Culture
Durga Puja in Bengal
The goddess arrives, the neighbourhood builds a pandal, and Dashami lets her go.
When
From Shashthi to Dashami in Ashwin.
Region
Bengal
Durga Puja in Bengal belongs to the house and to the city. The pandal is art, the dhak and the dhunuchi are sound and smoke, and Dashami brings sindoor and immersion. The murti is shaped for months. This is shared labour, not only darshan.
A great Kolkata puja and a small lane puja are both true. Tell children the story from the opening of the eyes to the farewell. Abroad, immersion follows local law rather than a river. Keep the law, and keep the feeling.
This is a general introduction. Sequence, materials, and timing change with family, region, and shakha. Your priest and your own custom have the last word.