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Is Kola Bou really Ganesha’s wife? Why is Mahishasura worshipped alongside Durga? And what happens during Prana Pratishtha?
We have grown up watching Durga Puja—from Bodhon and Pushpanjali to Sandhi Puja and Visarjan. But how often do we stop to ask what these rituals mean?
In this episode of The Pathbreakers, Aloka Banerjee Syam speaks with Dr Nandini Bhowmik, Sanskrit scholar, Indologist and co-founder of Shubhamastu, a collective of women priests.
Drawing on her study and practice, Nandini explains:
• Ghatasthapana and her interpretation of the water-filled vessel
• Bodhon, Amantran and Adhivas
• The nine plants of Nabapatrika and the identity of Kola Bou
• Chakshudaan and Prana Pratishtha
• Sandhi Puja, its 48-minute duration and the significance of 108
• Homa and Bali as expressions of offering and surrender
• Mahasnan and the use of a mirror
• Darpan Visarjan and the lesson of letting go
• Shubhamastu’s inclusive approach to Sindoor Khela
She also shares her experience of challenging barriers to women’s priesthood, why understanding Sanskrit matters, and how Tagore’s words became part of Shubhamastu’s prayers.
A conversation about devotion, understanding, inclusion—and the courage to ask why.
Which explanation changed the way you see Durga Puja? Tell us in the comments.
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