Durga in the traditional style at the Das family’s puja in Kapalitola and (below) in Chutki avatar. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Sudeshna Banerjee

The Das family of Kapalitola is celebrating the bicentenary of their Durga puja this year.

Kapalitola is a well-known neighbourhood in central Calcutta off Chittaranjan Avenue as both Hare Street and Bowbazar police stations facing each other are located there. The entire area once belonged to the Das family which has lived there for generations. According to elders of the family, they belong to the Baishya Kapali community after which the area is named.

Durga puja was introduced in 1222 bangabda by Banchharam Das at 6 Kapalitola Lane. Later the puja shifted to the family house at 41 Chittaranjan Avenue. Now, for years it has been celebrated in the family’s Kali temple on Chittaranjan Avenue. A Durga dalan was added to this temple in 1983 where the Durga image is made and worshipped.

The family has been celebrating the puja for nine generations and now three branches of the family are in charge of it. It is under a debuttar trust set up by Khetramohan Das in 1870. The Durga image is in traditional style and has a triptych behind it. The family worships Madanmohan, another name for Krishna, which is 225 years old. Hence Durga is worshipped according to Vaishnav traditions. Instead of any animal, a sugarcane is ritually “sacrificed”, and only vegetarian food is offered to the goddess till Navami. Apart from Durga Puja, Rathyatra, Jhulan and Raas Yatra are celebrated in the Kali temple.

Durga in Dholakpur

Last year, he was at a pandal in north Calcutta, teaching children the importance of environment conservation. Chhota Bheem is back, this time at Tollygunge Purbachal Club in Regent Park. His closest friend and assistant Chutki has been tasked with defeating the bully Kalia, who symbolises the demon Mahishasura.

The pandal brings Dholakpur alive, right down to Tuntun Mausi’s laddoo stall at the gate. There are thermocol cutouts of Kalia disrupting a sage’s yajna, Chutki being armed like Durga, and then mounted on a toothy lion, launching an assault on a rotund Kalia, who stands next to a disinterested buffalo.

Theme artiste Andy promises a live Chhota Bheem show too. With children restless for a glimpse of their dreamland, the puja will need many a bada Bheem to keep the little Dholakpur fans on their best behaviour.

Contributed by Soumitra Das and Sudeshna Banerjee