Durga Puja celebrated in the month of Chaitra or during the spring season is known as Basanti Puja which is the actual Durga Pujo that was initiated prior to the more famous Akal Bodhon. The festival derives its name from Bosonto, which means spring season. A lesser-known fact for the people living outside West Bengal is that Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Bengal, is actually celebrated twice a year. Durga Puja began in ancient times and is now known as Basanti Puja. It is believed that Basanti Puja (Bosonto kalin durgotsob) is the actual Durga Puja. The Durga Puja, which is more famous is the Akal Bodhan. It takes place during the autumn season. Akal Bodhan was initiated by Lord Rama much later. Since the Basanti Puja takes place during the spring season (known as Bosonto kaal in Bengali), it is known as Basanti Puja. Chaitra Durga Puja is also famous, as the puja takes place during the Bengali month of Chaitra. Eventually, the Akal Bodhan became a more widespread festival than Basanti Puja, although the Mother Goddess, Durga, is worshipped in both festivals. The name Akal Bodhan was substituted by Durga Puja and the other one became popular as Basanti Puja. Where Durga Puja is celebrated in every nook and corner of West Bengal, and even outside Bengal and abroad too, Basanti Puja stays confined to some traditional puja committees and traditional households. Basanti Puja is more of a barir pujo than the sarvajanik pujo. The mention of Basanti Puja can be found in the Hindu Scriptures. It is believed that King Suratha, the ruler of the Vanga Kingdom (modern-day Bengal), was the first one to worship Maa Durga. The puja took place in the month of Chaitra. After that, the Basanti Puja began. Every year the puja took place in the month of Chaitra until Lord Rama broke the tradition. The Markandeya Purana says that King Suratha was a devotee of Devi Durga. He preached the Devi Mahatmya (Sri Sri Chandi) to the dharti niwasi (earth dwellers). King Suratha lost his kingdom. To re-explore his fate, he left his capital, Bolipur (present-day Bolpur). He met a businessman, Vaishya Samadhi, who had a similar situation to Suratha. They met Sumedhas Muni, who advised them to worship Devi Durga, after listening to their misfortunes. Only the blessings of the Devi could help them regain their fortune. In the ashram of Sumedhas Muni, situated in the Garh Jungle of West Bengal, King Suratha and Vaishya Samadhi made a clay image and worshipped Maa Durga. That is marked as the world’s first Durga Puja. After the puja, Vaishya regained his fortune; Suratha got his kingdom back. He could retrieve all his lost property and return gleefully to his capital, Bolipur. From then, he started worshipping the deity every year, during the spring, in Bolipur.