First Durga Puja at Belur Math-II

Continued from the previous part (Swamiji's strange vision)

Swami Vivekananda's performance of the Puja at Belur Math

Swamiji was an Advaitin. Why did he arrange the Durga Puja at the Math? Swami Adbhutananda [Latu Maharaj], his brother disciple, once said,

Vivekanandabhai (Swami Vivekananda), who did not accept gods and goddesses, brought the image of Mother Durga and worshipped Her before leaving his mortal frame. Such is the play of the Lord. Is image-worship absurd? No. There is some truth behind it. A sadhaka can progress in his spiritual life through this path as well. Understanding this, Vivekanandabhai (Swami Vivekananda) worshipped the image of Mother Durga.

The image was brought from Kumartuly a day or two before Sasthi (18 October). Swami Abhayananda [Bharat Maharaj] gave this information about the first Durga Puja for (Mother Durga) 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 came and stayed at the Nilambar Babu's garden-house, which was rented for one month. "Everyday 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.13 The relevant dates of this first Durga Puja were as follows: Sasthi: Friday, 18 October 1901 (1 Kartika, 1308 B.S.); Saptami: Saturday, 19 October (2 Kartika); Astami: Sunday, 20 October (3 Kartika); Navami: Monday, 21 October (4 Kartika), and Vijaya Dasami: Tuesday, 22 October (5 Kartika).14

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 Sasthi, the rites connected with Adhivasa, Bodhana and Amantrana were performed under the Vilva 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 Saptami, 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 Puspanjali three times. The Sandhi Puja began at 6.17 A.M. and ended at 7.05 A.M. on 20 October.17

On Astami, 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 Daksina 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.

To be continued

About the author

Swami Vimalatmananda

Swami Vimalatmananda, a monk of the Ramakrishna order is one among the members of the governing body of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. In this article, which is an excerpt from 'The First Durga Puja at Belur Math', he discusses about Swami Vivekananda's worship of Mother Durga.