Cooch Behar: As preparations for Durga Puja reach the final stages all over Bengal, there’s a flurry of activity surrounding the Puja of Goddess Borodevi in Cooch Behar. The 500-year-old royal tradition has been preserved and practiced with great reverence.
What sets this Puja apart is the distinctive colour of the idol and many intriguing rituals and stories surrounding it. Some claim that Maharaja Naranarayan had received orders in a dream to initiate the Devi Puja. Others believe that Maharaja Biswa Singha, at a tender age of 9 years, began worshipping Goddess Durga by making an idol out of dry Myna wood branches and bamboo. This practice has since become a cherished tradition of the royal family. The idol of Borodevi is sculpted using Mayna wood.
On the ‘Shukla Ashtami’ of ‘Shravana’, the Mayna wood is first consecrated at the Dangrai Temple in Cooch Behar. Later that evening, it is transported to Madan Mohanbari in Cooch Behar for a month-long period of worship. On ‘Radhashtami’, the Mayna wood is carried in a palanquin to the Devibari Temple where the idol of Goddess Borodevi is skillfully sculpted within the Myna wooden structure. This time-honoured tradition is faithfully followed even today, with members of the Chitrakar family of Cooch Behar expertly crafting the idol.
Prabhat Chitrakar, a member of the Chitrakar family, has been creating this idol for the past 33 years, resulting in a uniquely expressive face. Notably, the Borodevi idol does not include Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati or Kartik on either side. Instead, it features Jaya and Bijaya.
In the past, locals claim that human sacrifices were a ritual of this Puja but this practice has been discontinued. However, the tradition of offering human blood during Borodevi Puja still exists. A special puja known as ‘Gupta Puja’ is conducted on ‘Ashtami’ night, during which members of the royal family from Siddheshwari area of Cooch Behar follow the ancient custom of cutting their fingers and offering blood. Ordinary people are not present during this ritual. Additionally, on ‘Ashtami’ day, a buffalo is sacrificed in accordance with tradition, even in the absence of a reigning monarch.
Despite the absence of a King, all the rituals of the royal era are faithfully upheld. A fair is also organised in the Devibari Temple area, attracting visitors not only from Cooch Behar but also from lower Assam and neighbouring districts.
Royal priest Hirendra Nath Bhattacharjee said: “All the rituals of this Puja, initiated by the Maharajas of Cooch Behar, continue to be a testament to the bygone royal era. The Puja is conducted at the Devibari Temple in Cooch Behar. On Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami, offerings and sacrifices are a part of the worship. On Ashtami, the District Magistrate of Cooch Behar, as the royal representative, offers the first ‘Anjali,’ followed by the general public. In Cooch Behar, the tradition of Borodevi Puja continues to captivate people, preserving the royal legacy.”