515 Years & Counting: What Makes This Bengal Durga Puja Royal & Regal?

As the historic Durga Puja at Baikunthapur Rajbari turns 515 years old, people associated with the royal family are busy with its preparations. Historians say that this puja was started by Shishya Singh and Bishwa Singh — two members of the royal family who began the practice by making an idol out of straw. People from far-off places come to be a part of this celebration and witness the power of the world-famous 'Kanak Durga'.

Jalpaiguri: What makes Baikunthapur Rajbari Durga Puja which turns 515 years this year royal and regal in the real sense? Towels and sheets from Assam, cloth canopies from Bangladesh, and Banarasi sarees from Kolkata are ingredients that will make the puja special.

With Durga Puja around the corner, West Bengal is gearing up to welcome Goddess Durga with enthusiasm and vigour. One cannot wait to see the city decked up in its full glory and might. As the historic Durga Puja at Baikunthapur Rajbari here turns 515 years old, preparations are in full swing for some special celebrations this time.

It is to be noted that preparations commence with ‘Nanda Utsav’ on Janmashtami day. The Durga idols are made out of clay used during the Janmashtami Puja. The ceremonial painting of Goddess Durga’s eyes (‘Chokkhudan’) will take place on the day of Mahalaya.

One point to be noted is that earlier, one would witness the ritual of human sacrifice during the celebrations. However, no human lives are sacrificed now. Instead, a lookalike made from rice powder is sacrificed during the puja. A huge chunk of the population from Bangladesh travels to Bengal every year to witness the world-famous 'Kanak Durga' at this five-century-old Baikunthpur Rajbari.

History Of The Puja:It is said that this puja was started 515 years ago by Shishya Singh and Bishwa Singh — two members of the royal family who began the practice by making an idol out of straw. This tradition has been preserved by their descendants. As per locals, with the blessings of Goddess Durga, Bishwa Singh rose to become the king of Cooch Behar that year while Shishya Singha began his reign.

Pranath Basu, a member of the royal family, said, "Bishya Singha and Shishya Singha started this puja in the capital of the Raikat dynasty in Suvarnapur. Later, Jalpaiguri became the capital of Baikunthpur. The Puja follows the Kalika tradition with the main ‘Bodhan’ taking place on ‘Panchami,’ followed by a midnight ritual attended only by family members."

Royal family priest Shibu Ghoshal, speaking about the food offered to the deity said that the Goddess is offered non-veg food every day. "We serve her different varieties of fish- hilsa, chital, hilsa head curry among others. On Bijoya Dashami day, fish and panta (Pakkhala) rice are offered to her," he said.

Basu said that the custom of releasing the ‘Neelkantha’ bird has been discontinued. "However, we do make an effort to maintain the traditional customs. Despite being a family Puja, the neighbourhood takes an active part in it. People from far-off places come to attend the celebration and collect the prasad that is distributed from "Saptami" to "Navami."