Bonedi bari pujas; the ones who reined in the celebration of Durga for Kolkata people

Kolkata

Bonedi bari pujas or the Durga Pujas performed at the yesteryear aristocratic households of Kolkata are some of the oldest puja celebrations in the city. Some date back 415 years or more, way before the British set foot in India. 

The Sabarna Roy Choudhury family in south Kolkata, Behala area is said to have the oldest Durga Puja in the city. The pujas are now handled by the 35th generation of the family line. Srimant Roy Choudhury, one of the heirs of this zamindar (landlord) family who is an integral part of the pujas spoke to The Hindu and said, “Our Durga Puja started in 1610, we had traditions like buffalo and goat sacrifice, but to keep up with the changing times, I myself took the initiative to stop this animal sacrifice. The pujas happen in the same courtyard where the deed to lease Kalikata, Sutanuti, and Gobindapur to the East India Company was signed from where the British era started in India.” 

The tale of Sabarna Roy Choudhury’s Durga Pujas is very similar to that of the north Kolkata’s Darjipara Mitra Bari Pujas, or the Sobhabajar Rajbari Pujas. They are all hundreds of years old and most of them follow generations of old traditions to keep the heritage alive which speaks of a thousand family tales. Even with many family members residing outside the State or even the country, they take pride in the fact that families unite during the four days of the pujas. 

Traditions like using old moulds to make the faces of the idols, or pandits, idol makers, and dhakis (drummers) who have been with the family for generations are still kept alive by the current generations. 

A lesser-known Durga Puja but a historic one is a 307-year-old bonedi bari puja from Sarisha in South 24 Parganas is the Basu Bari Puja. Started in 1717, this puja is one of the iconic celebrations in the locality. Pallabi Dey, a daughter of the Basu family said, “Traditionally our family were the zamindars of this place so during immersion on Dashami our goddess is immersed first and then the rest of the locality pujas. This tradition is still followed by many in honour of the history.” 

Bonedis of northern Kolkata

Sobhabajar Rajbari in the northern parts of Kolkata is one of the oldest Durga Pujas in that side of the city. This puja was started by Raja Naba Krishna Deb, one of the closest confidants of Sir Robert Clive. There are two divisions to this Durga Pujas, one was started in 1757, another in 1790. 

Prabir Krishna Deb, an 8^th generation heir of Raja Naba Krishna Deb from the 1790’s Durga Puja lineage (choto torof or Gopinath bari, younger side) spoke to The Hindu and said that their side of the pujas started over 233 years ago. Mr. Krishna Deb said, “Traditionally we used to fly a nilkantha (Indian Roller) bird on Dashami to send a message to Lord Shiv about Goddess Durga’s departure from Earth and her next journey onto her abode in the mountains. But we had to stop because of government’s animal welfare rules.” 

Durga Pujas in their courtyard were a star-studded affair in its glory days. People like Ramkumar Chattopadhyay, Birendra Krishna Bhadra, and other famous singers came to perform for their audience. They have kept the cultural programs alive, where dramas are conducted by the family members themselves. Hundreds of locals and puja enthusiasts from across the State flock to their homes every year to get a glimpse of the royalty of the age-old traditions. 

Traditions weaved in

Back in the day bonedi bari pujas were not very inclusive, they mostly allowed extended family members to attend, over the years modernisation changed the worldview and common people were allowed inside the tall gates of the old houses. “Utsob sobar, dharma je jar. (Festival is for everyone, religion is individual),” said Mr. Roy Choudhury when asked about the closely guarded traditions and festivities of bonedi baripujas. He welcomed everyone to visit their pujas and learn about the history of their family and Kolkata. 

Vinayak Chowdhury, a bonedi baripujas tour conductor from Trek Break & More who documents the history of these historic Durga Pujas and conducts guided tours said, “Maintenance and upkeep of these houses and the Durga Pujas itself have become a huge issue over the years, needs huge money. Sometimes involving the upcoming generation also becomes a challenge. But if we lose these pujas to such issues, a part of our history will be erased from the lives of the next generations.” 

Mr. Chowdhury also pointed out that these logistical issues have led to many historic pujas going out of commission forever and a part of culture was washed away with them. Many of these houses have either gone under the hammer and “modern era” multi-storied buildings have come up in their place or are just kept for film shoots to raise money for maintenance. He said, “That is why it is crucial to have extensive conservation and awareness, so that we do not lose our heritage.” 

Female driven

Though small-scale pujas inside the house are always considered a woman’s domain, the same women were never made the in-charge of any major Durga Pujas and most traditions were passed down through male heirs of the family in the bonedi baris of Kolkata. 

This age-old tradition was broken and challenged by the Darjipara Mitra Bari Durga Puja in north Kolkata when the Mitra household did not have a male heir to overtake the puja rituals. 

The Mitra Bari puja is now 218 years old and Anushua Mitra Biswas and other women in the family take a leading role in managing this puja. Ms. Mitra Biswas who is the 6th generation in this puja told The Hindu, “Our generation did not have any male heirs, so it is women driven. Our pujas uniqueness is in the fact that the women goddesses, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi have features like gods, the male gods like Kartik, Ganesh, and Ashura have a Bangla face (human-like). We have kumari puja (young woman puja) on three days of the festival, unlike any other puja.” 

Ms. Mitra Biswas points out that on the last day of the pujas, Dashami (Dusherra), the women who conduct the boron (farewell) ceremony go and sit on the goddess’s throne. This tradition is followed to signify that Durga is a female power, so are the women of the family. While bidding farewell, they ask for the goddess to give them a small part of her prowess to keep their families free of all evils.