Darjeeling: Gone are the days when the Durga idol for this heritage Puja in Darjeeling used to arrive from Krishnanagar (near Kolkata, famous for clay idols) first to Siliguri, and then be transported to Darjeeling by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, with engines at both the front and rear.
The famous Darjeeling police band, playing the bagpipes, used to accompany the procession at the time of arrival of the idol. Commemorating its 111th year, the heritage Durga Puja of the Nripendra Narayan Bengali Hindu Hall (NNBHH) is reconnecting with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, as the Goddess returns home via the world heritage train. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee virtually inaugurated the Puja on Sunday.
“Though, bringing the idol from Siliguri by DHR is not a very feasible proposition, we decided to make the world heritage DHR a part of the immersion procession. During the century celebration in 2014, we had done this,” stated Subasish Sengupta, organiser.
The immersion procession will start from the NNBH hall located at Chandmari, Darjeeling. Keeping with the age-old tradition the idol will be carried on a bamboo structure, on the shoulder by the youths and taken all over town to the railway station. From there the idol will be taken to the Bangla Khola ( a mountain spring) around 16km from Darjeeling town on a flat wagon of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The idol will be immersed in Bangla Khola.
“This year, we have some special attractions to mark the 111th year. The immersion procession will feature a Dhamsa-Madal (tribal traditional drums) troupe from Naxalbari, along with an all-woman Dhaki (traditional drums) troupe from Kakdwip, South 24 Parganas,” stated Dr Amitava Saha, organiser. Both, the all-women Dhaki and the “Dhamsa Madal” troupe are the first-time attractions in Darjeeling. The troupe will be performing at the NNBH on Navami also. From Pushpanjali to Arati everything echoes of tradition in this Puja, preserved religiously through the ages. No pandal is erected for the Puja and the idol is placed in the main altar of the temple belonging to the NNBHH.
Located in Chandmari, the NNBHH has a rich history and was built during the British Raj. From 1914, the Bengali community of the Hill town started the Durga Puja in the temple, located in the same premise. The temple, popular as Sree Mandir, resembles the famous Jagannath Temple of Puri.
Great names like Sister Nivedita, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Acharya J C Bose and the great revolutionary Bagha-Jatin had all paid visits to the NNBH Hall. It is said that even KL Saigal, the legendary singer had once offered “pushpanjali” during the Durga Puja.
“Bhog” (food offerings) has been an integral part of this Puja since its early days, offered on Shaptami, Ashtami, and Nabami. Residents from across town gather for a community meal, with take-home provisions for those who cannot attend. Cultural programmes are held each evening. “Durga Puja at NNBH Hall feels like a family Puja; we never miss it,” said Priyanka Chakraborty.