Durga Balidan

On the ninth day of Navratri, a grand puja of Maa Durga takes place, after the puja rituals and Havan (sacrifice fire ritual) are performed. Even today, in some communities of Bihar and Bengal, Assam, many parts of India and Nepal, goat or buffalo is sacrificed as an offering to Maa Durga. People who perform Tantric worship offer animal sacrifices to Maa Durga as per the tradition of the old culture. Whereas those who do Satvik worship sacrifice coconuts to please Goddess Durga.

Sacrificial customs

All the deities, humans, demons, and sages have been worshiping Maa Durga. Because Maa Durga fulfills all the wishes, hence all the devotees of Maa Durga worship her in many ways to please her. Earlier, demons used to sacrifice men to please Goddess Durga. After this, the practice of animal sacrifice started, which even today in many communities, they sacrifice goat or buffalo as animal sacrifice to get the blessings of Goddess Durga. Animal sacrifice is also given in performing tantric worship.

Types and importance of sacrifice

There are many types of sacrifices. Like human sacrifice, animal sacrifice or sacrifice of the crops grown by us. All these activities are for attaining worldly happiness, prosperity and power. But the best sacrifice of all is the sacrifice of our evil thoughts, greed, anger, lust and jealousy. We should sacrifice these contaminated thoughts and desires so that our mind becomes pure, and we receive the full love and blessings of the Mata. In Sanatan Dharma, it is best for a person to purify his mind. Only a person with a pure mind can take society in the right direction and always live in happiness. Shri Hari is attained only with a pure mind.