(This article was first published on 28 September 2017. It is being reposted from The Quint’s archives to mark the beginning of Navratri/Durga Puja)
There is certain exuberance in the air of Kolkata right now. Big hoardings, half done- pandals, streets adorned with thematic lights – the city of joy is gearing up for Durga Puja with great enthusiasm and aplomb.
And while the city lights up and sponsors line-up to present big budget community puja pandals in a grand way, there are several families in the city who would be celebrating the festival in a simple, serene way.
Celebration Steeped in Tradition
The Bonedi Baris (the homes of the aristocrats) of Kolkata have, literally for centuries, been celebrating the five day festival in its true original form – sans the modern day cosmetic aplomb that the festival is slowly getting associated with.
These families, for generations, have been celebrating the festival in their homes, and the rituals, customs have been passed on from one generation to the other like a family heirloom. The original aristocrats of the city – some of these families have celebrated Durga Puja even before the city of Kolkata came into existence – are now attempting to strike a balance between traditions and modernity.
Behala’s Sabarna Roy Choudhury’s ‘Aath Chala Durga Puja’ is perhaps the oldest in the city. The Roy Choudhury’s were the zamindars of the three villages – Kalikata, Shutanati and Gobindapur – that were eventually sold to East India Company, and marked the origin of Kolkata city.
The first Durga Puja at Roy Choudhury’s began in 1699, and nearly for three hundred years, the family has been celebrating the festival at the same location.
“Of course, now there are two or three more pujas that the extended family have started organising at their homes, but this is the original one,” says Subhash Roy Choudhury. Roy Choudhury is the 33rd generation of the family that has been organising the festival.
While the family has followed the same customs and rituals while conducting the puja for nearly three hundred years, there have been a few changes with time. “The scale was bigger before. Nearly 5,000 people were fed during the pujas earlier, but now, we only can accommodate only 300 people. We are no more the Zamindars, income and resources are limited, and things are expensive now,” says Roy Choudhary.
Interestingly, most Baris, despite maintaining the century-old customs, have toned down the grandeur, that was once a predominant factor in the pujas of these aristocrats. Some argue that the resources and income are limited, for others, it is the lack of time that hinders them from making it a grand event.
The Past Glory
Like for instance, the Basu Mallick house at the Potoldanga Street, which started in 1895, continues to celebrate the festival, but at a smaller, subdued scale. By his own admission, the patriarch of the family, 83-year-old Pranab Basu Mallick states that the puja was grander during his childhood days.
We try to follow the rituals that our forefathers followed, but slowly, we had to give up on certain things as it is not practical anymore. Earlier on Ashtami, nearly 2,000 people were fed. Bhog was served on a large brass plate, which was first offered to Ma Durga, and then distributed to people. The ritual is still followed, but we cannot feed 2,000 people anymore. Bhog is still offered to the Goddess on the same Brass plate, but the quantity is less.Pranab Basu Mallick
The family is a connoisseur of all things vintage – from guns to watches to cameras, and the house has an old world charm – complete with four poster beds, and thick wooden almirahs. The walls reek of an old world aristocracy at the Basu Mallick house, and yet, the rooms are empty.
“My son has a very demanding career. He lives with his family and visits us whenever he can. Of course, he will be there for pujas, but due to his schedule he can never devote time for preparations,” says Madhumita, Mallick’s wife.
Interestingly, Barun Mallik of the Mallik Bari at Ratan Sarkar Street is quite hopeful that the next generation would take the family’s legacy forward. Barun Mallik hosts the Mallik Bhavan’s Durga Puja, which would be celebrating 165th year of Pujas in 2017. “My son has grown up watching us celebrate the family puja so he will take it forward. I am certain that he will take it forward the way I did after my father.”
The Simple Idols
The protimas are usually kept simple and ek-chala idols are a common feature in most Bari pujas.
On Dashami, we carry the protima in our hands, so it has to be of a certain weight and height. The idol, in fact, is made inside our home.Debraj Mitra, Shobha Bajar Raj Bari
One of the first families to host the festival at their residence in 1797, the Shobha Bajar Rajbari Durga Puja till date is considered to be one of the major pujas of the city. Located in heart of North Kolkata, and named after the locality Shobhabajar , the palatial house hosts Goddess Durga and her consorts every year at the main dais of the big courtyard.
The idols are simple in almost all these pujas. In many houses, sculptors come in months before the festival is to begin, and start sculpting the goddess from a scratch. Bhawanipore’s famous Mallik Bari, Saborno Roy Choudhary’s, Bannerjee Bari of Howrah – all have ek chala idols which are easy to immerse.
It is also an age-old tradition that these families have been maintaining for centuries as in the earlier days, manual labour was used to immerse the idols and the bigger the idol, the more difficult it would be to carry it on the shoulders.
Special Rituals
Each of these houses have certain distinct rituals.
While Shobha Bajar and Mallick Bari of Ratan Sarkar Street fly birds on Dashami, Bannerjee household dresses Durga in different coloured Benarasis each day of the puja. Some of the customs have been altered due to the changing times – like Shobha Bajar used to release Neel Kantha bird every year during the Dashami.
“But the central government put a ban on it some nine years ago, stating it was an endangered bird. Since then we release a thermocol bird as a symbolic gesture,” says Mitra.
Shobha Bajar also offers sweets as bhog to the goddess. Unlike other puja pandals, no grain is offered at Shobha Bajar to the devotees or to the goddess. Mallik Bari also organises a special puja for married women – known as the Shadhoba Puja – on Ashtami Night.
Keeping it a Family Affair
Owing to their history, most of these family pujas are well known in the city and attract hoards of people each day during the festival. But most of the families like to keep the pujas strictly a family affair.
The Roy Choudhary’s have been offered sponsorship earlier, but have categorically said no. “We have a donation box, where people can give whatever donation they want. The money is then later distributed among the priests,” says Subhash Rou Choudhury.
Chandidas Bannerjee reveals that because the puja at his household was started by a spiritual guru, his followers have always been actively involved in the pujas, yet it is his family that does main work. “Some of the followers donate saree for the goddess, but my family organises the puja every year.” Barun Mallik.
(Shomini has written on lifestyle and entertainment for most part of her career. In a career spanning little over a decade, she has worked in Indiatimes, Zee News and Network18 – which was her last stint before she took a break to study Film Appreciation at FTII. While writing on cinema remains her first love, her other interests lie in topics like gender, society and Indian literature. An avid reader, she also dabbles in music and theatre when work permits her. Currently working as a freelancer, she is often found self-musing on her personal blog. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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