Blog of Kinjal Bose

Durga Puja of Baral family

I have come across a number of houses in Howrah who are celebrating Durga Puja in a grand way and some of them are pretty old. Last year, I was invited to a family Durga Puja organised by the Barals at 75, Raj Ballav Saha Lane, Howrah – 711101. Though comparatively a new puja, the striking thing here is the idol of Maa Durga which drew my attention.

Chariot of Rautara

Rautara, a village in Amta II block of Howrah district about 57 kilometres from Kolkata can be reached in just less than two hours time. The village has a number of terracotta temples of which Damodar Temple of Sarkarpara deserves mention. The south-facing barochala (twelve roofed) temple has an adjoining nahabatkhana, an aatchala dolmancha and an octagonal rasmancha in the same compound.

Baro Rasbari

Baro Rasbari of 78, Tollygunge Road, Kolkata comprises of two complex – twelve Shiva temples and a pancharatna (five pinnacled) temple arranaged on three sides of an open courtyard and the other is a big aatchala (eight roofed) temple of Bengal’s temple architecture.

Nandadulal Temple, Chandernagore

Chandernagore, a former French colony, had a number of temples of which Nandadulal Jiu Mandir at Durga Charan Rakshit Road deserves mention. The temple is unique in the sense that it is one of the finest specimen of do chala (double sloped roof) mandir of Bengal’s temple architecture.

Kalidas Chatuspathi, Chandernagore

Chandernagore, a muncipal town in Hooghly district is about 33 kilometres from Howrah station. It can be reached by both road and rail. This town was a former French colony.

Siddheswari Kalibari, Baghbazar

Calcutta, (now Kolkata) has a number of Kali temples. Some of them are pretty old. The temples are scattered throughout the metropolis. One such temple is situated at 512, Rabindra Sarani, Kolkata – 700005 popularly known as Siddheswari Kalibari. Many of us have seen the temple and also Maa Siddheswari.

Rathayatra of Choto Rashbari

Rathyatra is a major festival and it is celebrated in many areas of West Bengal. They are also celebrated in many bonedi households and in many temples, some of which are pretty old. In many houses, this festival also marks the beginning of kathamo puja of Goddess Durga.

Abandoned Temple of Radha Gobinda

Baro Rasbari of 78, Tollygunge Road, Kolkata consists of two temple complexes – eleven aatchala Shiv Mandir together with a pancharatna temple in one big courtyard completed in the second decade of the nineteenth century and a big aatchala temple dedicated to Madan Mohan completed in 1834. The entire temple complex of Baro Rasbari is a Grade – I heritage structure. It finds mention in the Graded List of Heritage Buildings (Volume XI) of Kolkata Muncipal Corporation.

Rathyatra in Amadpur

The village of Amadpur in Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal is well known for Rathayatra or chariot festival.

Radha Madhav Temple, Amadpur

Amadpur, a village in Memari – I block of Purba Barddhaman district has a number of terracotta temples of which Radha Madhav Temple deserves mention.