Taltala’s Dutta Family’s Durga Puja Immersed In Tradition

Kinjal Bose

Durga Puja, the greatest festival of the Bengalees is not only celebrated as a barowari puja but also held with as much pomp and splendour in many households of West Bengal including Calcutta. In the City of Joy, the puja has been performed by many families for a long time and, that too, without any break. One such family that we are going to read about in this edition is the Dutta family of 38, Taltala Bazaar Street, Calcutta – 14 where the Durga puja is being held since 1818.

The puja was started by Kartick Chandra Dutta and was later carried forward by Nani Lal Dutta. At the Dutta family, the Goddess is worshipped following the Brihat Nandikeshwar Debika Puran.

The task of preparing the beautiful idol starts from the first month of Bengali calendar (Baisakh); but kathamo puja is held only on the occasion of Rathayatra.

Like other bonedi families of West Bengal, both dhunoporano and kumari puja are practiced here. But kumari puja is held in a somewhat different manner. An unmarried female member of a particular family is worshipped here as kumari. Each year, the kumari is chosen from that family only.

There are a few unique things associated with this age-old puja. Traditionally, Durga puja generally begins with the bathing of nabapatrika on Saptami. However, in Taltala’s Dutta family nabapatrika is bathed before dawn and after the conclusion of this ritual, chokhudaan is performed. Five different types of fruits and vegetables namely sugarcane, chachikumro (pumpkin), ginger, cucumber and lemon are sacrificed on the three days of the puja except on the day of Saptami when chachikumro is sacrificed during the ritual of chokhudaan.

As Maa Chandi is worshipped in Dutta household, therefore with the completion of Maha Nabami puja, the ghat of goddess Chandi is taken back to the thakurghar where it stays for the entire year till the beginning of Durga Puja the following year.

According to a family member, Durga puja is being celebrated in the same thakur dalan from the very beginning till date except in the year 1946 when the puja was held in the house of Pankaj Mallick.

After the end of Dasami puja, comes the ritual of baran of Maa Durga followed by sindurkhela and lastly kanakanjali. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the idol was taken to the ghat carried on shoulders for immersion which is a rare thing to watch. But presently, the same is being taken in a lorry and immersed in the Ganges.