Royalty Free Stock Photography: The Kolabau ritual at the river Ganga

During dawn, Kola Bou rituals are performed. The Pran Prathishta, or life, is breathed into the idol of Goddess Durga. The ritual is performed on the Ghats of a river or pond. The idol of Goddess Durga is not taken to the pond instead life is symbolically transferred from water to plantain tree.The Kolabau ritual is an elaborate one and the stem of the banana tree is draped in a new red and white saree and the leaves are left uncovered. The ‘kolabau’ is brought back in a procession and it is placed near Lord Ganesha in the Durga Puja Pandal(marquee).