Oldest Durga Puja at Durgabari

Jita Ashtami Puja in progress at Durgabari.Photo: STAR

The oldest possible Durga Puja of the city is celebrated at Durgabari in Shankhari Bazar area. According to the old residents, this is a hundred-year old puja and the oldest existing one in the area.
Shamapika Dhar, owner of the house (Durgabari) and in-charge of the puja for the last 17 years, said that the puja is completely a family affair; no official donation is taken for it but everyone can enjoy the festivity.
“The legend says a childless lady promised to the goddess that she will do her worship every year if she gets a child. After the goddess bestowed her with a child she kept her promise by arranging Durga Puja every year in this house and changed the name of the house to Durgabari,” said Shamapika.
Over the last one hundred years there had been no changes in the designs of the idols. All the idols are made on a single platform, which is a unique feature. The priests follow the same ancient rules and rituals.
“We perform a full 10-day worship of the goddess that starts with sacrificing a pumpkin. We perform the puja of Jita Ashtami, the worship of the son of the sun, without which the Durga Puja is almost meaningless. It is a very ancient practice and a must for Durga Puja but at present Jita Ashtami is performed only in this house in this city,” she said.
“The puja has nothing to do with the ancestry. The owners of this house have maintained the promise of that lady when they took over the house believing that this house is possessed by Durga,” she added.