Months before Durga Puja, Kolkata starts prepping up like a bride-to-be before her marriage. Just before, Kumhartoli artists start giving the final touches, the major shopping haven get dotted with sea of people. The city decks up with lights and colors to shine all the way through Durga Puja. It is believed that Goddess Durga comes to visit her people on Earth to bless them with prosperity, happiness and health. Four days of Durga Puja embark celebrations; over two thousand pandals are erected embodying art and culture of Bengal.
As Pandal hopping has transformed from just a recreation to a tradition, people in groups of family and friends explore renowned Pandals and enjoy the street food. Going for tour packages with a travel agent helps you reap the most out of your Pandal hopping fun:
a. Saves you from hassles of travel and waiting for means of transport.
b. Lets you enjoy privileged entry in to most coveted and crowded Pandals.
c. Meet likeminded people and know more about Kolkata.
d. Budget friendly and easy on pocket guided plan.
e. Exclusive visit to ancestral Puja.
The dawn breaks with the echoes of Chandi Paath and the music of Dhak flows through the air to being the royal celebration of victory of Good over Evil. There are four major days of Puja which can be planned this Puja to visit the major ancestral homes housing this traditional heritage and keeping it alive.
Sarborno Ray Chowdhury, ancestral Durga puja at Barisha has been celebrating this pious occasion since 1610. This visit will let you have a closer look into the Bengal Zamindari lifestyle and class and how they personify their heritage.
Sonar Durga is a 237 years old tradition of welcoming and worshipping the deity by Mukherjees. The pompous grandeur of a Bengali household multiplies when Sanskrit hymns are recited and the pure smell of incenses melts into the atmosphere. As the name explains, Maa Durga Idol here is made of pure gold.
Laha Bari: This puja started around 170 years back. To this day the puja has its Zamindari charm and mesmerizes visitors with its towering idol and sumptuous bhog. While visiting you will hear about interesting anecdotes related to this puja which will surprise you and make your faith stronger.
Mitra Bari: This household puja has its origins around 150 years back in time. It has uniqueness of its own; the framework of Maa Durga is worshipped during the Rath Yatra and then the sculpting starts. Every year after immersion the frame work is take back for next year’s Maa Durga idol.
Halder Bari: The idol of Maa Durga has seen over 400 winters. It has a story behind it that a member of Halder family saw a dream that an idol of Maa Durga was buried in a Fisherman’s hut. On digging, they recovered the idol which is worshipped to this day by household.
These Pujas mesmerize the pandal hoppers and offers them a tremendous pleasure. The Pushpanjali, the bhog, the dhunuchi naach, the prasad, the aarti, the joy and family coming together all come to an end on the Dashami. On Dashami day, when idol leaves the premises and is immersed in to holy Ganges, entire family with tearful eyes bids adieu and the wait starts all over again with baited breaths for the next year’s Durga Puja.
Sail through the time and experience the evolution of yesteryears of Bengal and its association with Maa Durga. Witness the ambiance of Bengal’s spirituality and merrymaking, walk to your travel agent and go for a Puja Parikrama with your family.
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