A peep into how Durga Puja started in Millennium City of Cuttack almost 500 years ago

Millennium City of Cuttack is known as the city of brotherhood. This city is also synonymous with centuries-old ‘chandi tarakasi’ or silver filigree work. But when it comes to festivals and celebrations, this city is also famous for Durga Puja. 

Around five hundred years ago, Durga Puja was first celebrated in Cuttack. It is said that Binod Bihari Puja Mandap in Balu Bazar was the place in the city where the first Durga Puja was celebrated. 

The legend dates back to 1509. During Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s stay in Cuttack then, he took initiative for Durga Puja. Installing a brass idol, he started worshiping goddess Durga. Then, some Banerjee Brahmin families assisted him in worshiping the deity. 

What set the Balu Bazar Binod Bihari Mandap apart from others is the fact that the Brahmins who worship the deity also make the clay idol of the goddess. And, the tradition is still extant. 

“The oldest puja committee in Cuttack is Balu Bazar Puja Committee. Then there was no mandap, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu first started the puja by installing ‘ghata’ in a thatched house. Initially, there were no side deities like Lord Ganesh, Lord Kartik, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Laxmi and only the idol of Durga was worshipped. When it took the shape of a community puja, the side deities were added and worshipped,” recalled working president of Balu Bazar Puja Committee, Ramesh Chandra Behera. 

Informing about the aim behind the puja, priest of Balu Bazar Puja Mandap, Kali Prasad Banerjee said, “He (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) started the puja for the welfare of all starting from families, societies, states, nations to the whole world.”

Similarly, the first community Durga Puja was organised at Machhua Bazar Sarpa Duga Mandap in the city in 1752. A landlord from Kolkata (then Calcutta), Swarup Chandra Das started the puja in the city. 

The unique immersion procession of this puja committee sets it apart from others. During the immersion procession, the idol of the goddess is taken on a bier like a dead person with someone scattering fried paddies and cowries. 

“We have a ‘sindur khela’ here. Another attraction of our mandap is that in the immersion procession, we take out maa’s idol on a bier with someone scattering fried paddies and cowries,” said Khirod Chandra Sahu, president, Machhua Bazar Sarpa Durga Committee. 

Another old Durga puja mandap is Binapani Club Mandap of Buxi Bazar Durga Puja Samiti. Janakinath Bose, the father of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, started the puja here in the year 1888. 

Another two old puja mandaps are Choudhury Bazar Puja Mandap and Sheikh Bazar Puja Mandap. In 1875, idols of Hara Parbati were worshipped here and they have been worshipping Goddess Durga since 1902. 

These days, silver tableaus have become the main attraction of Cuttack Durga Puja. The tradition of having silver tableau was first started by Choudhury Bazar and then, Sheikh Bazar followed suit. 

“We have a ‘sindur khela’ here. Another attraction of our mandap is that in the immersion procession, we take out maa’s idol on a bier with someone scattering fried paddies and cowries,” said Khirod Chandra Sahu, president, Machhua Bazar Sarpa Durga Committee. 

With the passage of time, the way of organising Durga Puja has changed a lot. While the budget for puja has been increasing every year, silver and gold tableaus have also taken the place of the initial zari and paper-decorated tableaus. 

This year, Goddess Durga is going to be worshipped at 170 puja mandaps. Of them, 31 mandaps will have silver tableaus.  

Reported by Prabhat Bisoi.