I am growing increasingly fond of the Durga Pujas held in the ancestral family homes of the old families of Kolkata. It is a refreshing change from the community pujas, which are fast turning in to a commercial carnival and crowd frenzy. All of the families organizing Durga Puja in their ancestral home had a long and rich history associated, and many of the pujas are over 100 years old. Some of the founder members of the families had (very wisely) formed a Trust, the income from which fund the pujas. Several generation later, the members of the family may have dispersed to different parts of India or the world, but most of them converge during the puja and celebrate the event together. It is a heart-warming feeling to see four generations present together at the inner courtyard of the house. The unique architecture of these houses, with large inner courtyard with balcony lining it at two levels, is very conducive for such events. The Thakurdalan gets a fresh coat of whitewash before the pujas, and is decorated with flowers and bright curtains. The brass utensils, heavy gold jewelry and antique artifact collections of the family come out during the special occasion. They are always kind and welcoming to stranger guests- although I fear that with the recent trend of travel agents organizing group visits of pujo revelers- some not sensitive of the fact that these are private properties- the families will start disallowing visitors soon. This year, I was aghast to see a foreigner jumping over prayer offerings, trying to get photos from various angles. The idol making workshops in Kumartuli developed similar aversion to the over-enthusiastic visitor photographers. Weeks before the puja, when the small workshops along the congested alleys are super busy fulfilling their order obligations- hordes of students/journalists/amateurs- armed with all kinds of cameras and cellphones- descend in the congested area and enter the workshops even when the artisans are busy working- and go berserk trying to get the perfect shot. In the process, work gets hampered and even the idols get damaged. They artisan association has recently started charging entry fee in an effort to curb the tsunami of photographic talent. I anticipate similar development regarding visit to family pujos of Kolkata- just to create an entry barrier.
This blog presents photos from my visits to some of the ancestral homes of Kolkata this year.
1. Pathuriaghata- Khelat Ghosh Estate pujo
The 300 year old palatial mansion has been celebrating Durga Puja for about 170 years. The Thakurdalan or courtyard of Khelat Chandra Ghosh's House is one of the largest such structure in Kolkata. More about the house and family is available here: https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/antique-glory/cid/559354
2. Pathuriaghata Mullick Bari
This is the ancestral home of the Mullick family of Kolkata. The puja has a history of 200+ years. The unique feature of this pujo is Goddess Durga is seated here on the lap of Shiva in the form of Hara Gouri. The Lakshmi and Saraswati idols here are not only taller than Kartick and Ganesh idols; they are taller than the Durga idol too. One of the owner family members welcomed us cordially when we stood at the doorstep. We were also invited to visit the adjoining Radhakanta Jeu temple that is managed by the family.
3. Pathuriaghata Ghose family
This house is adjoining the more illustrious Pathuriaghata Palace of the Khelat Ghosh estate. The pujo here was homely and the family was welcoming of the tourists who came to visit. They were also very patient with group of foreign tourists brought in by a travel agent. Oblivious of the sentiments involved, one of the foreigners crossed the puja offerings to the goddess in her zeal to get the perfect picture.
4. Chatu Babu Latu Babu's House
At his Beadon street residence, Ram Dulal Dey (Deb Sarkar) started organizing Durga Puja from the year 1770. He was the first Bengali merchant entrepreneur who became a millionaire. He was a a pioneer in trading with the United States. After his demise, the Puja was carried on by his sons Asuthosh Dey (Deb Sarkar) and Pramatha Nath Dey (Deb Sarkar), more commonly known as ‘Chatu babu and Latu babu’. Chaatu Babu was a connoisseur and patron of classical music. Many celebrated musicians and dancers of India have perdformed in the ancestral house. Both brothers were known for their largesse to social causes. This puja is very popular among tourists visiting family pujas of Kolkata. Many tour groups have this in their itinerary.
The family traces roots to Durgacharan Mitra- the court jeweler of Bengal's last Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah. His great grandson Radhakrishna Mitra started the family puja in their ancestral home in 1807. The idols are placed on a huge throne, and on Dashami, after Goddess’s parting ritual the women of the family take turns to seat themselves on the throne, hoping that they too will imbibe the attributes of the Goddess.
6. Sovabazar Rajbari
This is also among the most visited family pujas of Kolkata. The large open courtyard is a hang out zone for young adults during the puja days. The puja here is claimed to have been initiated in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey, for British General Lord Clive to thank Goddess for emerging as the ruler of Bengal. In later years, Governor General Warren Hastings attended the puja. While the year of origin can be debated (as Nabakrishna Deb should became Clive's Munshi only after 1757- the mansion was unlikely to be there already that year), this puja is certainly among the first Durga pujas of Bengal in modern format. It was among the grandest that were organized by the landed aristocrats of Kolkata, who used the pomp and the splendor of the celebration to outshine each other and also to hobnob with the British administrators on whose favor their fortunes depended.
In earlier years, I had visited a few other family pujos. These are only few of the 50+ very classy and traditional family Durga Pujas of Kolkata. Some of these pujas have a tradition of over 250 years (first reported celebration in the current format is in 1757). In contrast, the community pujas date back to only 1910- the first one being held by Sanatan Dharmotsahini Sabha of Bagbazar with neighborhood contributions. Today, the family pujos fly under the shadow of 3000+ community pujas in the city, and are no match to the pomp and splendor of the latter. But because of the strong roots, these are still charming and uphold the true spirit of Durga Puja more than the carnivalesque exhibitionism of the big budget community pujas. The wheel of exhibitionism has now turned full circle!
A partial list of family pujas of Kolkata is available in https://wbtourismpuja.in/home/heritage_puja
More about the "Babu"s of Kolkata- the landed aristocrats who were founder members of the family mansion and the Durga Puja therein- is available in https://sites.google.com/site/sapagroup1/babu-c?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1
