Famous Baroyari Durga Pujas

shaliniku · Sep 2, 2009

Piya, in the year 1924, the Baghbazar Puja was shifted to the junction of Baghbazar Street and Pashupati Bose Lane. The next year it was organized at Kantapukur and in 1927 it took place at the Baghbazar Kali Temple.

In 1926, the puja committee took the shape of a proper organization. In 1929, an exhibition took place along with the Puja. The organization soon got renamed as Baghbazar Sarbojanin Durgotsab and Exhibition.

The present “Durganagar” was the former metal-yard. The then Mayor of Calcutta Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had granted permission for using the place for the puja and exhibition. He had also donated five hundred rupees to this organization.

aparajitasarkar · Sep 2, 2009

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CIS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><style>  </style> Hello Everybody,

This year I am gonna miss Durga Pujo for the first time. My hubby has not got holidays this time. Hmmmm…I am little upset. Anyways, the Mohammad Ali Park Durga Pujo is one of the most famous and one of the oldest barowari pujo of <st1lace w:st="on">North Kolkata</st1lace>. It is held inside a large park on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">MG Road</st1:address></st1:street>. This Durga Pujo is famous for large and beautiful earthen idol.

Adios,

Aparajita

aditimajumder · Sep 3, 2009

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CIS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><style>  </style> Hi Everybody,

Really nice topic Piya, I liked it very much. Aparajita has written about a north Kol barowari pujo. Lemme add another one to the list. Ahiritola Sharbojonin is a traditional pujo in <st1lace w:st="on">North Kolkata</st1lace>. In the recent times, the pujo committee has taken a modern approach nad has changed the look of the idol as well as the decoration of the mandop.

Take care,

Aditi

piyagupta · Sep 3, 2009

The Bosepukur ****alamandir Durga Puja is one of the major crowd-pulliing pujas of South Kolkata today. It has risen to fame during the past twelve years. The pandal of this puja each year is a speciality. Every year, the local people as well as the regular pandal-hoppers of the city wait with all eagerness to find out what the Bosepukur puja committee will be churning out. One of the most famous Bosepukur pandals was the one that they had made with sugarcane fiber.

This puja is at a five-minute drive from Bijan Setu and is also easily accessible from the EM Bypass. Bosepukur ****alamandir boasts of unending queues of pandal-hoppers right from the dawn till midnight.

shaliniku · Sep 4, 2009

Let me share something more about Baghbazar.

From the year 1930, the inaugural and closing ceremonies of the Baghbazar Sarbojanin Durga Puja and Exhibition are important occasions and innumerable renowned personalities had often graced the occasions.

The inauguration takes place on “shukla panchami” of the Bengali month of Ashwin while the closing ceremony takes place on the day of immersion of Goddess Laxmi. In the past, eminent personalities like Achayra Prafulla Chandra Bose and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had put the occasions to different heights. From 1938 to 1939, this organization was privileged by the active participation of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as the president.

Birashtami Utsab in the morning of Mahashtami and the Sindur Utsab in the morning of Bijoya Dashami are two special celebrations of this puja.

sriparnaguha · Sep 4, 2009

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CIS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><style>  </style> Hello Friends,

Thanks to Piya, for starting such a wonderful topic. All these reminded me of the time when I was in Kolkata and enjoyed Durga Pujo. My friends and I remained in <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Maddox Square</st1:address></st1:street> most of the time in every pujo. I really miss those ‘adda’. Thanks for refreshing the memories girls, I am really touched by it.
Though this year I could not make it to the pujo, next year I will try with all my efforts to go to Kolkata during Durga pujo and hopefully I will be successful.

You all enjoy pujo to the fullest!!!!!

Love,

Sriparna

piyagupta · Sep 7, 2009

The Suruchi Sangha Durga Puja of New Alipore has suddenly risen to fame during the last few years. The pandal of Suruchi Sangh has consistently bagged awards in the recent past.

In 2007, the pandal was made adopting the Gurjari handicraft style of Western Gujarat. This pandal won the Asian Paints Sharad Shamman award from Creative Excelllence in 2007. The high-roofed structure was modeled on the Bunga, a type of pyramidical structure generally balanced on pillars. In the Bhuj earthquake of 2001, not a single such structure had collapsed. The walls of the pandal were made with a mixture of donkey dung and earth. They were coloured with paints made by powdering a rock called Kamri, which is found in Gujarat.

shaliniku · Sep 8, 2009

Mohammad Ali Park is one of the oldest and most famous Durga Pujas in North Kolkata. Till a decade back it was one of the major crowd-pulling pujas of the city. This Puja is held inside a large park on Mahatma Gandhi Road. Mohammad Ali Park’s Puja is famous for the large and beautiful earthen idol, which was made by Ramesh Paul till a few years back.

I have many memories of visiting this pandal in my childhood, holding the hands of my parents and my brother. The pandal was always known for its social themes.

I got a chance to go to Mohammad Ali Park during the Puja of 2007. The pandal was made in the style of stepped gopurams resembling those at the Meenakshi Temple of Madurai.

BandanaSen · Sep 8, 2009

Dear Piya
I like your thread very much. I have been following it for quite some time. When I read about the different Barowari pujas, my mind went back to the time I went pandal-hopping at Kolkata along with my gang. You have covered allmost all the important ones.
Do you know the name "Barowari" itself has an interesting origin. The term came into being during the British Raj when 12 or Baro traders got together and organised the first "Barowari Puja".
I am now in Delhi and would like to read about more Pujas.
Bye

shreyachatterje · Sep 9, 2009

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CIS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="Street"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="address"></o:smarttagtype><style>  </style> Hello Everyone,

I am from Mumbai, but I make a point to visit Kolkata during the Durga Pujo. All my cousins stay in Kolkata. Pandal-hopping was a must in our childhood, but now we spend most of the time in one pujo-pandal, especially in <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Madox Square</st1:address></st1:street>.
To Bandana, I really dint know about the origin of the name ‘Barowari’. Thanks so much for the information.
Good thread Piya.

Take care,

Shreya