Puja beginning long before Mahalaya, fortnight-long festivities, sindoor khela on Ashtami - the erstwhile zamindars of Howrah may have lost much of their grandeur but when it comes to Durga Puja, the families continue to hold on to the age-old rituals with equal fervour.

Dutta Chowdhury family puja, Andul: The Durga Puja at the Dutta Chowdhury family home in Andul is among the oldest in Bengal.

It was started by Kashiswar Dutta around 400 years ago and dedicated to his father, Ramsaran Dutta. Even today, the puja is performed in his name.

"Five kinds of legumes are offered to the deity every day. This is distributed among devotees chanting Ramsaran er karai dhoro (Take Ramsaran's legumes)," said Kabita Dutta Chowdhury, a senior member of the family.

Durga Puja is a 15-day affair here. The bodhon ghot (an earthen pot that symbolises the deity) is placed in the thakurdalan (puja courtyard) on the navami tithi before Mahalaya. Idol worship begins on Saptami, in keeping with the Brihat Nandikeswar Purana.

Offerings to the deity also include homemade sweets such as khaja and agmonda. " Agmonda is made of coconut and kheer. The sweet is decorated with mewa and sugar candy and is placed on top of a pile of puffed rice as one of the main offerings. I have been making this ever since I was married into this family," said Kabita, who has been a part of the family puja for 50 years.

Another ritual on Navami is satru bali (killing the enemy), where a human figure made with powdered rice is placed in the hollow of a banana tree trunk and sacrificed," she said.

On Dashami, the eldest lady of the house does the boron (a farewell ritual) and bids adieu to the deity. The goddess is carried away for immersion on a bamboo carriage.

Roychowdhury family puja, Shibpur: The Roychowdhury family, the zamindars of Shibpur, has been conducting a puja since 1685, when it was started by Raja Rambramha Roychowdhury after the goddess appeared in his dreams.

"Puja starts at the bel ghar (an old bel tree is kept guarded in a room near the mandap) after we pray at Betaichandi temple on the navami tithi before Mahalaya. The purohit ties a thread around the bel tree on that day, which is cut on Dashami," said Samir Roychowdhury, a member of the family.

Four lavish meals, all cooked by the women of the house, are served to the goddess every day " Ballo bhog is served early in the morning and includes chhana (cottage cheese), butter, sugar candy and dry fruits. In the afternoon, there are two offerings - one of khichuri, fritters, vegetables and fish and the second of steamed rice, dal, fritters, fish and payesh. Luchi and a vegetable are offered in the evening," said Arun Roychowdhury, a family member. Fish from the family pond was earlier offered to the deity, but now it is bought from the market.

On the way back from immersion on Dashami, the family members visit the Betaichandi temple. "The crown of the goddess is not immersed. We place it on Betaichandi's head," Samir said.

Pal family puja, Rajgunge: The most striking feature of this puja in Sankrail is that sindoor khela here is on Ashtami instead of Dashami .

The puja is 195 years old and is performed following Vaishnava rituals.

"Cooks from Odisha come just before Durga Puja. They prepare the deity's bhog," said Reba Pal, a senior member of the family. Some sweets are made at home like nadu made of coconut and til (sesame seeds). Kumari puja happens on Navami. On Dashami, the family feast on fish and rice after the ghot is immersed. The menu on the rest of the days of Puja is vegetarian.

Misra family puja, Bally: At this 105-year-old puja, Durga rides a half horse-half lion.

During sandhi puja, the family member in whose name the puja is being performed must offer a drop of blood from his chest on a bel leaf to the deity. Dhuno porano on sandhi puja is a task of the women of the family. They sit in front of the goddess with earthen pots of fire on both hands, knees and one on the head.

"On Dashami, the married women of the house go to the ghat in the morning to pray and inform the river that the deity would soon be brought," Abhay Kumar Misra said.