‘Ode to Durga Puja’ in Urdu, by the poet Nazeer Akbarabadi

Durga Puja remains one of the grandest cultural and religious festivals of India, an event that transforms Bengal into a canvas of devotion, artistry and festivity, while echoing across the nation and the diaspora.

A little more than two centuries ago, a remarkable Urdu poet — Nazeer Akbarabadi (1735–1830) — immortalised the grandeur of the festival in verse. Known as the ‘poet of the masses’, Akbarabadi captured the spectacle of Durga Puja in his long poem ‘Durga Jee ke Darshan’, revealing not only the devotional essence of the ritual but also its social and inclusive character.

In today’s climate, when festivals are often narrowed by identity politics, revisiting Akbarabadi’s verses reminds us that these celebrations are, at their heart, about shared joy, collective reverence and plural imagination.

A radiant image

[That beautiful image of the goddess, which everyone praises upon description]

Akbarabadi describes Durga seated under a lofty dome, her brilliance so radiant that even the moon feels ashamed:

[Her body shines in such a way, that the moon is shamed to see her.]

This image resonates with the way artisans even today sculpt Durga idols with thei astonishing craftsmanship. From the traditional ekchala idols [all characters clustered into one frame] of Kumartuli, the Kolkata potters’ colony, to the more avant-garde installations inspired by global issues —climate change, women’s empowerment, refugee crises — Durga Puja embodies both spiritual grandeur and artistic reinvention.

UNESCO’s 2021 recognition of Kolkata’s Durga Puja as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ affirmed this fusion of devotion and creativity, while also acknowledging its inclusive character — a theme Akbarabadi highlighted centuries ago.

The magnetic pull of devotion to an universal icon

[Whoever hears of the goddess’ grace, rushes from distant lands]

The poet evokes the magnetic pull of the festival:

[Just by looking at the idol’s face, body and mind bow with reverence.]

This captures what millions feel when they enter a pandal — an overwhelming mix of awe and humility. Pilgrims, artists and tourists alike travel from afar, drawn by the spectacle of lights, music, rituals and food.

Durga Puja is both worship and carnival. Religious rituals coexist with theatre, music, and culinary delights. Akbarabadi’s description of people arriving from distant lands echoes today’s throngs, where global travellers mingle with local devotees in a shared celebration.

[Every scholar is at her refuge, every meditative sage at her service]

Akbarabadi then goes on to portray Durga as a universal source of protection:

[Those who are servants of the idol, she takes care of their work]

This vision transcends caste, creed, and sect. It echoes the Devi Mahatmya, where Durga is hailed as mother of all.

In contemporary Bengal, this inclusivity thrives. Muslim artisans sculpt the goddess’s image, Christian and Parsi families donate to puja committees, and diverse communities participate. The festival becomes less about religious boundaries and more about collective belonging.

[On all four sides of the temple, there is a gathering of joy]

Akbarabadi describes a temple scene where men and women gather in droves:

[Wherever you raise your eyes, there is a gathering of men and women.]

This resembles today’s pandal-hopping in Bengal, where families and friends roam from one pavilion to another, day and night, soaking in art, food and festivity.

Sociologists note this public congregation is why Durga Puja is central to Bengali identity. It thrives in shared spaces, merging the sacred with the celebratory.

The marketplace of festival joys

[Some sit happily, their hearts given to joy and pleasure]

The poet captures not just worship but the everyday joys: people resting, joking, eating or strolling amidst gardens:

[The gardens that stretch up to the temple are filled with people.]

This imagery lives on in today’s Kolkata food stalls and bazaars. From phuchkas to biryani, Bengali sweets to fusion delicacies, food becomes a cultural bridge, much as Akbarabadi described the fair-like atmosphere where sorrows are forgotten and hearts brim with delight.

[The things sold in fairs, all sparkle in that place]

Akbarabadi ends with the vibrant fair:

[Clothes embroidered with gold shine beautifully on the body.]

Here, he celebrates the economic and social life that festivals generate. Durga Puja today contributes thousands of crores annually to Bengal’s economy — boosting industries from idol-making to fashion, food, tourism and entertainment.

Durga in our shared cultural memory

By immortalising Durga Puja in Urdu verse, Akbarabadi showed how India’s festivals were never confined to one community, but became part of a shared cultural legacy.

His lines — written in the 18th century — still resonate, reminding us that faith and festivity are best understood not through rigid boundaries, but through the joy they inspire.

In his repeated refrain:

[Many hearts are pleased, this tradition is created by Harsan.
What all praise should I say now of the darshan of Durga-ji]

... and so Akbarabadi sums up the ineffable charm of Durga Puja — a tradition that pleases countless hearts, a celebration that binds the spiritual with the social.

And so Durga Puja stands even now as a fusion of ritual and art, devotion and carnival, economy and identity. And at its core, it remains what Akbarabadi saw more than two centuries ago: an event where the goddess’ grace becomes the heart of collective joy.

As Bengal prepares each autumn ahead to welcome the goddess, may the words of the poet from Agra remind us that beyond rituals and spectacles, Durga Puja is about shared wonder — a celebration that, in Akbarabadi’s words, leaves us speechless: What praise should I speak now after the darshan of Durga-ji?

The original Urdu poem in Hindi / Devanagari script below:

दुर्गा जी के दर्शन

मन बास न कहिये क्यों कर जी है काशी नगरी बरसन की।
है तीरथ ज्ञानी ध्यानी का हर पंडित और धुन सरसन की॥
जो बसने हारे दूर के हैं यह भूमि है उन मन तरसन की।
उस देवी देवनी नटखट के है चाह चरन के परसन की॥
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

उस मंडल ऊंचे गुम्मट में जो देवी आप विराजत हैं।
तन अवरन ऐसे झलकत हैं जो देख चन्द्रमा लाजत है॥
धुन पूजन घंटन की ऐसी नित नौबत मानों बाजत हैं।
उस सुन्दर मूरत देवी का जो बरनन हो सब छाजत हैं॥
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

जो मेहेर सुने उस देवी की, वह दूर दिसा से धावत है।
जो ध्यान लगाकर आवत है, सब वा की आस पुजावत है।
जब किरपा वा की होवत है, सब वा के दरसन पावत है।
मुख देखत ही वा मूरति का, तन मन से सीसस नवावत है।
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

जो नेमी हैं वा मूरति के, वह उनकी बात सुधारिन है।
सुख चैन जो बातें मांगत हैं, वह उनकी चिन्ता हारिन हैं।
हर ज्ञानी वा की सरनन है, हर ध्यानी साधु उधारिन हैं।
जो सेवक हैं वा मूरति के, वह उनके काज संवारिन है।
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

जब होली पाछे उस जगह, दिन आकर मंगल होता है।
हर चार तरफ़ उस देवल में, अंबोह समंगल होता है।
टुक देखो जिधर भी आंख उठा, नर नारी का दल होता है।
हर मन में मंगल होता है, आनन्द बिरछ फल होता है।
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

जो बाग़ लगे हैं मन्दिर तक, वह लोगों से सब भरते हैं।
वह चुहलें होती हैं जितनी, सब मन के रंज बिसरते हैं।
कुछ बैठे हैं ख़ुश वक्ती से, दिल ऐशो तरब पर धरते हैं।
कुछ देख बहारे खूवां की, साथ उनके सैरें करते हैं।
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

जो चीजे़ं मेलों बिकती हैं, सब उस जा आन झमकती हैं।
पोशाकें जिनकी ज़र्री हैं, वह तन पर खूब झलकती हैं।
महबूबों से भी हुस्नों की, हर आन निगाहें तकती हैं।
लूं नाम ‘नज़ीर’ अब किस-किस का, जो खूबियां आन झमकती हैं।
परसंद बहुत मन होते हैं यह रीत रची है *हरसन की।
तारीफ़ कहूं मैं क्या क्या कुछ, अब दुर्गा जी के दरसन की॥

~नज़ीर अकबराबादी (1735–1830)

*हरसन एक भारतीय मूल का हिन्दू लड़का का नाम है जिसका हिंदी में अर्थ "हीरा; परमेश्वर" होता है।

Hasnain Naqvi is a former member of the history faculty at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai