Durga means `` and Puja means, `worship`. Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus. This festival is also known as Vijaya Dashmi or Dussehra.

The actual period of the worship however may be over the preceding nine days Navaratri or five days.

The worship of Durga in the autumn is the years most major festival in Bengal, Orissa, Tripura and other parts of East India. The festival is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Ashwin. It may also be held in the month of Kartik.

Ramayan says that god Ram invokes the goddess Durga in his battle against Ravan. Although she was traditionally worshipped in the spring, due to contingencies of battle, Ram had to invoke her in the autumn.

Durga Puja`s are held over a five-day period, which is traditionally viewed as the coming of the married daughter, Durga, to her father, Himalayas home. In Bengal, this is the most important festival, and all the Bengalis celebrate this festival by wearing new clothes and buying gifts, which are worn on the evenings when the family goes out to see the Pandals (means temporary structures set up to venerate the goddess Durga). Although it is a Hindu festival, many religious groups participate in the ritual.

In all over India, thousands of pandals are set up, all clamouring for the admiration and praise of the populace. Durga Puja serves as a community gathering and a connection to roots for the widespread Bengali diaspora all over the world.