Durga Puja, a four-day festival is celebrated in different parts of West Bengal and even outside. The pujas which are celebrated in traditional Bengali households and jamidarbari have some unique features from idol to puja rituals.
During the festive days all the members of the family who live outside try to come to their ancestral house where Maa Durga is being worshipped. Dhanyakuria in North 24 Parganas district houses the mansions of Gayen, Ballav and Sahoo who celebrate the puja in a grand way.
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.
Madan Gopal Temple of Mellak is not only the oldest temple of Howrah district but it is also one of the two state protected monuments along with Dadhimadhav Temple, Amragiri, Howrah.
Ilambazar in Birbhum houses a number of temples of which Hathtola Mahaprabhu Temple deserves special mention. The temple is situated a little less than 20 kilometres from Bolpur. It is a brick-built temple with terracotta decoration on all sides.
Kotulpur in Bankura district of West Bengal houses a number of temples. It is located 38 kilometres from Bishnupur. It can also be reached from Arambagh in Hooghly. The distance of Kotulpur from Arambagh railway station is roughly 26 kilometres.
Basanti Puja, like Durga Puja is a four-day festival held in the Bengali month of Chaitra (March-April) every year. In many bonedi households of Bengal, this puja is still performed following all rituals. There are a few houses where both Goddess Basanti and Durga are worshipped. One such household is that of Kundu Chowdhury of Mohiari, Andul in Howrah district.
The entrance to Kundu Chowdhury house at Mohair, Andul, Howrah
I am very lucky to witness both the pujas. One has to walk through a green-coloured grand entrance and turn left to see the magnificent thakurdalan of the Kundu Chowdhury’s. Here both the pujas are held. The most unique thing is both Basanti and Durga pujas are performed in the same kathamo.
Thakurdalan
The puja is meticulously performed here following the Baisnav rituals. The family deity is Lakshmi-Janardan who is worshipped on a daily basis and during the pujas it is worshipped along with the goddess in the thakurdalan. Goddess Basanti is worshipped here in the form of Hara-Gouri. I was told by a family member that Basanti puja started roughly three centuries back during the time of Ramakanta Kundu Chowdhury. Later after a little over three decades Durga Puja started here.
Basanti Puja of Kundu Chowdhury family
The protima is built in this dalan and that too following a tradition. A day after ShivChaturdashi, there is a Kali puja, more specifically a Raksha Kali puja is held every year. A harisabha is held at Andul Mourigram bazaar after nine days from Raksha Kali puja. The bamboo which is to be used in the kathamo or structure is first cut over there and that marks the beginning of kathamo puja of Goddess Basanti.
Hara-Gouri
As a lemon is sacrificed in Durga puja likewise a water melon during Basanti puja. Vegetarian food is dedicated to the deities. Atap chal (heat rice) in the form of naibidya is given to the goddess. At night sital or cold bhog in the form of luchi and sweets are offered to Goddess Basanti. I was told by a family member that there is also one boat puja which is held on the night of Nabami and later in the morning of Dasami it was again taken to its old place. Earlier the immersion used to take place on the banks of river Saraswati and, at that time the river was navigable.
Another photograph of Goddess Basanti.
Going there:
The house can be reached both by road and rail route. Take any train going to Andul from Howrah station (South-Eastern Railway) and get down at Maurigram. A ten minute ride in a toto will take you to the house of Kundu Chowdhury.
Else, one can board the bus going to Andul from Rabindra Sadan stoppage crossing VidyasagarSetu (Second Hooghly Bridge) and get down at the last stoppage. From there take a toto and reach there. The bus ride is more or less about half-an-hour.
Birbhum district in West Bengal has a number of terracotta temples of which the nabaratnaGopal & Lakshmi Janardan Temple in Ghurisha located in Illambazar block deserves mention. Richly decorated with terracotta this temple was founded by Kshetranath Dutta in 1145 Bangabda ie, way back in 1739 A.D.
There are many terracotta temples in Bankura district especially in Bishnupur. In fact when we speak of such temples, the first name that comes to our mind is about the temples having intricate terracotta decoration built by the Malla kings of Bishnupur. But apart from Bishnupur there are other places also where we can spot beautiful temples. One such area is Sonamukhi which is a municipal town.
Durga Puja, being the greatest festival of the Bengalees is celebrated in many households of Bengal for more than a century. One such household is the Roychowdhury family of Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district. About a mile from Baruipur railway station, this puja will definitely take you back to three centuries. An old structure which has got a fresh coat of paint due to the festival will welcome you inside the courtyard where you will witness the old durga dalan.
Durga Puja, being the greatest festival of the Bengalees is not only celebrated in puja pandals as barowari puja but it is equally celebrated in households across Bengal.
Blog of Kinjal Bose 
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