Preserving traditions and the unique legacy of Durga Puja

By Santanu Karmakar

Whether it’s Kolkata or any part of West Bengal, when it comes to Durga Puja, wearing jewelry is a must for Bengali women, especially in families with a rich history of organising their own Durga Puja. Each Puja evening, women from these families gather in the lobby to engage in “adda” (gossip) while adorned with an abundance of ornaments. However, the story takes a different turn for the Bhuiya family of Alipurduar.

The Bhuiya family has been organising Durga Puja for the past 177 years. In 1846, the late Khetramohan Bhuiya initiated this Puja in Faridpore district, Bangladesh, in the village of Kedarbari. During the partition, the Bhuiya family was forced to leave their homeland, their home, and relocate to West Bengal, bringing only their beloved Maa Durga’s idol with them. Since then, they have been conducting Durga Puja in North Bengal’s Alipurduar.

Their Puja is one of the oldest in the district and in North Bengal. They do not follow a particular theme or extravagant decorations; instead, they adorn Maa Durga’s idol using aspera flowers. It is said that one of Bhuiya’s ancestors had a dream in which Maa Durga appeared in blood-red colour. The family’s chief priest recommended colouring the Durga idol in the same hue, believing that the goddess was conveying a message through the dream. They accepted this suggestion, and unlike other pujas where the idol is typically yellowish, their Durga idol is blood-red.

A similar incident is behind the tradition of not wearing any jewelry in front of Maa Durga. In an e-interview, a family member named Rashika Bhuiya revealed, “Many years ago, one of our family members was wearing an excessive amount of jewelry in front of the Durga idol. She had a vanity for wearing more jewelry than anyone else, even more than Maa Durga herself. Then, she dreamt that the goddess was scolding her for this action. When she attempted to share this entire experience with her husband that night, he mysteriously passed away on the spot. This is why we refrain from wearing any kind of ornaments on the puja premises.”

While the Puja is conducted in the Bhuiya family’s corridor, it is open to all. People from the local community offer ‘Pushpanjali’ during the Puja days. From school-going children to elderly men in Alipurduar, everyone is geared up for the Puja.