Ral Durga Brata, also known as Raul Durga Puja, is observed on new moon and the full moon during the months of Agrahayan, Poush, Magh, and Falgun—four months—at noon in Bengal.
Once upon a time, Lakshmi and Narayan were sitting side by
side playing a game of dice. A mediator was needed for the game. A Brahmin who
served them daily was appointed as the mediator. The tension rose high. The
condition was that if Lakshmi lost, the Brahmin would be reduced to ashes; and
if Narayan lost, the Brahmin would become “kute atur”—that is, afflicted with
leprosy.
What could the Brahmin do? He felt blessed simply to be
engaged in the service of the gods.
In that game, Narayan was defeated! The Brahmin became
leprous and lay by the roadside. But the gods test everyone! The road where he
lay was the very path taken by the king’s daughter, Ichhamoti, to collect
flowers for Shiva-worship. The Brahmin, helpless, refused to move aside.
Eventually, the princess promised to marry him after her worship of Shiva, only
then did he move from the path. And so it happened.
At such a marriage, the king became furious and disowned his
daughter. Far away, the leprous Brahmin and the princess somehow survived in
hardship. Mother Lakshmi’s heart softened. Enough tests had been imposed. Why
should two devoted souls suffer so much?
Mother Lakshmi appeared before the Brahmin’s wife. She said,
“Perform the Ral Durga (or Raul Durga) vow.”
The vow of Ral Durga is somewhat difficult. It must be
observed from the new moon to the full moon during the months of Agrahayan,
Poush, Magh, and Falgun—four months—at noon.
On a banana leaf, one must offer as naibedya 17 grains of
sun-dried rice, 17 blades of durva grass, and on a copper plate offer
vermilion, sandal paste, odflowers (wildflowers), a garland of hibiscus, and a
pair of bananas.
On the Falgun full moon, Surya—the Sun God—appeared before
her! Ichhamoti was astonished; Durga is a motherly goddess, so why had the Sun
God appeared? Nevertheless, by the deity’s blessing her husband was restored to
his former healthy self. Blessed with wealth and children, the couple began to
live in peace and happiness.
Realizing his mistake, Ichhamoti’s father came and lovingly
brought his daughter and son-in-law back home. There, by performing the Ral
Durga vow, the childless king was blessed with a son. From then on, the worship
of Ral Durga spread across the mortal world.
Now the question arises: since Surya is male, why is he
referred to here as Ral Durga?
In many traditions, Surya is regarded as Dharma Deva—the god of righteousness, crops, life, and growth—or as Ral Deva, the male deity of prosperity. In Mymensingh and Sylhet, the word Raul (or Ral) means the Sun, and thus Dharma. Without the Sun, life, creation—nothing is possible. The same holds true for Mother Durga. From that time onward, imagining a benevolent, protective form akin to Mother Durga, the people of eastern Bengal began observing the Ral Durga vow and worshipping this deity. Here, Durga is regarded as the destroyer of all misfortune—even if she is not portrayed as the lion-riding goddess.