DURGA PUJA CELEBRATION IN PATNA HAS GOT ITS OWN CHARM BY PRABUDDHA BISWAS

(C) Copyright of Prabuddha Biswas

[Published in Page 4 of "BEHAR HERALD", New Series, Vol. - II, 50th & 51st Issue, Oct 15, 2016, Patna] 

The three different cultural strands are being brought alive by the Durga Puja Festivities in the state capital of Patna.

1.   The local tradition of ‘NAVRATRI’,

2.   The eastern tradition of ‘DURGA PUJA’, and

3.   The northern custom of ‘RAM LILA’ provides a unique edge to the festivities here.

With time, newer elements have been included in the festivity, making the ‘Patna Durga Puja Celebration’ as a part of people’s celebration in general, where all communities get involved, making it a grand show of pomp, colours and lights as sea of humanity surging forward throughout night with road-side food stalls of diverse cuisine.

MOTHER GODDESS IN HISTORICAL SETTING

The worship of the Mother Goddess is associated with the ‘fertility cult’, which had its origin in primitive agricultural societies of the world. Discovery of idols of Mother Goddess in various matured forms at the sites of the Indus Valley Civilization prove beyond doubt that the worship of Mother Goddess has been very popular in India from pre-historic times.

In the eastern part of the country, especially in ‘United Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh)’; Goddess Durga is worshipped as one of the manifestations of ‘Shakti’.

The eastern India is having strong roots in Shakti Cult worship as we see many sites and temples are dedicated to various manifestations of the Mother Goddess like Tara Peeth in Birbhum (West Bengal), Kamakhya in Assam, Tripura, Rajrappa Temple in Jharkhand, Gaya in Bihar and Ami Temple in Dighwara (Saran) are few of the examples.

BIHAR’S TRYST WITH THE PRIMORDIAL MOTHER GODDESS

The state of Bihar is already known as the birthplace of two religions; Jainism and Buddhism but most of the people are not aware of the fact that the cult of the primordial Mother Goddess which was found in the Indus Valley Civilization again reappeared in the Magadh region during the second urbanization of 600 BC. Initially, it’s images were carved-out in woods, which had perished.

But for the first time, the images of primordial Mother Goddess emerged in the 2^nd Century AD carvings in the rock-pillars of Mahabodhi Temple Complex of Bodh Gaya.

The image of Gaja-Laxmi is the first representation of the primordial MOTHER GODDESS in rock carvings of Bodh Gaya Pillars.  Here, the primordial Mother Goddess have been depicted as River Goddess and black-clouds representing two elephants are pouring water on her head by their trunks, signifying heavy downpour during rainy season. Later, the Gaja-Laxmi has been identified with the Goddess Lakshmi. 

THE CITY OF PATNA HAS THE OLD TRADITION IN WORSHIPPING MOTHER GODDESS

The old records of Megasthenes, Fa-hien do mention about the worship of the Mother Goddess during ancient times in the city of Patliputra.

The presence of the old medieval temple site of ‘Ma Sitala’ in Agamkuan speaks volume about the popularity of Mother Goddess among the local gentry. The town-deities of Patna, i.e. Bari Patna Devi (Maharajganj) and Choti Patna Devi (Patna City) are reverred and worshipped with great respect by Patnaites. From 18^th Century, the worship of Goddess Kali at ‘Ma-Kali Temple’ near Choti Patna Devi Temple has emerged as another manifestation of the worship of the Mother Goddess. 

THE CONCEPT OF ‘AKAL BODHAN’ IS ROOTED TO THE RURAL SOCIETY’S URGE TO SHIFT THE ‘MAJOR COMMUNITY FESTIVAL’ FROM ‘SPRING’ TO ‘AUTUMN’

The season of ‘BASANT (Spring)’ AND ‘SHARAT (Autumn)’ are the time, when weather and the climatic conditions are moderate and enjoyable to human senses. This is the time when there is respite from agricultural activity (either Kharif or Ravi crops) for the peasantry and rural masses in the Indian subcontinent. Hence, this is the time for the ‘community celebration’ for one and all.

But there is one vital difference between ‘Basant’ and ‘Sharat’ seasons. Whereas ‘Basant’ is followed by hot (extremely unbearable) summer months and (heavy) rains but ‘Sharat’ is followed by gradual move towards winter seasons (‘Sheet’).

Majority of the region in the Indian subcontinent have been celebrating several ‘community festivals’ in both seasons with a ‘major festival’ in either of two seasons like Pongal (Tamilnadu), Onam (Kerala), Makar Sankranti (Andhra Pradesh), Bihu (during three times of the year) of Assam, Durga Puja (Bengal), Navratri (during two times of the year) of Bihar and other parts of the country and Diwali (Northern India) and many more.

Over the years, the public mood tilted in favour of the celebration of ‘community festival’ from ‘Basant to Sharat’ seasons in Eastern India, as for e.g.

(i)           In Bihar, the celebration of Chaiti Durga (March-April) shifted in favour of invocation of Ma-Durga during October (Aswin, Devi Paksh) and Chat Puja (Kartik) during November respectively.

(ii)          In Bengal also, ‘Basanti Puja (Chaitra month) of Goddess Durga’ gradually shifted to Autumn (Sharat) months i.e. in September-October.

In popular term, this SHIFT in the community festivity in eastern India has been termed as ‘AKAL BODHAN’ of ‘Ma Durga’.

‘AKAL BODHAN’ COCKTAILED WITH MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

1.   In Bihar, people participate in the ‘Navratri’ festival recalling the ‘untimely (emergent) invocation’ of Goddess Durga by Rama, for taking her blessings, before proceeding to fight with demon King Ravana. Hence, the Navratri festival is a part of the war- preparation and it is worshipped with great sanctity, as people in general avoid taking non-vegetarian foods during nine days of the festival. It is only, after the ‘havan’ on the Navami day, that the local gentry in Bhar come out ‘wearing’ new dresses to celebrate the ‘Navratri festival. On tenth day of Navratri i.e. on ‘Dusshera’, Lord Rama kills Ravana. That is the day of great celebration for one and all.

2.   In Bengal, Goddess Durga is visualized as the ‘loving girl-child’, who comes from ‘SASURAL’ (mother-in-law’s house) to ‘MAIKEY (father’s house)’ along with her children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh), during her vacation, in her native village.  And that is occasion for the celebration of family members (parents, brothers and sisters) and villagers alike. During Durga Puja, Bengali families celebrate the occasion with all its expressions, i.e. through dresses, cuisines, visiting various places as a part of the manifestation of all out ‘community celebration’ of joy and hapiness.

PRESENT CELEBRATION OF DURGA PUJA HAS ITS INITIATION BY THE ‘BENGAL GRAIN MERCHANTS’, SETTLED IN PATNA AND OTHER TOWNS, ALONG GANGES

In Patna, Durga Puja celebrations have become more vibrant and popular due to the amalgamation of various social streams, local traditions, folk lores and diverse ritualistic traditions, representing a composite culture.

From the Mughal period to pre-Railway colonial period, the riverine Bengal got intimately connected with the riverine tracts of Gangetic Bihar, through river Ganges, Buri-Gandak, Gandak and Ghaggra. Traffic patterns were conditioned by the marketing calendar of the staple items of the ‘Ganges borne Trade’.

The ‘Overland Routes’ of South Bihar and Jharkhand were controlled by Banjara community, through their own carts of Bullocks and tattoos (ponies).

Rice, available in the Bengal markets in December and January, was shipped to Bihar and the North-Western Provinces, where demand always exceeded local supply.

(i)           In the first six months of the year the surplus rice (along with opium and tobacco) of the great alluvial and deltaic plain between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal made up a substantial portion of the upcountry traffic.

(ii)          Oilseeds (along with indigo, sugar, hides, wheat, salt petre), largely a product of Bihar and northwestern provinces, reverse the trade flow in the second half of the year when they were despatched to the Calcutta market.

Many Khatri traders from the northwest, Jain and Marwari traders from Gujarat and Rajasthan, Bengali traders got settled in important port towns of Bihar; along Ganges which include Bhagalpur, Munger and Patna among others.

The family members of the ‘Grain Merchants of Bengal’; who were settled in these towns, initiated Durga Puja in their houses; which was the starting point of the Durga Puja in Bihar. Later, it was taken up by the local population as a part of popular ‘community Puja’.

Hence, Patna and Bihar has been observing Durga Puja from the late Mughal period but the earliest surviving Durga Puja of state capital is about 270 years old.

THE EARLIEST SURVIVING ‘COMMUNITY DURGA PUJA’ OF PATNA

There are three oldest Durga idols of the state capital which were initiated by Bengali families but now they are part of the very popular Durga Puja of the old town of ‘Patna City’ and are revered as living deities by the local population.

They are as follows: -

(i)           Bari Devi ji’ of Marufganj is the oldest surviving Durga Puja of more than 270 years old; i.e. mid 18^th Century. It is said to be started by Sri Batakrishna Kamalakanta Saha as a ‘family Durga Puja’. But in 1953, when the Saha family found it beyond their means to continue the Puja celebration; local businessmen and residents rose to the occasion and took over the management.

But the Saha family, continued to be involved, especially on matters related to the rituals. The priest continues to come from Srirampore, the idol-makers from Krishna Nagar and the drummer from Murshidabad! And they have been coming over to Marufganj for the last six generations. Significantly, Marufganj Bari Devi Ji Puja Committee comprise people from all communities; i.e.  Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus; all come together making it a secular character and meeting point of one and all.

(ii)          The Community Durga Puja of Choti Devi ji (Bari Devi Ji) of Maharajganj was initiated more than 170 years before by Ramchandra Mahto. The present day custodians of the Durga Puja admit that the worship of Choti Devi (Bari Devi) ji has its inspiration from the Bengali Durga Puja but they have integrated beautifully with local customs of Navratri.

(iii)        Dalhatta Durga Puja near Purab Darwaza is also more than 150 years old.

Both Bari Devi and Choti Devi idols are placed in the two extreme end of the old Patna City. While, Bari Devi is placed near the PURAB DARWAZA; the Choti Devi is placed outside the PASCHIM DARWAZA in the Maharajganj locality. Both idols are visualized as two sisters in local traditions.

Both sisters are sculpted by the same family members of idol-makers under ‘EK-CHALA’ tradition of Bengal, which includes the Dalhatta Durga idol also.

“At Marufganj, the worship of Bari Devi Ji is done according to the Tantric School whereas the worship of Maharajganj Choti Devi Ji follows the Vedic tradition of worship,” as expressed by Purohit Bhuveneshwar Mishra of Maharajganj to this correspondent, many years ago. Mishra added, “The Puja at Maharajganj begins from PRATIPADA through PRANPRATISTHA; but the Puja at Marufganj begins at MAHA PANCHAMI.” He could express the amalgamation of two cultural trends (Bengali Durga Puja and the local Navratri) in the old Patna city, through the Durga Puja celebration.

THE IMMERSION PROCESSION AND ‘KHOINCHA MILAN’ OF TWO SISTERS IN PATNA CITY

The people of Patna City witness a great event during Dashami day in which two sisters meet each other near SDO court (Belwarganj).

The Choti Devi Ji of Marufganj reaches the place of ‘MILAN Samaroh’, much before Bari Devi ji and waits for the elder sister.

The Bari Devi Ji of Marufganj comes all the way from Purab Darwaza, through procession, along the Ashok Rajpath towards west. The sea of Humanity waits for hours to see the glimpse of Bari Devi JI on the way. The three Km route takes couple of hours to cross. At about 10 PM, both sisters meet at the designated place where lakhs of people gather to watch the ‘KOINCHA MILAN SOMAROH (exchange of gifts and Sindoor).

After that, the procession of Bari Devi Ji moves forward followed by Choti Devi Ji behind. Both move further west, up to Bari Patan Devi Main Gate, where both idols were performed with Arti.

Then Bari Devi Ji moves towards Bhadra Ghat for the immersion followed by Choti Devi Ji and then followed by the immersion of other idols of Patna city, signifying the unity and cultural continuity of the old Patna City areas.

[END OF THE FIRST PART]

(C) Copyright of Prabuddha Biswas