Durga Puja in Kolkata

–by Sayandeep Ghosh

–Reading Time – 12 min Approx

Durga puja has undoubtedly been the biggest festival for Bengal and Bengalis all over the world. People wait throughout the year to enjoy these ten days of festivity. The city of joy, Kolkata is the peak point of these celebrations with a special flair for Durga Puja in Kolkata.

History of Durga Puja in Kolkata:

This festival has a remarkably interesting history though. It is believed that the Durga Puja was initiated by Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur in the seventeenth century. Most historians say that this was the first time that Durga Puja was performed in Bengal. But the idol was not like the idol which we are used to seeing today. It was a “Mahishasura Mardini” idol with the Devi killing the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Later a member of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family first started the Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata. This idol was not like the idol of before times. There was a resemblance to the joint families in Bengal. Durga was there along with her sons and daughters, Lakhsmi, Ganesh, Saraswati and Kartik. A banyan tree with eight other plants was there on the right side of Lord Ganesh.

This was the “Nabapatrika”. The entire setup resembled a food chain. Like the Lion and the Buffalo, The Peacock and the Snake, the Owl, and the Rat. It seemed as if mother nature had constituted all its creations into this idol. The idol was an ekchala idol where all the images or sculptures were together in a single frame – just like the joint family. But Durga Puja in Kolkata was popularised by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of Sobhabazar after Robert Clive’s victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

From the rank of a minor Munshi, Nabakrishna became a King. He celebrated Clive’s victory by performing the Durga Puja in the autumn season. This was the most extravagant event of that time. British officials were invited to the puja. Special arrangements were made for them like drinks, exclusive food, and musical performances by the nautch dancers or baijis. Huge amounts of money were spent to entertain the guests. After this, many established families in Kolkata started to celebrate the Durga Puja. It was an annual festival which was the centre point of the Kolkata festivities.

Becoming the festival of the masses:

Slowly with the advent of the Swadeshi movement, the local clubs and cultural organisations too started performing Durga Puja outside the boundaries of the houses. The puja adapted a wider range. Baghbazar Sarbojonin is one of the old barowari (public) sarbojonin pujas of that time. This change shifted the framework of the festival. From being a family affair, it became a meeting place for several people irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion. People would actively participate in the celebrations.

Getting ready for Durga Puja in Kolkata:

Today, this is the grandest of all festivals. Being the largest and greatest public exhibition of Art, Durga Puja in Kolkata is a thing to look out for. People from every generation thrive to be a part of this festival just like the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai. From the onset of the monsoon season preparations start. While in the households, the idol is prepared inside the courtyard, the barowari pujos order the idols at different areas like Kumortuli in Sobhabazar or Patuapara in Kalighat were professional idol makers make idols according to the tastes and preferences of the investors. Earlier the ornaments of the idols used to be made with natural elements like sholapeeth, nowadays artificial objects have taken the front seat. One can see a range of ornaments at the shops which prepare them just before the festival. The idol makers buy them according to their requirements. The various pandals are made according to the themes to compete to be the best durga puja pandal in Kolkata to be decided by the committees. Some pandals resemble an ancient temple while one resembles the Buckingham Palace. Craftsmen workday in and out to put the things in place. A simple bamboo structure simply converts itself into a wonderful piece of art. The idols are made according to the themes.

The biggest festival of Bengal:

Shopping is a major part of this festival. The shopping malls and garment stores are filled with buyers before the festive season. People who stay out of Kolkata eagerly wait for their puja vacations to start so that they can be in their city during the pujas. It is like an annual get together for every Bengali family.

The Bengali Adda or the light gossip is an integral part of this festival. People from all generations gather to share their experiences and thoughts. Cultural programmes are organised. Feasts are arranged too. Right from Saptami to Dashami, different types of food items are cooked.

Tendays of festivities begin on the day of Mahalaya. The devipaksha starts on this day. On the morning of Mahalaya, people pay tributes to the departed souls of their relatives in the morning through the act of Tarpan. People hear the chanting of hymns by Shree Birendra Krishna Bhadra in the morning, which earlier used to be played by All India Radio at 4 am on a regular basis. The idols are brought to the pandals of the sarbojanin pujos few days before Panchami. The puja starts with the bodhon or welcoming the Godess. The nabapatrika snan or the bathing of the banana tree in the holy river is an important part of the Saptami puja.

The Pushpanjali & Sandhi puja are the things to see on Ashtami. It is believed that the Devi killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura, during the period when the puja is offered. With Navami, the festival starts to wind up. On Dashami, the idols are immersed in the holy river. Married women take part in debi boron and sindoor khela before the immersion.

In the household pujas, the day of Dashami is very painful to the family members. Durga is like their daughter. She had come to her father’s place for ten days. Now it is time for her to return to her husband’s home in Kailash. It’s just like saying goodbye to your daughter after her marriage. Special food items are given to the Goddess which are believed to help her stay fit and healthy throughout the length of her long journey.

Celebrating Womanhood:

All of Bengal eagerly waits for these ten days throughout the year. This festival is not only a meeting point for people from various sectors, but also an important method of income for some people like the idol makers, the priests, the cooks, the dhakis (Drum Players), textile merchants and artisans and the decorators. They wait for the entire year.

Durga Puja in Kolkata is one of the most popular tourist attractions around the globe. People from across the globe come to Kolkata to witness this grand extravaganza. The pujas are telecasted on television. People who cannot make it to Kolkata witness it online.

All in all, this festival is the biggest event in Kolkata. It pays a rich tribute to the women who are an integral part of our families. Without them, the society is incomplete. The idol of Devi Durga resembles the all-caring months, the hard-working woman, and the protecting femineity.

–by Sayandeep Ghosh