Heritage Spotlight: Indulge explores a 336-year-old heritage Durga Puja in Kolkata

Nestled in the lanes of Pathuriaghata is the 336 years old Durga Puja being performed every year at Hara Kutir. The Hara-Kutir Ray- Banerjee barir Durga Puja takes place at a heritage venue dating back by almost three centuries. From being a mud house to a marbled one, with marbles sourced from the same batch used in Fort William and parts of Victoria Memorial, the legacy of the Durga Puja along with its unique rituals certainly needs exploration. The building and its celebrations is a unique space where the past meets the present and journeys together into the future. We caught up with Archisman Ray- Banerjee, the 12^th generation organiser of the Durga Puja to know more about the heritage of the space and the festivities.

From the pages of history

Talking about the yesteryears Durga Puja after recalling stories heard from parents and grandparents, he mentions, “Initially this place used to be a crematorium. When Keshab Chandra Sen, my ancestor, first migrated here he found a small Ashtadhatu, alloy metal of Maa Durga which was already present in the crematorium, He decided that it was an auspicious deed to start worshipping the Goddess and that is how the Puja started. In the mid 1750’s it evolved into a bigger affair where a wooden idol was made. Then eventually Hara Prasad Bandhopadhyay, the legendary Drupad musical sensation and my fourth-in-line ancestor had a dream of the Goddess where she showed him the way she wanted to be worshipped. Since then, the present structure of the Goddess has been followed.”

Preparations every year

The preparations for Durga puja begin much ahead of its time. Archisman informs, “For us it’s a three and half month affair. The idol is completely made from scratch in this house. The man of the house, at present me, pay a visit to Sonagachi to collect mud and hand it over to the kumar. This process starts in August, the day after Janmasthami and after Kathamo Puao. Then the process of second and third coats of mud takes place and the painting happens a day before Mahalaya when we do the Debi Chokkhudaan. After that Durga Puja here is celebrated for 10 days because it starts from Pratipad in the Dalan.”

Flavours of Bhog!

When we talk of the festivities, the food comprises a major part of it. with Bhog being made and distributed from the house, we get a glimpse of the process here. “We have a different ritual where the men of the house cook. My father cooks and I help him. We have five Bhaaja (fries) Anya Bhog – rice, khichudi, 13 types of sweets like Rosogolla, Lady Kenni  and more. We also have a specialty recipe called Chandoni Kheer which is served to the Goddess in the evening alongside luchi and begun bhaja. On Dashami the Goddess is served Baashi Bhog. Since we become vegetarians for nine-days, that day we cook fish, which is considered very auspicious.”

Connecting Past to Present

With the advent of the digital bloom especially in the last few years, there has been a paradigm shift in awareness, understanding and knowledge. He mentions, “Till about 7 years ago, the entire focus was on doing the rituals on time. But with the advent of social media, there has been a pragmatic shift in how Bonedi baris are being viewed. That has come into the aspect of Hara Kutir as well. Earlier when people were not much aware of Hara Kutir, now people queue around for a shot. I also believe it is extremely important to give the right frame to the photographers because they are doing a wonderful job of spreading this Puja. Also, with the movie Bijoyar Pore being shot here starring Swastika Mukherjee, the footfall has hit record numbers.”

What’s in store this year?

Not only is the house open for all visitors during the Festival, a cultural soiree is also being organised before. Giving away the details Archisman mentions, “We are organising Agomonir Adda 1.0 which is all about art, photography, and music. We have Srikanta Acharya visiting our house, a music conference, a photography exhibition, food and lifestyle stores and more. The exhibition will run from October 2-6 and all are welcome. “