Hooghly – Blog of Kinjal Bose

Barochala Mandir, Ilchhoba, Hooghly

Ilcchhoba, located about five kilometres from Khanyan railway station in Howrah Barddhaman main line houses a number of temples including two pancharatna , a few aatchala and a barochala (twelve roofed) temple.

Durga Puja of Zamindar Mukherjee Family of Uttarpara

Durga Puja, the greatest festival of the Bengalees is not only celebrated in barowari puja pandels but the same is held with equal pomp and splendour in many households both in Kolkata and in the districts of West Bengal. One such place where the puja is being held for more than two centuries is the Mukherjee or Mukhopadhyay family of Uttarpara in Hooghly district.

Durga Puja of Mitra Bari, Antpur, Hooghly

Durga Puja is celebrated in many places of West Bengal of which Mitra Bari at Antpur in Hooghly district is famous not only as because it is being held for more than three centuries but because the puja is held in a dochala type of chandimandap made of wood with superb wooden works of not only gods and goddesses but also floral designs which exists till date.

Ram Sita Temple, Serampore

Serampore, a subdivisional town of Hooghly district houses a number of temples of which the west-facing dalan-shaped Ram Sita Temple deserves mention. Located in Ram Sita Lane roughly about two kilometres from Serampore railway station, the place can be reached both by road and rail.

St. Olav’s Church, Serampore

Serampore, now a sub-divisional town, located about 20 kilometers from Kolkata was formally a Danish settlement from 1755 to 1845. This 90 year Danish rule in Fredericksnagore or Serampore had a number of glorious achievements of which the construction of St. Olav’s Church under the Governorship of Col. Ole Bie (1776-1805) deserves mention. Ole Bie’s twenty nine years as Governor was the longest sitting head of Serampore’s Danish Government. The Denmark Tavern (1786) was also opened during Bie’s Governorship. The Tavern, though set up at Serampore was surprisingly not opened by any Danish but by a British innkeeper named James Patt, who had prior experience at The London Tavern.

Durga Puja of Sen Bari, Guptipara

Guptipara in Hooghly district of West Bengal is famous for Rathayatra, first barowari puja, terracotta temples and sweets (gupo sandesh). That apart Durga Puja is also held here. Durga Puja of Sen Bari is not only famous but very old. The puja was started way back in 1580 by Shri Ram Sen.

Avaya Durga, Silbari, Rajbalhat

Rajbalhat, a town in Jangipara block of Serampore subdivision of Hooghly district is named after Devi Rajballavi. It is also famous for handloom (tant) industry along with Dhaniakhali, also in Hooghly. That apart the town has a number of temples – Sridhar Damodar Temple, Radhakanta Temple along with the temple of Rajballavi.

Temples of Rajbalhat

Rajbalhat, a town in Jangipara block of Serampore subdivision of Hooghly district of West Bengal has a number of temples of which the temple of Devi Rajballavi, after whom Rajbalhat is named deserves mention.

Temples of Arambagh, Hooghly

Arambagh, a subdivisional town located about 80 kilometres from Kolkata can be reached both by road and rail. The best way is to take the morning Howrah-Goghat local and get down at Arambagh station at about 9:30 am. A little away from the station is a place called Parul within the Arambagh municipality which can be reached either by a toto or an auto. This place has two aatchala temples with terracotta decorations – Raghunandan Temple and Bishalakshi Temple.

Durga Puja of Biswas Bari of Dasghara

Durga Puja is not only celebrated as a barowari puja but is equally famous as a household puja. Household Durga puja is well known in rural Bengal apart from Kolkata. There are some families who celebrate the puja with great pomp and splendour and during the days of the festival the thakurdalan along with the adjoining areas bear a different look. One such family where Durga is not only famous but unique is Biswas Bari of Dasghara in Hooghly district.

Ananda-Bhairavi Temple, Sukharia

Twenty-five pinnacled or panchavimshati-ratna temple is a classification of the ratna type of temple architecture. In West Bengal there are five such temples – three in Kalna (Purba Barddhaman), one each in Sukharia (Hooghly) and Sonamukhi (Bankura).

Household Jagaddhatri Pujas in Chandannagar

When we speak of Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar, the first thing that reminds us is that the puja is celebrated here for four days just like Durga Puja. But there are a number of families who celebrate the puja in Nabami tithi where the pujas of Saptami, Astami and Nabami are held in a single day.

Durga Puja of Serampore Goswami Bari

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.

Durga Puja of Garalgacha Jamidar Bari

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.

Household Durga Pujas in Konnagar

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.