Oldest Durga Puja In West Bengal Let’s Discover The Marvelous History

Cooch Behar’s former Maharaja Nara Narayan began celebrating the goddess Durga 77 years before the event. Google claims to be the world’s oldest Durga Puja in west Bengal. The 488th Durga Puja is being celebrated this year.
Whenever you Research’ oldest Durga Puja in West Bengal’, you’ll get the Barisha Roy Choudhurys’ 1610 puja. That’s how Google works when no one can capture the oral history and have it claim a spot on its hallowed first page. But many years before 1610, Maharaja Nara Narayan of Koch Bihar established a Durga Puja. It was the year 1533. She was the Great Goddess, or Boro Debi, as he referred her. He fasted for days to win her favor, and then, in a dream, she appeared to him. This Boro Debi is Durga. This oldest Durga puja in west Bengal is the most famous puja in Kolkata.

Most Famous Oldest Durga Puja In West Bengal :

In 2021, twelve years shy of 500, the Boro Debi is still the same in this small region of West Bengal. It’s not your typical Durga. Since tigers were plentiful in this area, they took the place of the lion. The Maharajas routinely hunted for big game in these places; therefore, a tiger as Durga’s ‘Vaahan’ in Nara Narayan’s dream is not unexpected. The idol is the same one the king saw in his dream. 488 years later too. This oldest Durga puja in west Bengal is the most famous puja in Kolkata.

Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, and Ganesh, Durga’s children, are absent. Jaya and Bijaya replaced them. Although the electric light bulbs have replaced the earthen Diyas in their hands, the foundation upon which the Goddess is built remains unchanged. The Boro Debi has shown no reaction to the shifting environment. On the festivals of Panchami and Shashti, other Durga idols are brought to the mandap, but this one is constructed of clay right there. Mahalaya is the island where she receives her new eyes. The gates on Shashti fold back to let the public in, but everyone knows there’s a boundary you can’t cross. They pray from this side of the mandap, gazing up in wonder at the ancient statue that has withstood the test of time—this oldest Durga puja in west Bengal is the most famous puja in Kolkata.

Ashtami here begins with a buffalo sacrifice. A District Magistrate stopped the gift a few years ago, only to see waves of resentment. This Durga has seen the ‘godless Marxists’ come and go with no scratch on her. So the sacrifice continues; this is Cooch Behar’s most revered, most feared Durga.
When Ashtami melds into Nabami, and it is time for Shandhi Puja, this Durga places a unique demand. For many years after Nara Narayan started this Puja, human sacrifice was part of the festival. But times have changed, and the ‘human sacrifice’ is only symbolic now — thank Durga for that! So late on Ashtami night, a Gupta Puja takes place inside the temple. The priest and a man conduct these rituals. A human figure is created using rice. The man pierces his finger. A few drops of blood make this rice figure ‘human.’ This figure is then sacrificed for the Goddess. The town’s happiness and prosperity are taken care of for another year—this oldest Durga puja in west Bengal is the most famous Puja in Kolkata.

The Cooch Behar Boro Debi will depart at 9 a.m. on Dashami to make her way back. Sharp. A group gathers after the sindoor Khela is completed to transport the Goddess to her in-laws. The group ties long, strong ropes to the platform and begins to pull it out of the temple. To the tune of “Bolo Durga Maai Ki Jai,” “Abar Kobe,” and “Bochhor Pore,” this misfit group follows Durga to the Jamuna Dighi. Behind the Debi Bari is where you’ll find this pond. Dashami is a day that can be named because it exists.

The Goddess is not merely submerged when she is brought to the banks of the Jamuna Dighi. This idol is monstrous. There’s too much of her to fit in the pond at once. This results in the idol being cut in half. The heads of the deities Jaya-Bijaya and Durga will be the next. Nara Narayan used to ride an elephant to each immersion to keep an eye on things and release a bird at the end. The bird’s path that year was a map of the territories the king needed to rule over. This oldest Durga puja in west Bengal is the most famous puja in Kolkata.

It only takes a few days after Dashami for the clay to be completely gone. The straw rises to the water’s surface. Thatched roofs can be repaired with it, and some people collect it, dry it, and then store it for future use. As of late, the Jamuna Dighi has been turning back to its original dark green color. This Durga seems to have vanished, and she is the oldest. Yes, please; aasche bochhor, abar hobe. This oldest Durga puja in West Bengal is the most famous puja in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Conclusion:

The family sings hymns to the Goddess while folk dance performances and Baul songs utterly light up the evenings. Even though it is somewhat removed from the center of Kolkata, you can still sense the true Bengali tradition and culture there. This 488-year-oldest Durga Puja in west Bengal on the outskirts of Kolkata is a must-see because of its peculiar and non-Western rituals. With the aid of other bloggers, countless newspaper articles, Facebook posts, and conversations with numerous people, the list of most famous Durga puja in Kolkata has been put together. This oldest Durga puja in west Bengal is the most renowned Puja in Kolkata. The list is not all-inclusive, given the vast number of locations we have yet to visit and learn about. Without a doubt, we want to keep adding to this list. Please let us know if you are aware of any further Durga Puja that is not listed. We will be pleased to thank and name the Puja on the list. Given that we obtained the information by speaking to numerous persons, there may be some factual inaccuracies. Please inform us of any such inaccuracies if you find any.