DURGA : Deb Barir Puja One of the pleasures this puja was to receive an invite from my student Srijita Deb to their ancestral puja in Deb Thakurbari in Beadon Street. I had visited this puja years back but off course, this was special having been personally invited to join by one of the family members herself. It was in the year 1770, at the Beadon Street residence that Ishwar Ram Dulal Deb (Sarkar) organized the puja for the first time. Upon Ramdulal’s death the tradition was maintained by his illustrious sons Asuthosh and Pramatha Nath Debs, more commonly known by their nicknames, as ‘Chatu babu and Latu babu’ and thereafter by his grandson Anath Nath Deb. The Puja later on came to be known as the Chatu Babu Latu Babu r Puja. Ramdulal Deb was one of the first Bengali entrepreneur- millionaire to start trade with the United States. the ancestral house of doyen of Indo – US trade Ramdulal Deb (Sarkar) can be traced back to more than two hundred and thirty years. In the Phildalphia Museum in the States there is a large oil painting of Ramdulal Deb proclaiming him as the pioneer of Indo-American trade. Since 1780 his family members actively participated in organizing the puja. The pujo held at at “Ramdulal Nibas”, 67E Beadon Street following the Brihatnandikeswar Puran . The ten day Puja, that begins with “pratipadâ which continues till Sasthi, the sixth day of the fesival.Puja is performed on the Ghot without the idol.On Saptami after the Kola Bow ritual, idol worship begins. The wooden framework of the Goddess Durgas idol is worshipped on Rath Yatra which is then used for the main frame of the idol during the ceremony. Along with the wooden frame, the Chalchitra, which is the intricately designed background is equally important. is of traditional ‘Ekchala’,single panel, and the chalchitra painted background of the Idol’. This is divided into three parts known as Motchauri. On the chalchitra there is a lotus and on it both the sakhis of Durga’s companion, Jaya and Bijaya. Behind them one can also see Shiva, Ram and Hanuman.The lion has the head of a horse and along with the whole image is the chopped head of the buffalo and the Asura. The ritual of animal sacrifice, prevalent from 1770 was stopped immediately after two years from the commencement of the Puja. It is said that the ritual of animal sacrifice was stopped by Ishwar Ram Dulal Deb himself after an incident which had shocked him. Presently various vegetables are symbolically sacrificed in a tradition known as Ripu boli. The puja is really special as the family maintains all the tradition rituals started by their ancestors.The ritual called Kanakanjali which is performed in the Deb’s Puja. Ashrafi dating to the time of Akbars reign are showered at married women with children as a mark of blessing. Then there is the tradition to explode huge cracker to propagate the beginning of the Sandhi Pujo which has replaced the release of the cannon ball. After the official Dashami Puja the idol of the Godess is shifted to the middle of the Verandah with face inward to the house, as she has not left the Deb bari and cannot be facing the road to leave. I personally witnessed this ritual of shifting the godess from her place of worship the ‘Baran Verandah’. It is here that the traditional ‘Sidur Khela’ takes place and is something to witness, though male outsiders other than family members and photographers are fended off as it is a strictly ‘women’ ritual. But para and women guests are allowed to participate. The Bisarjan, Immerssion, ceremony is a spectacular affair. Women dress in red and white saris while men wear dhotis carrying seven golden umbrellas start the procession. A musical band play. Around 60 men lend their shoulders to the goddess on her way to the river. Previously the band was hired from Scotch Highlander known as Gorar Baddi but has been replaced by ‘Mehaboob Band ‘ and the like. The tradition has the practice of realising two ‘Neelkantho’ bird on the day of immersion to Kailash the abode of Uma. Nilkontho is black or grey in color. It’s original name is the Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensis. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The neck and throat are Prussian blue with white shaft streaks, giving the Bengali name to the birds meaning ‘blue throated’. Just before the immersion of the Goddess on Dashami, two Nilkontho birds are set free. The first Nilkantha is set free to go to Kailash to convey the message of Devi Durgas departure for her home. The second is set free in the middle of the river to follow the first. The immersion ceremony is also very special. The ritual called Tarpan is performed to let the deceased ancestors be informed that the Puja has been performed as per their set ritual without any deviation. This, as I understand, is performed on the Dashami morning. Another ceremony now discontinued like the release of the cannon ball was to carry the idol on shoulder up to the riverside and to ferry Ma Durga and her children to the middle of the Ganga for immersion. This has been discontinued recently as per Government rules for protecting the Ganges from pollution. After the goddess is immersed in the water then the holy water collected which is called Gana shanti jal and it is sprinkled on everyone present. At present all the Pujas and functions are conducted by the Deb Bari Trust started in 1919. Apart from Durga Puja the Trust performs the traditional Charak Puja, Jaggadhatri Puja, Saraswati Pujas in great fervour and style is equally well known for its patronage towards Indian Classical Music. Chatubabu himself was a musician and perhaps the first Bengali Sitarist. Eminent artists like Bade Gulam Ali Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Udayshankar, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Roshan Kumari, Ustad Alla Rakha. performed in this house. This too is maintained till day. Classical Music programmes are still held during important Pujas of this house. Srijita told me that the members of the Deb family live adjacent to the thakurbari. It was pleasant to find the descendants of Ramdulal living in large mansions in the locality with their families, and a bazaar in their locality belonging to their ancestors, unlike many others who have disintegrated.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 09:21:52 +0000