That’s the one morning when the old radio makes a grand comeback | Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s legacy to echo in his neighbourhood Puja

KOLKATA: Throughout the year, Bengalis are hooked to their playlists on Spotify or YouTube Music. But come Mahalaya, something changes. That’s the one morning when the old radio makes a grand comeback. It gets dusted off a day earlier, the volume knob checked, all so that at 4 am sharp, the iconic ‘Mahishasuramardini’ in the immortal voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra can play out in all its glory. For Bengalis, that’s the true start of Durga Puja. No matter where you are in the world, if there’s even one Bengali nearby, chances are you’ll hear those familiar strains drifting in the pre-dawn stillness.

Bhadra treated the broadcast almost like a sacred vow. He would wake up before dawn, bathe, offer prayers, dress in a simple white dhoti–kurta, and then head to the All India Radio (AIR) studio. He kept to himself, spoke little and meditated on the Goddess, believing he was just a medium for the recitation, not the voice. This year, his neighbourhood Puja, Uttar Kolkata Sarbojonin Durgoutsav, is honouring the legend with a theme called ‘Ebar Shudhu Bhadra Kotha.’ For the first time in its 94-year history, this Puja has gone thematic. Conceptualised by Sambhu Saha, the idea is to recreate the mood of those days when Bhadra’s voice first filled the airwaves. Fittingly, the Puja happens every year near Birendra Mancha, close to the legend’s home at 30B, Ramdhan Mitra Lane in Shyambazar. And just like Bhadra’s ‘Mahishasuramardini’ ushers in Puja, this year the pandal will also open its doors to visitors at 4 am on Mahalaya itself. The ambience promises to be steeped in nostalgia, echoing tradition and memory.