Gram Banglar Pujo; Bhandarhati

Pujo maney thakur dekha….raat jege thakur dekha…line diye thakur dekha….

Durga Pujo is synonymous with pandal hopping and staying up the whole night visiting pandals. But, these days I seemed to have had enough of this pandal hopping. The traffic snarls in Kolkata, the long queues, trudging kilometers on foot is no longer a good idea. And, after staying up the whole night, the next day is spent in a haze of lethargy!Also with various awards and competitions, Pujo in Kolkata has become highly competitive, studded with celebrities and quite artificial. But, I do appreciate the skill of the artisans, the theme of the Puja and the wonders that they create.

So these days, we run away from the city during Durga Pujo. We run away into the rural interiors of Bengal which is known as ‘Rarh Bangla’. Therein lies the true spirit of Pujo; a proper Dhaaki who has the sense of taal and loy and doesn’t beat or sway to meaningless Bollywood numbers, more emphasis on the customs that make the Pujo grand and yes the ‘Bhuribhoj’. 

It was a couple of years ago that we chanced upon one such Pujo during our adventures in ‘Rarh Bangla’.
 

2009: We were the proud parents of a baby boy. Pujo Dorshon in Kolkata was ruled out that year. Ashtami morning we stepped out in search of a Pujo with a ‘distinct flavor’. Cruising down the National Highway towards Burdwan, we decided it was time for a ‘chai break’. As we sat down for some ‘cha-biskoot’, we learnt from the ‘cha-ala’ about a ‘bonedi barir’ Durga Puja (belonging to the aristocracies) in Bhandarhati, a village 1.5 hours away from Bardhaman.

Driving past lush green fields, mud houses, Anganwadi centres and Panchayat offices we reached this nondescript village. Many years back this village was ruled by the Chowdhury’s, the Zamindars of the area. The Choudhury’s are still there and are a highly revered family. 

The Pujo was started 195 years ago by the Chowdhury patriarch. Today there are two Chowdhury’s in the village who are siblings but, markedly different in their tastes and way of life. While one lives in the ‘shohor’ (city) and has adopted the city way of life, the other has chosen to stay back in the village and embrace all the villagers as his kin. The former has a huge house from the bygone era, which leads the way to the Pujo mandap. His house is opulent and well-maintained. The driveway to his house remains crowded with luxury cars. It’s known in the village that this Chowdhury babu entertains ‘only shohurey’ (city - bred) guests during Durga Puja.

The other babu whose name is Dhiren Chowdhury is just the opposite. Bare bodied and clad in a simple, white dhuti, he is the epitome of simplicity and humility. It is this Chowdhury babu who has continued with the age-old tradition of celebrating the Bhandarhati Pujo. He has chosen Bhandarhati as his home and stayed back to maintain what his forefathers left for him. Despite various hurdles, mainly financial, he has tried his best to maintain the Durga mandap and the Pujor dalan on his own. His quarters are adjacent to the Pujo mandap. They also date back to many years and lack the show and grandeur of the other ‘babu’s residence.
 

Utter strangers, we were given a very warm welcome by Dhiren babu. He served us fol proshaad (fruits offered to the Goddess) and took us on a tour of the Pujo mandap and the dalan, all the while regaling us with stories of the Zamindari system. That year the Ashtami Pujo had been completed in the early hours of the morning while Shondhi Pujo was scheduled to happen at the usual late hours of the night. Hence the gate to Ma Durga’s mandap was locked. The heavy grill gate prevented any view of the Goddess. But Dhiren babu ignored the norm and threw open the gates for us. On hearing that we had a newborn baby with us, he acted as the purohit and did an ‘abhishekh’ in front of the Goddess. His pronunciation of the mantras, the bass of his voice and the purity of his attire is something which remains firmly engraved in my mind for ever. 

The most striking aspect of this Pujo besides the historical touch is the Goddess herself. Decked up in gold (Known as the ‘Shonaar shaaj’), she is a beauty, you would keep on gazing at. Devoid of any of those wonders in the city, she is simple, divine and beautiful. Adorned in traditional jewellery, she is a glorious sight. The unique feature about this Goddess is that she doesn’t have an Asura. Mahishashur and the lion are absent. White and ethereal, there is no violence depicted here.  The Goddess appears in her ‘borabhoy’ (non-violence) avatar. 

Another interesting feature is the bhog offered to the Goddess. It is ‘aamish bhog’ (non-vegetarian). It is mandatory to serve the Goddess a variety of preparation in fish besides various kinds of vegetables, dal, shukto, labra,chutney and payesh. While the members of the household sat down for the feast in the Pujo dalan, the villagers (proja) sat down in the shed that leads to the mandap. Women of the household, bejeweled with traditional heavy ornaments and clad in red sat down with us. The beautiful women in red and gold were a sight I would never forget. You can mention any kind of traditional Bengali jewellery and they had it on them.

I would recommend this Pujo to all if you want a way out from the cacophony of the city. But, yes there is a big BUT! This is a ‘ghoroa’ pujo. They are not commercial. If you decide to participate in their Pujo, do get an introduction from me, offer a dakshina which would be a donation for the Pujo and please do not travel in a large group.