Durga Puja, the greatest festival of the Bengalees is widely celebrated not only in West Bengal but also in different parts of the country and as well as in overseas where there is the presence of Bengali community. In West Bengal, Maa Durga is not only worshipped in barowari puja pandals but also in bonedi households. There are many such families where Devi Durga is worshipped following the age-old rituals. One such family is the Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family where the goddess is worshipped in eight households – six in Barisha and the rest two one in Birati and in Nimta.
The eight places where Maa Durga is worshipped are as follows:
Aatchala Bari;
Barobari;
Mejobari;
Majherbari;
Benakibari;
Kalikinkarbari (Kalikinkar Bhawan);
Birati Bari
Nimta-Pathanpur Bari.
At the outset I would like to say that I had a golden opportunity to visit all the eight households of Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family in the year 2021.
The first puja was held more than four centuries way back in 1610 at Barisha Aatchala by Roy Lakshmikanta Gangopadhyay Majumder Chowdhury and his wife Bhagabati Devi. This puja is unique in two ways – firstly, here the goddess is worshipped along with his children – Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartick and Ganesh as a family in one frame and secondly, this puja happened to be the oldest Durga Puja of Calcutta (now Kolkata).
The puja is performed following the rituals mentioned in Durgabhaktitarangini. The structure in which the first Durga idol was built during the initial days of the puja is still used today for preparing the idol. Previously, the structure is made of hogla leaves.
All protimas are of traditional ekchala. According to Durgabhaktitarangini, the colour of the goddess is either like the colour of the stem of siuli flower which blooms during autumn heralding the advent of Durga Puja which is found in Aatchala Bari and Barobari and the other like golden which is found in other houses. The chalchitra at the background is also unique – divided into three parts and there is the presence of Dasamahavidya.
The puja in all the households starts from the day of Sasthi except in Aatchala Bari where it starts much earlier on Krishna Nabami. Earlier animal sacrifice or balidaan was in practice but now completely stopped. Only sugarcane and chalkumro are sacrificed as part of the ritual. Exception is Nimta Pathannpur Bari where a doll made of kheer is sacrificed druring Sandhi puja.
Other rituals like Kumari puja and Sandhi puja are held. Ardharatri Puja is held in Barobari. Special puja of Bhuvaneswari Devi is held at Nimta Pathanpur Bari during the time of Sandhi Puja.
On the evening of Dasami the protima is immersed either in the Ganges or in the family pond.
Courtesy: Sabarna Roy Chowdhury Paribar Parishad – Sabarna Sangrahasala
Date of posting: 7th October, 2024.
Blog of Kinjal Bose 