On the auspicious day of Durga Puja Dashami, the ritual of Baron Dala is performed for the ten-armed Goddess and her children in Bengal. In this last opportunity to be close to the Mother, the hearts of devotees overflow with emotion. It feels as though the daughter of the house is returning to her husband’s home—so she must be lovingly and respectfully sent off. This tradition, passed down through Bengali households for generations, renews the threads of affection and devotion every year.
There are certain rules and customs for performing Boron,
all meant to invoke blessings for the household’s well-being. After bathing and
wearing clean clothes, with alta (red dye) and sindoor (vermilion) adorning the
hands, the ritual begins. The Baran dala (ritual tray) must be prepared in
advance. According to custom, it should contain sindoor, betel leaves, areca
nuts, betel rolls, sweets, a one-rupee coin (or a full 16-anna coin), and water.
Many also include incense sticks and a lamp. Care must be taken so that
clothing or hair does not touch the idol accidentally.
The ritual begins by applying sindoor to the Goddess’s parting
of the hair and on the conch bangles of her left hand. Next, using two clean betel
leaves, her face is gently wiped—symbolically wiping away all her weariness,
even as tears glisten in the eyes of devotees. Then, as a mark of reverence,
grains of paddy and grass (darbha) are placed at her feet. Seeing her as a
daughter, some also touch these to their own heads.
Then comes the turn for offering sweets and water. The betel
roll prepared beforehand is placed in the Mother’s hand. Not only Goddess Durga
but also all the other deities and their mounts (vahans) are honored in the
same way. When this ceremony concludes, the long-awaited Sindoor Khela
(vermillion play) begins—filling the air with joy and the color red, a symbol
of love and celebration.
According to custom, three days after the Boran, the betel leaves from the ritual tray must be floated in water, and the tray itself should be washed and stored away—ready for the next year’s Puja, when the cycle of devotion begins anew.
When is Devi Boron Performed?
Experts state that the ritual of Devi Baron is meant to be performed only after the Dashami tithi (lunar day) is over. It cannot be performed while the tithi is still in effect.
There is no fixed or predetermined auspicious time for the Baron, but it can be performed at any time after the tithi has passed.
Astrologers say that the Boron can be performed at any time after the Dashami tithi is over. There is no specific auspicious moment (shubhokhon); the only rule is not to perform the Baron while the tithi is still active.