Shampa Sadhya wrote:

Durga puja has another aspect which speaks a volume. It's not only about communal harmony but if you have watched the latest Devdas then you must have observed that the idol of Goddess Durga cannot be made unless and until a little clay is collected from the area of the prostitutes. Though this practice has not changed the mindset of the people, we collectively reject the prostitutes without listening to their side of the story. Still, the clay has to be begged and is to be received from the hands of the prostitutes and then only the idol maker can make the Durga idol for Durga Puja by using that clay with the rest of the clay. This shows Goddess Durga puts everyone on a same level. One like it or not but one has to collect clay from that area to make the idol and rest of us pray to the idols without any hesitation.

i have also heard from my close friends all these but i use to thing that they are just talking all rubbish but after you comment on this thread i checked on net and its true but i cannot understand why it is done. The idol maker can take the clay from a brahmin's wife and make their idol 

This is a new revelation pertaining to Idol making of Durga. That a portion of the clay from the area where prostitutes live is altogether new thing for me. This further establishes the fact that in Durga goddess view all are same

What an egalitarian view behind Durga Puja !

In the first place why is the mud considered to be impure in the areas where prostitutes live? Or is it to indirectly sanction the visit to prostitutes by males ? 

It is the belief in general that prostitution is an immoral act. Hence the place, the dwelling and the surroundings including the clay is  considered as impure.You may not be having this belief. But majority believe. Whether it is a sanction to visit prostitution areas or not, it is left to your imagination.

Agreed. But why are the one's who visit these areas not considered impure ?

Because this is a male dominated society and anything the men do are considered a mark of their manliness or whatever stokes their ego! The from these ladies' doors is to be begged for, is probably to remind all that everyone is made equally??/

During Durga Puja there is no such restriction on eating non-veg items. Lots and lots of eateries are set up near pandals and people eat according to their choice veg or non-veg. Those who keep fast during Durga Puja they do not eat non-veg and certainly Maa Durga is not offered any non-veg food item. Interestingly, during Durg Puja the younger generation just wants to gorge on the variety of non-veg dishes. So, in no way Bengal will go through such meat ban phase.

@bhuyali saroj Though I don't want to hurt anyone's sentiment, I want to ask you, why did you raise this Brahmin factor? I have no clue why the artisans take clay from the doorstep of the sex workers but by saying that the artisans should take clay from the hands of Brahmin lady is ridiculous. I have two questions:

1. Are the ladies from Brahmin family never get forced into prostitution?

2. Do you want to say that no Brahmin men visit brothels?

I would request you not to bring in caste into discussion and put people of a particular caste at a superior position. It all depends upon morality. Next is we should demean them who go to brothels and not them who are into that business. In maximum cases the ladies have a sad story to narrate and so we have no right to degrade them if we cannot help to uplift them.  

Yes indeed it is a male dominated world. Perhaps someone can throw light why mud has to be begged from prostitute living areas. Somewhere I fear there is a 'prayaschit" principle involved so that one can start afresh in the new year.

chinmoymukherjee wrote:Well,what I can say about this festival is that over the years it has grown unethically big on extravaganzas and the divine spirit is missing these day.About our religion,worshipping Durga as our mother "Matri rupeno sangsthita" has a hypocritical and contradictory aspect.After killing thousands female foetuses,subjecting them to rape and violence,we don't flinch to deify them!!

That, is the sum total of typical Indian hypocrisy! Worship them, pray to them and then rape and kill them!