Navarathri or Dussehra begins in a couple of days, right after the new moon or Amavasya night. So, go ahead and select from our free Durga Puja cards and send them to your friends and family on this auspicious occasion. Send as many durga puja ecards as you want, to as many loved ones as you want. They will still cost you nothing.
Our selection of free Durga Puja ecards includes colorfully animated cards with music, poetry and drum beats that will transport you magically to your hometown or childhood memories when you celebrated these festivals with family. Even if you’re not spending the holidays with your family and friends, these free ecards capture the essence of the celebrations and help convey your heartfelt wishes across the globe.
If you prefer a more personalized way of greeting your family, then head to our Photo eCards section. Simply upload a picture of you, your family or any symbol that represents Durga Puja for you, add your personal message and send it. What better way to let your family know that you’re thinking of them? Ecards are great for sending your children or younger siblings your best wishes and also for seeking the blessings of elders – both of which are essential components of Durga Puja and Navarathri.
Here’s wishing you and your family a beautiful Navarathri season and a happy Durga Puja.
We have recently written about couple of Indian Festivals that are coming up. They seem to be kicking off the whole holiday season Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So some of you have asked when is Durga Puja. This year Durga Puja is early generally it is in October. However, this year the traditional first day Sptami is on 26th September 2009 and Vijaya is on 29th.
So we have a added a few new durga puja ecards hope you enjoy it and go out and enjoy the celebrations.
Today I was out doing a couple of errands at the OSH and Walgreens. And the first thing I saw was the Halloween decorations! Halloween, it is not even Labor Day. But that means they have been working on it since April and here I was thinking we are ahead of the pack working on Halloween Ecards and Printable Halloween Cards. But obviously they had us beat.
So what are we working on at this time? October is the start of busy season for us. It gets kicked off by the Indian festival of Diwali and obvously culminates with Christmas. And then there are some smaller festivals that require attention in between like Thanksgiving and Durga Puja in India.
So at this time we are working on Durga Puja Ecards, Diwali Ecards and Halloween before we make the big push to Christmas.
In just a couple of weeks begins Navarathri – India’s famous and much awaited annual festival. Thanks to India’s diverse culture, it is celebrated in different ways across the country, traditions and customs varying from region to region. However, the underlying commonality of this festival is its essence – the celebration and worship of Mother Goddess.
Shakti – the Goddess of Cosmic Power
In Hinduism, God is thought to comprise of two halves – the masculine and feminine aspects. The masculine aspect is represented by deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Rama. The Goddess, who represents Shakti or cosmic power takes on various forms such as Lakshmi(Goddess of wealth), Saraswathi(Goddess of knowledge), Durga(representing fierce courage and strength), Kali(representing wrath – aimed at those who cause harm to her worshippers) and Sita(representing purity and virtue). Navarathri is a festival that celebrates all these divine manifestations of the Goddess.
Different parts of India celebrate this occasion in different ways. Prominent among the celebrations are the Durga Puja festivities of West Bengal and the Navarathri Bommagolu custom of southern India.
Durga Puja
In Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga is believed to be the warrior Goddess. She rides her Vahana(vehicle)- the lion and destroys evil whenever it raises its head. It is in this way – mounted on her lion and with weapons in her hands – that she destroyed Mahisasura – the demon who had acquired the power of invincibility. The eighteen armed Durga was the only one who could match and overpower him, which is why she is also referred to as Mahisasura Mardhini( Destroyer of Mahisasur)
References to Durga are found in Vedic texts and in the Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Besides being revered for her ferocious, warrior-like qualities, Goddess Durga is also known as the benevolent and kind Goddess, who protects her devotees from harm. This is the reason why Durga Puja has such a prominent place in Navarathri.
As many other Hindu festivals, Durga Puja is marked by the preparation of various kinds of sweet dishes for offering to the Goddess, people wearing their finest, offering elaborate prayers to Durga Mata, exchanging sweets and gifts and carrying a statue of Durga on a procession through the city, with devotees chanting, singing her praises and dancing to drum beats and music.
The very first time you witness West Bengal’s Durga Puja, expect to be blown away by the extravaganza that includes lights, arrangements, decorations, sounds and music.
Of course, underneath the dazzle of it all, lies the simple truth – which is the only thing that matters. Durga Puja, like almost all other festivals of India, serves as a reminder to people that truth, righteousness, virtue and benevolence ought to be the real pursuits in life. Everything else is fleeting.
Which is why, even if you are far away from your family and can’t celebrate Durga Puja with them, you can still greet them with free Durga Puja Ecards. You may not be able to partake in the celebrations, or splurge on expensive gifts. But, you’re sending your friends and family heartfelt best wishes and hoping that the Mother Goddess showers her blessings on them. What more could anyone really ask for? I think if you looked hard enough, you might even catch Goddess Durga nodding and smiling in approval of your choice.
It’s October again it must be time for Durga Puja. It’s that time of the year again when we all take a break from the daily rigors and enjoy the fun and festivities. We dance to the drums, visit the best pandals (elaborate and beautiful tents) in our best attire and thank “Ma Durga” for our good fortune .
But it is also a time to let your closed ones know you really care for them by sending them an ecard. So don’t procrastinate and send a Durga puja ecard today! All our cards are animated and thus capture the essence of the “dhak” (drums) and the “dhunuchi” (ceramic vessel). While you are at it send them Halloween eCards too.
Editors Note: Durga Puja is the most important festival in West Bengal, India. Like most other mythological tales it celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is generally celebrated over 5 days in October and most of Eastern India comes to a standstill during the celebration.
Have you sent out Durga Puja ecards or your Navratri eCards to your loved ones? If not, there’s still time.
