Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

async="" crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6973460484243747"> Today, I would like to tell about the 340 years old Durga Puja of Serampore Goswami family's traditional Durga puja. Their house is a royal palace (Raj Bari) built about 300 years ago. Serampore is a town of Hooghly district of West Bengal, India. This town is located near Kolkata. It is a very old town, occupied by Dutch during British raj in India. This royal palace of Goswami family is situated on the bank of river Ganges near ferry ghat. When I entered at the house, seen the big structure at the middle 'chandni' or 'Naat Mandir'. It is made of 24 corinthian columns and occupied 130×30 feet area. I stood under this 'chandni' and found the 'Thakur Dalan' (where the deity offered puja). Its floor is made of marble. Its outer walls and pillars are well-decorated with cement plast...

   Durga puja has been started in the Raj family of Seoraphully (Dist. Hooghly) from last Monday (23.09.2019). It is the custom of Raj family that the 'ghot' (ঘট) of 'Bodhan' (বোধন) is to be placed on the auspicious 'tithi' (তিথি) of 'Nabami' of 'Krishna paksha' (কৃষ্ণপক্ষ) before Mahalaya (মহালয়া). In pursuance of that custom, they placed the 'ghot' of 'Bodhan' on Monday last. Debi Durga is here 'Sarbamangala' (সর্বমঙ্গলা). The deity Durga is being worshipped in this family for the last 286 years. The preacher (পুরোহিত) placed the 'ghot' with chant of 'mantras' (মন্ত্র) and 'stotras' (স্তোত্র). Local people along with Raj family members witnessed the religious function at the 'Thakur dalan' (ঠাকুর দালান) of palace. History says, at Patuli Narayanpur of Barddhaman district, there was the kingdom of Dutta family. They used to maintain relations with Badshah Akbar too. But the Duttas lost th...

            Raja Ramram Mitra was Diwan of Nawab of Murshidabad. He belonged to Dakshin Raarh Kayastha (দক্ষিণ রাঢ় কায়স্থ) community and Mitra family of Konnagar, Hooghly. Once, he came to Gobindapur (now Kolkata) from Murshidabad and had started living here. Ayoddharam was Ramram's son. Their family became prosperous during the time of Ayoddharam. After the War of Plassey, he had to construct residence at Mechobazar (মেছোবাজার) because his earlier residential area was occupied by British to erect new fort (Fort William) there. Ayoddharam had two sons - Kriparam & Jagannath. During the time of property division - Kriparam went to Shunra (শুঁরা) which is now under Beleghata-Phulbagan area (Raja Rajendralal Mitra was the descendant of Kriparam) and Jagannath stayed in his ancestral house. Jagannath's son Ramsundar Mitra (খ্যাদা রাম মিত্র) constructed the palace-like house at 84, Muktaram Babu Street of Chor Bagan. Once that big house was affected b...

It says that Nimai Sri Chaitannya Deb once came to district Hooghly for the pilgrimage of Tarakeswar. So he bathed in river Ganga on the bathing ghat of Baidyabati. Then had started his journey to Tarakeswar on foot. It took about 12 hours to reach Tarakeswar. Later, the bathing ghat was named on him and now known to all as Nimai Tirtha Ghat. So, the ghat is about 500 year's old. Kabikankan Mukundaram mentioned this ghat in his mangal kabya, about 400 years ago. Raja Harishchandra of Seoraphuly constructed Nistarini Mandir and Bhadrakali Mandir in the year 1827 beside NimaiTirtha Ghat. then, lakhs of pilgrims take bath on river Ganga from this ghat and take holy water, visit Ma Nistarini and Debi Bhadrakali near, then use to go for Tarakeswar on foot to pour that Gangajal on the shiblinga of Baba Taraknath. The pilgrims use to go to Tarakeswar on the month of Shraban (July-August). Pic 1) The gate of Nimai Tirtha Ghat; Pic 2) The pilgrims are taking bath at the said gha...