Durgotosav Quiz 1997

The Asian Age: September-October1997
(Click on the questions to know the answer)

Questions.

               19th September 1997

  1. From this year ( 1987 )West Bengal Vaidic Academy has introduced an unique thing related to Durgotsav. What is that?
    It has started a training camp for the priest at Shova bazaar Rajbari to make them capable of flawless chanting of the mantras during the puja.

  2. On February 16th 1926 an inmate of Mandalaya jain in Burma wrote a long letter to British Chief secretary demanding financial & organizational help to organize Durga puja in jail. Who was this inmate?
    He was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

  3. The goat sacrifice in Chakravary’s family puja ( Langalberia – South 24 pargana ) was stopped 45 years ago. What is now sacrificed instead ?
    A model of goat made of milk & butter.

  4. M N Roy the father of Communism in India was a regular visitor of which famous family puja of south Bengal ?
    It is the family puja of Ghosh bari in Harinavi.

  5. What special customs is followed by the family members of Chatterjee Bari in Sonarpur on the day of Vijaya Dashami ?
    They observe this day as a day of mourning & eat nothing other than water & fruits.

  6. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee attended the family puja of Roy Chowdhury of Baruipur from 1864 to 1867 & from here he got the inspiration to write one of his classic novel.What was that ?
    Durgeshnandini

  7. The Roy chowdhury family of Shibpur in Howrah never had a good relation with British Govt.To express their apathy they adopted an unique way of insulting them at their Durgotsav. What was it?
    Every year they used to sacrifice a white goat in front of the mob.The white goat was considered as English man.

  8. Two small villages in Midnapore districts named Baliharpur & Radhakrishnapur have had a special image of Durga for last 200 years .What is so special about the image ?
    In these two villages we find the image of Durga with 18 hands instead of 10.

    9. 20th September 1997


  9. In Sri Sri Chandi Durga is called Jayanti.What is the meaning of the word ?
    Victorious or non-vanquished.

  10. According to Hindu puran Durga has eight names which are altogether called “Ashtanayika”.There is another name by which eight names are referred. Name that.
    Ashtajogini

  11. Every year the hindu panjika forecasts the mode of transportation for Devi’s arrival & departure.In this practice which day of arrival & departure are considered most evil indicators ( Ashubha ingeet ) ?
    If the arrival is on Tuesday & departure is on Friday.

  12. Why Durga is called Bramhadayini ?
    Bramha means wisdom.According to Hindu mythology Durga gave wisdom to other Gods.

  13. Ramchandra worshipped Durga in the month of Ashwin but who worshipped Durga in the month of Chaitra ?
    None other than Ravana

  14. In Dwapar era why did all Gope girls worship Durga in the month of Agrayan ?
    To get Lord Krishna as their husband.

    15. 24th September 1997


  15. Which European country has featured Durga on it’s postage stamp.
    Former East Germany

  16. The Durga temple in Amritsar has many similarities with another famous temple of India. Name the temple.
    Swarna mandir (the golden temple) of Amritsar.

  17. .In which country can we find a Durga temple called Devi Gurjari mandir ?
    Nepal

  18. In 1991 Hindus all over the Bangladesh did not worship the image of Durga during the puja – why ?
    To mark a protest against the Bangladesh Govt for it’s poor role in controlling communal riot in 1990.Instead of image only the kalas (ghat) was worshipped everywhere.

  19. In the family puja of Saborno Chowdhury of Barisha is the oldest puja in Calcutta then which is the 2nd oldest family puja in Calcutta as per the available records ?
    Family puja of Mitras in Chorabagan – this puja is nearly 350 years old.

  20. Name the dewan ( minister ) of Nawab Siraj-ud-walla who started Durga puja in Chakraberia in 1757 ?
    Ram Gobindra Mitra.

  21. In Mahabharat Arjun offered his prayers to Durga.What is the name of that part ?
    Bhimparba

  22. In what name Durga is worshipped in Tamilnadu ?
    Minakshi Devi

  23. For how many days did the war between Dura & Mahishashur last ?
    10 days

  24. What is the mythological name of that form of Durga which we find in every puja pandal ?
    Chamundeshwari

  25. What is the official name of the banana tree ( also known as Kala bou ) which is worshipped during Durga puja?
    Nabapatrika – it is a form of Devi Durga as the Goddess of agriculture & it has no relation to as Ganesh’s wife.

  26. In Naba Durga devi is also called Skanda mata.What is the reason behind this ?
    Kartik is also known as Skanda Kumar.Durga the mother of Kartik thus called Skandamata.

    27. 25h September 1997


  27. A strict rule is followed by the members of Dutta family in Ghoshpara during the puja.What is that ?
    As soon as the idol is placed on the thrown no one but only the priest has the right to touch it.

  28. 134 years old puja in Dutta family of Thanthania is performed in a very unusual manner.What is that ?
    The puja is performed by Vaishnav ritual.

  29. Generally image making in family puja starts on Ratha yatra day but 197 years old puja in Kar family of Bashirhaat starts on a very odd day.Name that odd day .
    The Janmashtami day

  30. While touring Kashmir with sister Nivedita Swami Vivekananda worshipped a female child as Devi Durga.What was so special about this child ?
    She was a daughter of a muslim boatman.

  31. Name two famous books written by Raghunandan in 15th century from where we know many facts about Durga puja ?
    “Durgotsav tatta” & “Durgapuja tatta”.

  32. Commercial Advertisment is now an indispensable part of any community puja.Biddone Street Sarbojonin is the first community puja in Calcutta that collected advertisement from business house in 1942.What was the amount collected ?
    Re 1 only !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    33. 26th September 1997


  33. Name the first Bengali book written by Kali Prasnna Singha where we find vivid details of Bengali community Durgotsav ?
    Hutum Pachar Naksha.

  34. This year ( 1997) a central Calcutta puja committee will present the image of Durga as Bharat Mata illustrated by one of greatest painter of Oriental school. Name him.
    None other than legendary Nandalal Bose

  35. In Bengal there are 2 common form in which Durga idols are made.One is normal eyes with pink skin & other is big eyes with yellow skin.They belong to two different school of arts.What are the schools ?
    Idol with norma eyes are made by artist from east Bengal ( Bangladesh ) while idol with big eyes are made by artists from West Bengal.

  36. In 1943 most community pujas were not held in Calcutta- what was the reason behind ?
    In that year Japan dropped bombed Calcutta & it created such a panic that half of the city’s population left Calcutta just before puja.

  37. The clay that is used to make Durga images at Kumartuli ( where most of the studios are situated ) are brought from which town ?
    Uluberia toen of Howrah districts.

  38. Kangshanarayan the king of Taherpur did something epoch making thing in Bengal’s Durga puja culture.What he did ?
    He first started worshipping Laxmi,Saraswati, Ganesh & Kartik along with Durga.Earlier only Devi Durga alone was worshipped in Bengal.

  39. What is Chalia Baria puja ?
    It is a special Durga puja performed by Rajbanshi’s in north Bengal where the pig & bird meats are required in Puja.

  40. What is so special about the image worshipped by Madhya Kolkata h Bayam samity ?
    Here Durga is worshipped with Ram,Laxman,Bhuvishan,Sugrib & Hanuman..This puja is called Akal Bodhan which was started 66 years ago. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose once inaugurated this puja.

  41. In Kharia Satghara near Konnagar a kali temple attracts crowds in Durga puja . Do you know why ?
    Here the idol of Kali is worshipped as Durga for 5 days ! The idol was brought from Benaras in 17th century by members of Mal family.

    42. 1st October 1997


  42. When Raja Rammohan Roy was young he went to see the family puja of Ramkrishna Roy in Radhanagar. What extra ordinary event took place there ?
    Young Rammohan refused to touch the feet of the idol saying a clay doll can never be his mother.

  43. Nowadays a Bengali puja literary supplement is priced nearly Rs 100. What was the price of “Parvani” the first Bengali supplement published in 1918 ?
    Just Rs 1.5.It had 166 pages & Nandala Bose illustrated it’s cover.

  44. Who was the first footballer to be featured in at a Durga puja illumination design ?
    Shyam Thapa. His famous by-cycle back volley goal against East Bengal in `1978 was one of the common illumination in that year’s puja.

  45. What is common to the Pala school of art ( Bengal ) & Lolitagiri school of art ( Orissa ) in context of Durga puja ?
    In both the school of sculptors Durga is referred as Tara.

  46. If Hoogly is the river where idols are immersed in Calcutta what is the name of the river where it is done in Dhaka ?
    Buri Ganga.

  47. Few years ago a East Calcutta Durga puja committee made their pandal as a copy of royal palace of Agartala ( Tripura ).The pandal was so attractive that many members of the royal family were airdashed to Calcutta to see it.Name the committee.
    Beleghata Sharir Sanghatan Samity

  48. What is so special about the family idol of Duttas in central Calcutta ?
    Devi is called Abhaya ( he fearless) is this family & she is ensconced on the lap of lord Shiva.

  49. There are two very odd things about the family pujaof Karmakars in Ghatal. What are they ?
    Firstly the entrance of the temple is on the north side which is an exception in Hindu temple .Secondly the animal sacrifice of the puja is not performed in front of the idol but at another temple where there is another idol made of Ashtadhatu with four hands.

    50. 2nd October 1997


  50. In South India Durga is often called Ambika but where she is called Amba ?
    In Kashmir

  51. In which stae of India one can find various Durga temples by the name Virja Devi,Vimala Devi & Devi Chamunda ?
    Orissa

  52. When Skandha Gupta was returning to his capital after vanquishing Mihirkul the Hoon invader a Chinese student presented him a Durga idol made in Budhist style.Name the University that the student belonged to.
    Nalanda

    53. 4th October 1997


  53. Officers of East India Company were always welcome in Sabarna Chowdhury’s Durga puja but once for few years they were not allowed to be present – why ?
    One of the employee of the Roy Chowdhury was once badly punished by Job Charnak. After this incident they stopped the entry of Brits in puja.

  54. Every year seven goats are sacrificed in the royal family’s puja in Panchchupi in Murshidabad.What are the criteria of selecting these sacrificial goats ?
    All the goats must be black in colour.

  55. Ramkrishna Roy a member of Roy family in Raspur made a revolutionary change in his family puja. What was the change?
    He stopped the cult of animal sacrifice in his family puja.

  56. Why sugarcane is also sacrificed in puja with other animal ?
    According to the Shakta theory Gods are fond of wine & sugarcane represents the wine of sura.

  57. As a substitute of animal sacrifice Dey Chowdhury family of Ranaghat offer something else to Durga.What is that ?
    They offer mustard oil 7 turmeric.

  58. This year ( 1997 ) puja organized by Uttarpara Bandhu Mahal is expected to draw a huge crowd.What is the reason & added attraction .
    They have named their Goddess Trinamul Bangeshwari & called the Ashur as Tarmujeshwar. This refers the rivalry between Mamata Banerjee & Somen Mitra. The face of the Ganesh will features Sitaram Kesri’s shadow & he will wear a Gandhi cap