Tradition intact: Durga Puja at Rani Rashmoni's house to enter its 232nd year

kolkata: The Durga Puja organised by descendants of Rani Rashmoni, which enters 232nd year this time, will be held with usual grandeur.

The Puja was held as a low-key affair due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

The Durga Puja at the house of Rani Rashmoni in Janbazar was started by her father-in- law, Pitambar Das, in 1790.

Raja Rammohun Roy and Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar had visited the Puja. Sri Ramakrishna was present at the Puja in 1864 and later during his one-month stay at Rani's house, he had conducted the Puja.

Vidyasagar had started widow marriage for the first time in 1845-46 in this house.

Vidyasagar used to call Rani Rashmoni as 'pishima' (aunt) and after taking her permission he invited some widows to have lunch at Rani's house. Food was served on banana leaves. After the widows had finished their meal, the banana leaves were not removed and Rani asked the males to sit and have food on the same leaves.

This infuriated most of the males, who thought it was beneath their dignity to have lunch on the same banana leaves where food had been served to the widows.

Rani told them that they were not fit to marry the widows. But there were some youths, who did not protest against serving of the food on the used banana leaves and they were allowed to marry the widows.

The face of the idol of Durga used in Bengali film 'Debi' directed by Satyajit Ray looked similar to that of the Durga idol of the house of Rani Rashnmoni.

Ray had recreated the 'dalan' where Ma Durga was worshipped at Rani Rashmoni's house in his film.From 1790 when the Puja started, the same chitrakar family had been making the idol. They come to Janbazar and make the image. They hail from Ahmedpur in Birbhum. The 'daker saj' is used to decorate the Goddess. It is done by the clay artisans from Burdwan.

Prasun Hazra, seventh descendant of Rani Rashmoni, said the Puja is held following the rituals in detail. The visitors are given prasad. The Puja is one of the venues of the conducted tour organised by the state Tourism department. The visitors are generally brought in the afternoon and they have lunch at the venue.