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| Jiban Pal and his associates work on the Durga idol. Picture by Biplab Basak |
Jalpaiguri, Oct. 1: When it comes to crowd pulling during the Durga Puja, none can match the magnetic magic of the Jalpaiguri Rajbari.
It does not have the dazzling decorative lights of the town pandals, the prize-winning pandal designs or idol masterpieces. What it has is the grandeur of its tradition, its two-century-old festival customs and a magic of its own that is as compelling today as it was years ago when it housed the Raikat kings.
Says Pranata Kumar Bose, a descendent of the family: “We continue to perform the Durga Puja in the same fashion as it was conducted by our ancestors. The priest and the idol maker have been a part of this family for generations. It has an appeal of its own as the puja of the Rajbari and the oldest one in the area.”
The ritual of performing the puja was started by Bose’s ancestors, Raja Bishusingha and Raja Sishusingha, as early as in 1432 . “As far as I can remember the Puja started under their patronage when they thought of settling down here,” Bose said.
He recalls the custom of Narabali, where a human being was sacrificed on the altar of the goddess.
The practice was stopped later.
Even today, a dummy made of paddy grains and some other things is offered to Durga. On the night of Nabami, the fourth day of the puja, the priest performs the Madhyaratrir Puja or the puja at midnight.
Nobody, other than members of the royal family, is permitted to witness the event.
That it is an intensely guarded family tradition is evident from Bose’s refusal to elaborate on the topic.
This year, however, there has been a touch of change. Joggeshwar Pal, the idol maker of the family, has transferred his duty to his son because of his failing health.
“I am trying my best,” says the younger Pal, adding, “ I know the importance of this Puja. I am trying to incorporate the things I learnt from my father.”
As the preparations for the elaborate five-day-long affair begin, the young and the old of Jalpaiguri watch and wait for another year of the palace magic. Shubha Sankar Sarkar, a youth of Jalpaiguri, perhaps echoes the popular sentiment. “Our entire batch of friends is ready to skip one or two club pujas but we are not ready to miss the puja of the Rajbari,” he says, his face lighting up at the mere mention of it.