In the lanes of Jayashree Park, Behala, is a tradition that has travelled across borders and centuries. The Bandyopadhyay family Durga Puja began in 1790 in Bajrojogini village, Bikrampur (now in Dhaka, Bangladesh), under the guidance of Krishna Chandra Bandyopadhyay. It is said that Krishna Chandra had a dream about the idol’s form and began the Puja as per the Brihat Nandikeshwar Puran. After the Partition and the refugee crisis, the Puja found its way to Kolkata in 1959 and was held at several locations before settling in Behala.
When Kartik stands with Lakshmi and Ganesha with Saraswati
One of the most striking features of this Puja is the unique placement of the deities. Traditionally, Ganesha and Lakshmi are placed on the right side of Durga and Kartik and Saraswati on the left. At the Bandyopadhyay Puja, this order is reversed. Here, Ganesha sits to the left with Saraswati, while Kartik stands with Lakshmi on the right. The idol also breaks from convention by showing Mahishasura emerging from the belly of the slain buffalo, without legs. For the past decade, idol maker Basudeb Pal has been creating this distinctive murti, beginning work after Ulto Rath rituals are performed.
“Our idol is unlike any other. Here Mahishasura has no legs — he emerges from the stomach of the buffalo, just as our ancestor Krishna Chandra dreamt it,” said Sombuddha Banerjee, sixth generation of Krishna Chandra Bandyopadhyay.
Rituals guided by Brihat Nandikeshwar Puran
The family follows strict rituals laid down in the Brihat Nandikeshwar Puran. All three aspects of Devi Mahamaya, i.e., Srishti (creation), Sthithi (preservation), and Laya (destruction), are worshipped. Chandi is recited continuously during the three days of worship and on Chaturdashi, which falls just before Kojagori Lakshmi Puja. Sandhi Puja sees the worship of Chamunda, and a yajna is performed from Ashtami till Nabami.
“All three forms of Devi Mahamaya — creation, preservation and destruction — are worshipped here. Nabadurga, the eight forms of Chandika, 64 yoginis and even one crore yoginis are invoked during the rituals,” explained Banerjee.
From goat sacrifice to symbolic offerings
“Since 2020, all animal sacrifices have been replaced with symbolic offerings like wax gourd. But the shotru boli ritual remains, reminding us to conquer the enemies within,” said Sombuddha Banerjee.
Animal sacrifice was once a part of the Puja, with goats offered on all three days until 2006, and later only on Ashtami morning till 2019. Now, the tradition continues symbolically with chalkumro (wax gourd) offerings. A unique ritual called shotru boli is performed on Nabami, where male members of the family symbolically destroy the six enemies of the human mind (shoro ripu) by sacrificing a clay figure covered with colocasia (kochu) leaves.
Bhog with fish on Nabami
While the goddess is offered vegetarian bhog on Saptami and Ashtami, Nabami is special with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. Fish holds pride of place in the bhog, with koi, boal and even hilsa making their way to the offerings.
A Puja that was never disrupted
The family proudly says that in 235 years, the Puja has never been interrupted. Not during the famine, Partition or epidemics. The scale may have been reduced at times, but the rituals were always performed.
“Our family has performed this puja through famine, Partition, pandemics and even Covid,” said Sombuddha Banerjee. “No matter the crisis, the rituals have never stopped.”