Autumn: The Chosen Time for Divine Worship in Bengal’s Tradition (October - November)
Autumn as the Beginning of the Sacred Year
In the early Vedic era, the year was believed to begin with autumn. A full year was counted from one autumn to the next, making this season the gateway to renewal. The Vajasaneyi Samhita refers to this period through the words Isa (the month of Ashwin) and Urja (the month of Kartik), showing that these two months together formed the season of autumn in the Vedic worldview.
The scriptures describe this season as the ideal time to honour the divine. A well-known Vedic line says, “Saradena rtuna devah”—the gods are worshipped best in the season of autumn. This traditional understanding forms the foundation of Bengal’s deep connection between autumn and devotion.
The Sacred Timing of Autumn Worship
Bengal’s most prominent worship rituals—Durga, Lakshmi, Kali, Jagaddhatri, and Kartik—are all centred around this season. Scholars have long maintained that Durga Puja should fall not before the 6th of Ashwin and not after the 6th of Kartik. This period is considered complete autumn, the appropriate time to worship the majestic Mother Uma according to ancient customs.
Nature’s Renewal After the Rains
After the monsoon withdraws, autumn emerges refreshed. The sky clears, the rains subsides, and a calm settles over the land. Rivers grow gentle again. Roads dry up, and the fear of floods diminishes. The heat of summer has faded, and winter has not yet arrived. The weather becomes balanced, serene, and inviting.
Fields are heavy with ripening crops. Prosperity rises with the sale of jute retted during the month of Bhadra. With food secured and livelihoods stable, people feel mentally prepared for celebration, gratitude, and spiritual observances.
Why Autumn Becomes the Season of the Divine
When nature is calm, crops are abundant, and life feels secure, the mind turns naturally toward worship and celebration. This harmony between human life, nature, and spiritual aspiration is why autumn has long been honoured as the most suitable season for the worship of deities in Bengal.
From Vedic times to the present, autumn continues to be the sacred backdrop against which Bengal celebrates its grandest festivals, welcoming the gods into a world renewed, peaceful, and grateful.