Tag Archives: Durga puja
Happy Durga puja ( দূর্গা পূজার শুভেচ্ছা )
Happy Dussera Or Vijayadashami
Idol of Goddess Durga of Labony Estate, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India. In my opinion this is the best of all idols. Of course there will be difference of opinion because some of the idols of some area or Club adorn real Gold ornaments. But this idols not wearing any Gold ornaments but having lot of fine works all around on her, more over the face is divine.
To read more about Durga Puja, please go to my page Durga Puja bove Or Click here.
Photo captured by my new Moto-M Mobile. Copyright © by the Author.Photo captured by Moto-M Mobile. Copyright © by the Author.
My entry to the WordPress WPC : Happy Vijaya Dasami
Vijayadasami (Sanskrit: विजयदशमी) also known as Dussehra (Sanskrit: दशहरा) an important Hindu festival celebrated in a variety of ways in India and abroad. Dasha Hara is a Sanskrit word which means removal of the following ten bad qualities (evils) within you:
- Ahankara* (Ego)
- Amanavta* (Cruelty)
- Anyaaya* (Injustice)
- Kama vasana* (Lust)
- Krodha* (Anger)
- Lobha* (Greed)
- Mada* (Over Pride)
- Matsara* (Jealousy)
- Moha* (Attachment)
- Swartha* (Selfishness)
Hence, also known as ’Vijaydashami’ signifying ”Vijaya or Win” over these ten bad qualities (evils).
Happy Vijaya Dasami !!
Bonedi Barir Puja : Sabarna Ray Chaudhury, Barisha, Kolkata
Family Puja of Sabarna Raychaudhury, the Founder of Calcutta. Today the ” Aatchala Bari” still remains. It was built by Laksmikanta Gangopadhyay and Durga Puja started by him in the year 1610. Therefore this Puja is more than 400 years old.
The family of Sabarna Ray Chaudhury has been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha, Kolkata. It is possibly the oldest organised festival in the Kolkata region. Today eight Durga Pujas are held by branches of the family. Out of these, six are at Barisha, the seventh is at Birati while the eighth at Nimta. The Pujas held at Barisha are those of Aatchala, Baro Bari, Mejo Bari, Benaki Bari, Kalikingkar Bhawan and Majher Bari. The Pics are the Views of Aatchala Durga Puja of the family at Barisha of 2016.
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Close up view of the idol
FAMILY HISTORY
The Sabarna Ray Chaudhury (সাবর্ণ রায় চৌধুরী) family were the Zamindar (superior landlords) of the then Calcutta area, prior to the arrival of the British. On 10 November 1698, they transferred, by lease, their rights over the three villages – Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur – to the East India Company. The family is also known as Sabarna Choudhury (সাবর্ণ চৌধুরী ).
The origin is traced back in the 10th Century CE, when Adisura brought five Brahmins to Bengal. Vedagarba was one of them and is regarded as the first in the genealogy of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Family.
Panchanan Gangopadhyay (Panchu Sakti khan) of the family acquired the Khan title from the Mughal Emperor Humayun in the sixteenth century, for his bravery as a cavalry in charge of Pathan soldiers. Around the middle of that century he constructed a palace at a place which came to be known as Haveli Sahar or Halisahar. It was from Halisahar that the family spread far and wide, including, to Uttarpara, Birati, Barisha and Kheput
Lakhsmikanta Gangopadhyay alias Laksmikanta Roy Choudhury (the son of Jia Gangopadhyay later known as Saint Kamadeva Brahmachari) was given jagirdari of a vast tract of land by Raja Man Singh, in 1608. Along with the Jaigir he was given the title of ‘Ray’ and ‘Choudhury’ which later became the surname of his descendants.
THE BRITISH
The three villages of Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kalikata were part of a khas mahal or imperial jagir or an estate belonging to the Mughal emperor himself, whose jagirdari rights were held by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family. The British settlement was surrounded by thirty-eight villages held by others. Although in 1717, the British East India Company was permitted by the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar to rent or acquire zamindari rights in them, it was unable to procure the land from the zamindars or local landlords.
Even the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family was not keen to allow the British to settle or do trading on these villages, but the British had paid a bribe at the Mughal Durbar to ensure that the deal did not fail. Just prior to their move to Barisha, the Roy Choudhury family had to transfer their rights over Kalikata in 1698, to the East India Company much against their wishes and protests.
The British ultimately got The ‘Right to Rent’ or lease of three villages for an annual rent of Rs. 1,300. The deed was in Persian. A copy of the deed is kept in the Sabarna Sangrahashala at Barish, Kolkata.
FOUNDER OF CALCUTTA (KOLKATA)
The ‘Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad’, the supreme family organisation and nine other intellectuals of the city filed a public interest litigation before the Kolkata High Court in 2001 demanding a probe into the matter whether Job Charnock can be regarded as the founder of Kolkata. The Court, upon an Expert Committee finding, declared on 16 May 2003, that Job Charnock of East India Company, cannot be regarded as the founder of the city and 24th August also cannot be considered as the city’s birthday.
Read other stories of “Bonedi Bari” here.
Source : Facts & figures from internet.
Image credit & Copyright © anil c. mandal 2016, all rights reserved
Durga Puja
In India, festival of Durga Puja or Dussera is on. To know about this festival, click here. Other images have been show cased in the page “Durga Puja 2015”
Mahalaya
Like every year, this year too Durga Puja or Dussera is at our doorstep. All around atmoshphere in the nature and everywhere reminds us about the festival. Today is Mahalaya. Seven days before Durga Puja, “Mahalaya”, an auspicious occasion, is observed. This auspicious occasion heralds the coming of Maa Durga and begins the festivity to welcome her on this earth. It’s a kind of invitation (or we should say invocation) to the mother goddess to descend on earth and that’s why we chant saying – ‘Jago, Maa Jago’. Invocation of Mother Durga is done through the chanting of mantras, singing devotional songs and scriptural verses from “Chandi”. Since early 1930s, the early morning Radio program ”Mahishasura Mardini” of Akashbani Kolkata on the Mahalaya day became a part of Bengali culture and the tradition is still continuing and nothing could change its originality as well as its popularity.
The story line goes like this : due to increasing cruelty of the demon king Mahishasura against the gods, the Gods pleaded Vishnu to annihilate the demon. The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara (Shiva) come together to create a powerful female form with 10 arms – Maa Durga or Mahamaya, the Mother of the Universe, who embodies the primeval source of all power. The Gods then bestow upon this supreme creation their individual blessings and weapons. Armed like a warrior, the goddess rides a lion to battle with the Demon Mahishasura. After a fierce combat the Durga is able to slay the asura king with her trident. Heaven and earth rejoice at her victory.
Another seven days to go to start the festival. To read more about the festival, please go to My Post : Durga Puja
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Puja Pandal (II)
FD Block Salt Lake Kolkata at 0500AM
This is a fabricated structure representing a big old house of British time.
India Celebrating Durga Puja/Dussera
Ekdalia Evergreen’s puja Mandap
Ekdalia Evergreen’s Idol of Mother Durga
Mandap of Singhi Park
Idol of Singhi Park, South Calcutta
Anil
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