Jalpaiguri, Oct. 15 -- A nearly 444-year-old Durga Puja at Pandapara Kalibari Road in Jalpaiguri continues to preserve a royal legacy of faith and tradition. Considered the oldest Durga Puja in Jalpaiguri town, the celebration is organised by the descendants of Raja Kangsanarayan Roy, who maintain centuries-old rituals passed down through generations.
The tradition originated in Tahirpur, in present-day Rajshahi, Bangladesh, where Raja Kangsanarayan Roy is believed to have started the puja around 1582, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. According to the family, nearly Rs 9 lakh was spent on organising the puja at the time. Following political upheavals and an attack during Hussain Shah's reign, the family reportedly moved through Sakrail in present-day Tangail district before eventually settling in Jalpaiguri.
Historian Umesh Sharma said: "The family had continued the tradition through several relocations. After the Raja's defeat in battle, the idol was reportedly taken to the house of Srihatto Sen for refuge. The puja was later revived at Sankrail before the family eventually brought the tradition to Jalpaiguri."
One of the most distinctive features of the puja is that no outside priest is invited. Family members perform all the rituals themselves, following ancestral customs.
The principal deity is a nine-inch Goddess Durga idol made of Ashtadhatu, an alloy of eight metals, worshipped alongside Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya. Unlike conventional Durga Puja arrangements, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi are not worshipped alongside the deity.
During Durga Puja, a clay idol of Goddess Durga is brought in alongside the traditional Ashtadhatu idol. While the metal idol remains central to the family's ancestral worship, the clay idol is worshipped publicly in the presence of devotees.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.