experiences for the "advedantist" Swami Vivekananda as a young "Brahmo" Narendra.  

After Thakur passed away, Durga worship used to take place at the dilapidated Baranagore Math (1897). Of course, the worship used to be performed in a consecrated pitcher (ghat) and not idols, with the young Shashi Maharaj (Swami Ramakrishnananda), being the chief "purohit" for most of the times.

However, the first Durga Puja at Belur Math was due to concurrence of Swami Vivekananda and Swami Brahmananda's incidental visions. Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda) had introduced for the first time in Belur Math the "worship of Mother Durga in image".

Following excerpt from Swami Vimalatmananda's account describes the mystical event.

That was in October of 1901. In the balmy autumn air of that year, the fields were lush green with paddy stalks waving their laden heads, and lotuses, jasmines, and tuberoses were rendering the air fragrant and heavenly. The autumn festival was being held for the first time in that monastery which was consecrated only three years before. That was the first Durga Puja in image at Belur Math. Many orthodox pundits and Brahmins of the neighbouring places used to criticise Swami Vivekananda and the other monks of Belur Math for their innovating and liberal ideas, their modes of work, and especially their non-observance of the customs regarding caste and food. Even these bigoted people who considered themselves "custodians of Hinduism" gave up their animosity and attended the Puja. They became convinced that the monks of the Ramakrishna Order were truly "Sanatan Sannyasins". According to Sarat Chandra Chakravarty, Swami Vivekananda's main purpose in conducting this Durga Puja was to remove all unsavoury doubts and scepticism from the minds of the orthodox.

Swamiji had not seen Durga Puja for a decade. He intended to see it that year, which eventually was to be his last too. The decision to celebrate Durga Puja in image at the Belur Math in 1901 was his own. He had cherished this idea since several months before. He asked Sarat Babu to bring the book Raghunandana Smrti, which deals in detail with the ceremonial forms of the worship of various gods and goddesses. Swamiji read the book thoroughly. On being questioned, Swamiji said to his disciple, "This time, I have a desire to celebrate the Durga Puja. If the expenses are forthcoming, I shall worship the Mahamaya." But Swamiji did not speak of his intention to anybody till only a few days before the date of worship.

Four or five days before the Durga Puja, Swami Brahmananda was sitting in the Math verandah facing the Ganga. He had a vision of Mother Durga coming over the Ganga from Dakshineswar and stopping near the Bilva tree (now, in front of Swamiji's memorial temple). Just then Swamiji returned to the Math from Calcutta and asked, "Where is Raja [Swami Brahmananda]?" On meeting him, Swamiji told him: "This time, make all arrangements for the Durga Puja by bringing the pratima (image) to the Math." Swami Brahmananda hesitated for a while, for there was very little time to make all the necessary arrangements. Then Swamiji disclosed the vision he had had. He had seen Mother Durga being worshipped in image at the Math. Swami Brahmananda, too, then described his vision. These visions were greeted with great joy and cheer by the monks and Brahmacharins of the Math.

Br Krishnalal [later Swami Dhirananda], a disciple of the Holy Mother (Sarada Ma), was sent to Kumartuly to see if an image could be procured. Fortunately one image was available, for the person who had placed the order had not turned up to take delivery. Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda) was informed; he and Swami Premananda went to the Holy Mother's residence at 16A, Bosepara Lane, Calcutta, and sought her permission to perform the Durga Puja. The Holy Mother gladly consented. Swamiji then asked that the image be brought to the Math. Soon, the news spread all over the city and the devotees joined with the monks to make the celebration a grand success.

The image was brought from Kumartuly a day or two before Sashthi (October 18, 1901). Swami Abhayananda [Bharat Maharaj] gave this information about the first Durga Puja at the Belur Math: In the courtyard between the shrine-building (old) and Math (Belur Math) building was erected a temporary pandal where the image was installed for worship. It was facing west. The pandal extended up to the mango tree which still stands in the courtyard, and the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna sat there. Swamiji felt it imperative to have the Holy Mother's presence at the Belur Math during the Puja days. Along with her lady companions, the Mother (Ma Sarada) came and stayed at the Nilambar Babu's bagan bari (garden house), which was rented for one month. Every day, the presence of the Holy Mother and her lady companions in the pandal gave immense joy to everybody. In the presence of the "living Durga" - the Holy Mother, the image throbbed with life and the whole atmosphere was surcharged with divine bliss. It is said that Swamiji himself worshipped the Holy Mother in the Durga-mandap. All the devotees enjoyed the holy company of the direct disciples like Swamiji, Swamis Brahmananda, Premananda, Adbhutananda, Saradananda and others. The arrangements for the whole celebration were personality supervised by Swami Brahmananda. Br Krishnalal and Ishwarchandra Chakravarty (father of Swami Ramakrishnananda), a devout brahmin well versed in worship, were the pujaka (worshipper) and tantradhdraka respectively. The relevant dates of this first Durga Puja were as follows:

Sashthi: Friday, October 18, 1901 (Kartika 1, 1308 BS);

Shaptami: Saturday, October 19 (Kartika 2);

Ashtami: Sunday, October 20 (Kartika 3);

Navami: Monday, October 21 (Kartika 4);

and Vijaya Dashami: Tuesday, October 22 (Kartika 5).

The Sankalpa mantra was uttered in the name of the Holy Mother, for Swamiji declared: "We are all penniless beggars; the worship won't be done in our name." Moreover, Sannyasins are debarred from performing Vedic and Pauranika rituals. The worship is, therefore, performed by a brahmachari of the Order. This custom is still being followed. On Sashthi, the rites connected with Adhivasa, Bodhana and Amantranawere performed under the Bilva tree (the spot in front of the place where Swamiji's temple now stands). The rite of "sacrifice" (bali) of an animal was dropped on the advice of the Holy Mother. As a substitute, sugar and sweets were heaped on either side of Mother Durga.

On the night of Shaptami, Swamiji had an attack of fever. So he could not join the worship the next morning. But he came down to the pandal at the time of Sandhi Puja and offered pushpanjali three times. The Sandhi Puja began at 6.17 AM and ended at 7.05 AM on October 20, 1901.

On Ashtami, the Kumari Puja was performed. At Swamiji's request, Gauri Ma, a lady disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, made the necessary arrangements. Swamiji himself worshipped nine little girls as Kumaris with Asana, Arghya, Sankha, clothes etc. He placed flowers at the feet of the Kumaris and offered sweets and dakshina in their hands. He then prostrated before them. One of the Kumaris was a very small girl and Swamiji was so absorbed in the thought of the Divine Mother that, when he put red sandal-paste on her forehead, he exclaimed, "Ah! Have I hurt the third eye of the Mother?" Sri Ramakrishna's nephew Ramlal Dada's youngest daughter, Radharani, was one of the Kumaris.

Why did Swami Vivekananda introduce the Kumar Puja as a part of Durga Puja celebrations in Belur Math? The answer is to be found in Sri Ramakrishna's life. Though he established different relations with God in the course of his various sadhanas, the most abiding and nearest to his heart was "God as the Divine Mother". As he beheld nothing but God everywhere, it was the Divine Mother that he saw in everything and in everyone. He saw no distinction between the Mother he worshipped in the temple, his own Mother Chandradevi, and his divine consort, the Holy Mother. Sri Ramakrishna said: "Why do people worship virgins? All women are so many forms of the Divine Mother. But Her manifestation is greatest in pure-souled virgins. I worship virgins because I see in them the Divine Mother. Haven't you observed the Kumari Puja? Why should you worship a girl who has all the physical limitations of a human being? It is because she is a form of the Divine Mother."

Even at Kanyakumari in December 1892, Swamiji himself performed Kumari Puja and worshipped the little daughter of Sri Manmatha Bhattacharya. In August 1898, Swamiji worshipped a Muslim boatman's four-year-old daughter as Uma, the Divine Mother, during his visit to Kashmir along with some of his Western disciples. The Kumari Puja conducted at Belur Math has become a special attraction to the thousands and thousands that pour in the Math premises year after year to participate in the Durga Puja celebrations, to pray to the Divine Mother and to fill their lives with the Mother's Grace. Every year, lakhs of people come to the Math to witness the worship of Mother Durga and also the Kumari Puja on Ashtami morning. "Khichuri prasada" is distributed to all.

On Navami night, Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda) sang in the worship pandal a few songs to the Divine Mother - the songs which Sri Ramakrishna loved and himself sang on such occasions. One day, there was an open-air drama performance (yatra) named Nala Damayanti. The drummers and the flute players played sweet music at intervals. On Vijaya Dashami, the image of Mother Durga was immersed in the Ganga. At the time of immersion Swami Brahmananda danced like a boy; Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda) and Swami Premananda watched from upstairs. At the end of the Puja, Swamiji gave Rs 25 as dakshina to the tantradharaka through the Holy Mother. The Holy Mother was highly pleased with the way the Puja was conducted and remarked: "Mother Durga will come here every year." She returned to her Calcutta residence after blessing the monks and Brahmacharins. Swamiji's joy knew no bounds. On November 12, 1901, he wrote to Nivedita: "Since the Durga Puja, I have been very ill and so could not reply to your letter earlier. We had a grand Puja here of Durga, lasting nearly four days, but alas I was down with fever all the time. We had a grand image and huge Puja it was." On the same day, he wrote also to Sister Christine: "We brought a clay image of Mother with ten hands, standing with one foot on a lion, the other on a demon. Her two daughters - the goddess of wealth and the goddess of learning and music - on either side on lotuses, beneath her two sons - the god of war and the god of wisdom... Thousands of people were entertained."

A number of orthodox Brahmins and pundits of the nearby Bally, Belur, Uttarpara and Dakshineswar were invited and they all enthusiastically participated in the celebrations. One of the main items in this celebration was the feeding of the poor. The devotees had prasada in the north-western portion of the courtyard, in the space between the existing jackfruit tree and Sri Ramakrishna's new temple. Everyone without any discrimination was warmly welcomed and entertained by the monks. The atmosphere of joy could be palpably felt at Belur Math during the Puja days.

However, from 1902 to 1911 the worship of Mother Durga was conducted not in an image but in a consecrated pitcher (ghata). A devotee promised to pay the expenses for the Mother's image, and hence from 1912 onwards the Mother's worship in image was resumed. The tradition devotedly continues today.