Durga Pujas in Hooghly District

Now a days main attractions of Barawari Durga Puja is mainly oriented around theme based pandal decorations and lighting. Although religious flavour is hardly found in this type of Barawari pujas, I still like these pujas. These barowari pujas bring out the creative and innovative excellence of artists associated with these pujas. Simultaneously I very much like to witness traditional pujas of Belurmath and those organised in houses of rich people and old zamindars, like Durga Puja of Mallick Bari, Shova Bazar Rajbari etc.

History of Durgapuja:

If we look back in search of history of Durga Puja in Bengal it is found that the Durga Puja organised in the house of Saborno Chowdhury, the zamindar of Barisha is the oldest Puja in or around Kolkata. In old days common people used to participate in the Pujas in the houses of rich people and zaminders. The first publicly organised Durga Puja took place in Guptipara of Hooghly District. Twelve friends (Baro yeer) together organized this Puja. Hence the name Barawari Puja emerged.

Departme t of Tourism West Bengal:

Like every year in this year (2011) also the West Bengal Tourism arranged different types of Puja trips. One of them was a visit to traditional Puja pandals on the outskirts of Kolkata. I was a party to this trip this year. They charged Rs.2000 per head for this trips which included Break-fast, Lunch and evening snacks. Our journey started at 7.30 A.M from the office of West Bengal Tourism at B.B.D Bag. Two A.C buses were provided for us. Our journey was mainly restricted within Hooghly Districts. In addition to the Durga Puja pandals we also visited old terracotta temples of Hooghly District and adjacent Kalna of Burdawan Dstrict.

Brief History of Hooghly:

The District of Hooghly derived its name from the town Hooghly situated on the west bank of river Hooghly about 40 km. North of Kolkata. Many European powers like Dutch, Danish, British, French, Belgians and Germans came to Hooghly at different periods. Originally Hooghly was a part of Burdwan District. For administrative conveniences Burdwan District was split into two parts in 1795. The sourthern parts was named Hooghly.

Durgapuja of Goswami Family:

Our first stoppage was at the Puja of Goswami Family in Serampore, Hooghly. The Goswami family was zamindar of serampore. In the 17^th century two brothers

Raghuram and Raghavram Goswami came to srerampore from their home village of Patuli. Raghuram got a job in the office of commissariat of the Danish Governor, while Raghavram became an official moneylender to the factory workers of that locality. Gradually this Goswami Family became the zamindar of that area.

The Durgapuja of this Goswami Family is 300 years old. Here Devi Durga is worshipped in the Thakurdalan right from the day after Mahalaya. The Goswami Family members claim that their Durgapuja is oldest of all the pujas in Bengal. The idol of Goddess Durga along with Lakshmi, Swaraswati, Kartik and Ganesh is placed under the Ekchala. The idol of Devi Durga is decorated with traditional Dakersaaj. Here Kumari puja (A little girl is being worshipped as Goddess Durga ) is performed on all four days from sashti to Navami. However the kumari puja of Maha Navami is the most colourful one, though the pomp and show associated with the puja has subsided consiferably today. Around 300 years old Radhagobindo Mandir is situated adjacent to the thakurdalan. Idols of Radha and Krishna are placed here on the marble bedi.

Thakurdalan : The wealthy zemindar families often contained an annexe or separate building used for annual festivals. They are flat-roofed buidlings called Chandi mandap or thakur dalan and are built on a north-south axis so that the images face south when they are installed.

Dakersajj : Original dress of idol of Durga is called Dakersajj or ornaments made by pith and decorated with tin foils of different colours.

Ekchala : Traditional clay image of Durga or protima made of clay with all five Gods and Goddesses under one structure is known as ek-chala (Ek- one; chala-cover).

Durga Pujas of Seoraphuli :

Seoraphuli was a collecting centre for local marketable goods produced in different parts of Hooghly. We came to Seoraphuli by one hour drive from Serampore.

The oldest Durgapuja of Seoraphuli is the 300 years old Durgapuja of Seoraphuli Rajbari.

More than 100 years ago famous jute merchant Surendranath Ghosh started Durga puja in his house. Idol of Devi Durga here is decorated with ‘Dakersajj’. Surendranath was not only a famous Merchant, but he also did many benevolent social works in his locality. Many renowned personalities of Bengal including Netaji Subhash ch. Bose came to his house. Seoraphuli Surendranath Vidyaniketan, a famous educational institution of the locality is named after him.

Devi Sarbomongola:

Devi Sarbomongala was the family goddess (kulodevota) of Zaminders of Seoraphuli. Idol of Devi Sorbamongala was excavated on the basis of a swapnadesh (an order passed in dreams) to a member of that family. Goddess Durga is known here as Devi Sarbomongala. The idol is made of eight metals (ostodhatu). Rani Rashmoni the founder of Devi Kali temple in Dekshineswar came to visit Seoraphuli Sorbomongola temple. Under her instructions the idol of Devi Kali of Dakshineswar temple was made in the same pattern as that of Devi Sarbomongola of Seoraphuli.

Honsheshwari temple :

Honsheshwari temple is a Hindu temple of Goddess Kali in the town of Bansbaria of Hooghly District. Bansbaria was one of the main villages of ancient Saptagram, once the main port and commercial complex of that area. Bansbaria presently an industrial town positioned between Bandel and Tribeni, is 48 km. From Kolkata. Construction works of Honsheshwari temple by Raja Narsingh Deo started in 1801 and it was completed in 1814. Built with a unique blend of European architectural style, the main deity is the blue neem-wood idol of the four armed goddess Honseswari, a manifestation of Goddess Kali. Ma Kali is standing on the blooming lotus under the Kalpobriksha (one can achieve any think from this tree). We offered our anjali to the divine deity. It was a wonderful moment.

Ananta Vasudeva temple :

Ananta Vasudeva temple is situated beside the Honseswari temple. God Vishnu is worshiped in this temple. This temple was built by Raja Rameshwar Dutta in 1694. It is constructed in charchala style and in hexagonal shape. The intricate terracotta artworks on the temple’s walls and on the pillars depict stories from Ramayana, Krishnalila and Mahabharata.

Guptipara :

Our next destination was Guptipara. Here we were served with our grand lunch. Guptipara is a rural town under Balagarh police station in chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly District. Guptipara has a rich cultural Heritage. In the book ‘Rajtarangini’ by Kalhan , in ‘Manasa Mongol kabya’ of Biprodas Pipolai, in ‘Surodhani Kabya’ of Denobondhu Mitra, and in the famous ‘Pather Panchali’ of Bibhutibhusan Babdhopadaya we get references of Guptipara. Guptipara is famous for kabiyal Bhola Mayera. Guptipara derived its name from the famous Baidya Community of that locality (Surnames of Baidyas end with Gupta). Guptipara can boast of many renowned Ayurvedic Doctors within baidya community. Many famous ayuevedic book were written by doctors of Baidya community.

Guptipara is also famous for its Chariot Festival. Guptipara Chariot Festival is the fourth most important chariot festival after Puri (Orissa), Mahesh (Serampore), and Mahishadal (Midnapur).

The 550 years old temple of Sri Sri Dayamayee in Talipada is also a very famous spot in Guptipara. Pandit Basudev Sarbobhoumo one of the learned disciples of Srichaitanya Mahaprobhu came here from Nawadip and he introduced Durgapuja here by worshiping the structure of the of the idol of Ma Durga during Rathayatra. Bhupaticharan, one of the descendants of Basudev Sarbobhoumo founded the idol of Durga made of eight metals. This idol of Devi Durga is known here as ‘Dayamayee Durga’. The ancestral house ‘Tarkabagish Bati’ ( ‘Tarkabagish’ means a person who can establish his point of faith by given strong arguments and ‘Bati’ means house)) of Bhupaticharan was renamed by him as ‘Durga Bari’. In every year in the last day of month of ‘Baishak’ (May) a big annual festival takes place in Durga Bari. On this occasion many devotes come to this house for worshiping Devi Durga. We met here 19^th descendant of Basu Dev Sorbobhoumo. Photography was strictly prohibited within Durga Bari. For this I can’t show you any picture of Devi Dayamayee Durga.

Guptipara is also known for its famous terracotta temples. Brindabon ch. Math was founded by Land lord Bisheswar Roy. It consists of four temples of post mediaeval period. Out of these four temples Brindabon chandraji’s temple and Krishna Chandraji’s temple are ‘ATCHALA’( Eight roofted) while Ramchandraji’s temple (1742-1744) is ‘EKARATNA’ (single pinnacle) temple with superb terracotta ornamentation. The oldest of the group Chaitanya Dev Temple (1696-1706) is of ‘JORBANGLA’ pattern.

Note :

Terracotta : Materials used in terracotta work is clay-based unglazed ceramic. Terracotta art is the earliest form of plastic art in which the Bengal artists excelled. Clay objects were either baked in the sun or burnt.

Kabiyal : A secular form of contestual singing performance in Bengal, normally performed outdoors under a canopy usually in the dry season. Two professional minstrels (kabiyal ) and their troupes of singer-musicians present an argument on important social and religious issues in extemporaneous Bengali verse and song, with musical and choral accompaniment.

Important Link :

Guptipara-A must for the temple lovers

Terracotta art of Bengal