Author: kinjalbose

This year on the day of Saptami I paid a visit to Serampore to witness the Durga Puja of bonedi families. My first destination was Serampore Rajbari. Although I paid a visit earlier but this time it was a completely new experience because of Durga Puja.

The Durga Puja of Garalgacha Jamidar Bari located in Chanditala II block of Serampore subdivision of Hooghly district dates back to 1767. This year I visited the Jamidar Bari popularly known as Babuder Bari twice – on Sasthi and Nabami.

Konnagar, a municipality of Hooghly district houses a number of families where Durga Puja is famous and some are celebrated for centuries. On the day of Mahastami, I visited six such families and covered them in this post.

Durga Puja is held in many bonedi households in Serampore of which Dey Bari in Dey Street is one of the oldest. This year I paid a visit there in the afternoon and came to know that Durga Puja started way back in 1748 A.D by Ram Chandra Dey.

A number of families in Janai and adjoining Baksha in Chanditala II block of Hooghly district celebrate Durga Puja with great pomp and splendour even today. Some of the pujas are pretty old. This year I decided to cover four such pujas – two each in Janai and Baksha, though there are other pujas also.

Uttarpara, the fourth station in Howrah-Bandel section of Eastern Railway is roughly 11 kilometres from Howrah. This small yet beautiful town of Hooghly district has a number of things to offer.

Bandel, a junction station, in Howrah-Barddhaman main line is roughly 38 kilometres from Howrah. On one sunny Sunday morning in March this year I boarded the Bandel local from Howrah and reached there. From Bandel I took an auto and headed for Sahaganj which is around 4 kilometres from there via Chinsurah-Bansberia Road. My destination is the Shiva Temples of Sahaganj founded by the Nandi family.

Baksa, a village in Chanditala II block of Serampore subdivision of Hooghly district has a number of temples from aatchala to nabaratna and they are more two hundred years old.

Uttarpara, the fourth station in the Howrah-Bandel line, is roughly about 11 kilometers from Howrah. It can be reached either by road or by rail and even by water. Uttarapara being the first municipality of Bengal was created in 1853. This beautiful town houses the first public library built by Joykrishna Mukhopadhyay in 1849, which, at that time was the biggest library of India.

Gurap, a village in Dhaniakhali block in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly district of West Bengal is famous for the aatchala Nandadulal Temple. Situated roughly 60 kilometres from Howrah the place can be reached both by road and rail.