A New Light On Durgotsava

Summary

A New Light On Durgotsava analyses a 16th-century Sanskrit manuscript, Durgotsava-paddhati, attributed to Udaya Simha, a prince of Gorakhpur. Preserved in the Indian Museum as the sole known copy, the text predates later manuals on the worship of Goddess Durga. The article discusses the author’s identity—known also as Rupanarayana in another work—and situates him among regional rulers who composed Dharmaśāstra texts. It then summarises the paddhati’s ritual prescriptions: constructing the temporary shrine, crafting the clay image of Durga with Mahishasura at her feet, performing purification rites, reciting hymns, and finally immersing the image. A distinctive feature is the Navapatri Pūjā, wherein nine plants representing autumn crops are tied together and worshipped alongside the deity, symbolising agricultural abundance. The text also justifies celebrating the festival during the inauspicious southern solstice by invoking the myth of Rama awakening Durga (Akāla-bodhana) before slaying Ravana. Udaya emphasises the martial origins of the festival yet recommends that all varnas—including Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and even outsiders—worship the goddess for different worldly and spiritual benefits. The article compares these instructions with those in later Bengali, Mithila and Assamese works, demonstrating that Udaya’s paddhati is an important antecedent and suggesting that Durgā Puja originated in north India. It also notes references to piercing a clay effigy of Mahishasura with a spear—an echo of earlier animal sacrifice—showing how symbolic substitutions emerged. By analysing this early text, the article sheds new light on the evolution and regional diversity of one of Hinduism’s most popular festivals."