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From Books to Pandals: The Literary Influence on Kolkata’s Durga Puja

In India, the mother is the Centre of the family and our highest ideal. To us, she is representative of God, as God himself is the mother of the universe.

We have a tradition of worshiping mothers, and the worship of Goddess Durga is a symbol of this tradition. During India’s freedom struggle, people worshiped Goddess Durga as Bharat Mata and were ready to sacrifice everything for her. The idol of Maa Durga represents the unity of all Indians.

When I hear ‘Kolkata’, certain things immediately come to mind—Rasgulla, Fish, Sweets, Dhoti-Kurta, Umbrella, Howrah Bridge, and Durga Puja.

Having visited Kolkata many times, I feel that it is my second home and my favorite city.

My first visit, however, happened quite by accident. There was no fixed plan. My cousin was heading to Kolkata and invited me to join him, but he informed me just a few days before leaving.

Before the trip, I had only heard about Kolkata from my father, who had been there before. He told me about the steamers, the bustling Park Street, and the grand Kolkata Museum, and he insisted that I should visit these places.

I had always known Kolkata for its rich literary heritage. My love for Bengali literature goes back to my childhood—something I believe I inherited.

My grandfather, a lawyer, and an avid literature enthusiast, had a wonderful collection of books in his library. The first Bengali book I ever picked up was Pratham Pratishruti by Ashapurna Devi. That old hardbound edition is still etched in my memory.

During our summer vacations at Grandpa’s house, we would always search for books to read. One such summer, I found Pratham Pratishruti and decided to give it a try. But being too young to grasp its depth, I lost interest after a few pages and handed it to my elder sister.

To my surprise, she loved it! Over the years, it has remained one of her favorite books. Even though she has been living in Denmark for the past eight years and owns a newer version, she still prefers reading the old hardbound copy whenever she visits India.

Journey from Mini Bengal (Varanasi )to West Bengal:

Varanasi is home to the largest number of Bengalis living outside the state of West Bengal. This is why Varanasi is often called “Mini Bengal,” owing to the significant Bengali population that resides here.

I caught a train from Mughal Sarai in Varanasi to Kolkata at night. As soon as I boarded, I went straight to my berth and fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, the first sight of Bengal greeted me through the train window.

The landscape had changed—the sight of ponds, lotus flowers, and lush greenery made it clear that I had entered a different geographical region.

The train made a brief stop at a station called “Mem Sahab Ka Baithak Khana.”

Curious, I stepped down to take a short walk. To my surprise, I saw many people smoking. Smoking is strictly prohibited inside trains and at railway stations, but Bengali people’s love for smoking is well known.

When I asked one of the smokers about it, he laughed and said, “This is a small station, so no one pays attention. If it were a big station, I would have been fined by now.”

In Kolkata, we stayed at my maternal uncle’s house. He had worked at ITC and had retired voluntarily. As I mentioned earlier, this was my first visit to Kolkata, and it was also an opportunity to witness Durga Puja in the city.

The excitement of experiencing the grand celebration in its birthplace added to my enthusiasm.

The Spread of Durga Puja: From Kolkata to All Over India.

Durga Puja is the biggest festival for Bengalis, but now it is celebrated all over India.

Kolkata was the capital of British India for a long time, so Western education came first. Many educated Bengalis got jobs in the railways and postal departments and moved to different parts of India, from Bengal to Peshawar and from Jammu to Rameswaram.

Wherever they went, they carried their traditions with them. Because of this, the Bengali style of Durga Puja is now celebrated in many places across the country.

Durga Puja in Kolkata: A Unique Blend of Devotion and Celebration

Non-vegetarian food became a recognized part of Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata due to the influence of British colonial rule.

The way Durga Puja is celebrated in Kolkata is a little different from other places in India. In many regions, Durga Puja is a religious festival with a strong focus on rituals, prayers, and fasting.

People avoid non-vegetarian food, fast, and limit their meals to fruits during the nine days of Navratri.

On the other hand, Durga Puja in Kolkata is not just a religious occasion; it is also a joyful celebration. It is marked by cultural performances, music, dance, and delicious food, including non-vegetarian dishes.

While devotion remains at the heart of both celebrations, the festive spirit in Bengal is what truly sets it apart.

Another key difference between Durga Puja in Kolkata and other places is the pandal.

A pandal is a temporary or permanent structure created to house the Durga idol during the festival, and Kolkata’s pandals are much grander than those in other places.

The sheer scale of the pandals in Kolkata is unmatched, with each one featuring a unique theme that reflects various aspects of Bengali culture and life.

While the idol of Maa Durga remains largely the same every year, the theme of the pandal changes, creating excitement and curiosity, especially among children and the youth.

Another distinctive feature of Kolkata’s Durga Puja is the prasad.

Unlike other regions, where prasad may consist of sweets or fruits, the prasad in Kolkata’s pandals often includes khichdi—a delicious and comforting dish that holds a special place during the festival.

This khichdi is different from the one commonly made in North India, adding another layer of uniqueness to Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations.

A Visual Feast of Bengali Magazines During Durga Puja: Celebrating Regional Literature

College Street Kolkata

The presence of Bengali literature during Durga Puja in Kolkata is truly a unique experience.

The Puja Varshiki or annuals of Bengali magazines are a significant feature of the festival, with vibrant and diverse publications available at magazine stalls.

These magazines have been associated with some of Bengal’s most iconic personalities, including Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Sukumar Ray, and others, all of whom have contributed greatly to the cultural and literary landscape of Bengal.

The experience of seeing these magazines, even without being able to read them, is a special one. It’s also a bit of a reminder of how Bengali literature has flourished in the regional language.

Unlike Hindi-speaking areas where English newspapers dominate, Kolkata maintains a strong literary presence in its native language, making it a hub for regional literature.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find magazines in Hindi, but my experience highlights the richness of Bengali culture, especially when it comes to literature.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja: A Festival of Devotion, Culture, and Challenges

Kolkata’s Durga Puja is much more than a religious celebration; it is a vibrant blend of culture, tradition, and community.

The grandeur of the pandals, the unique themes, the cultural performances, and the delicious food all come together to create an experience that is distinctly Bengali. However, it also reflects the region’s deep-rooted history, from colonial influences to the enduring impact of Bengali literature and art.

While the festival continues to be a source of pride and joy, the increasing politicization of Durga Puja in recent years raises concerns about the integrity of the celebration.

Despite this, the essence of the festival—devotion, togetherness, and cultural pride—remains strong, making it an iconic and unforgettable part of Kolkata’s identity.

A HAPPY TEA ADDICT COUNTRY

Hindu sages and saints have contributed a lot in the independence of India. Many social reforms were also initiated by sages and saints. Tea revolution in the eighteenth, nineteenth centuries (under which the style of drinking tea in India changed forever.
Tea was recognized as the beverage of the common Indian from the beverage of the Europeans)

“I believe tea has helped us, as a nation. At least, our tea drinkers outnumber those who consume alcohol, One may even go so far as to claim that the spread of alcoholism has been arrested in this country because of tea.” SANKAR THE MONK AS MAN

How hard it is to believe that we Indians were unaware of tea (chai) a few centuries ago. Now hardly any Indian starts the day without tea. (The people of South India are lucky in this case that they have the option of choice, they can choose between tea or coffee according to their convenience) It is a matter of happiness that today in the use and production of both tea and coffee, India is one of the major countries of the world. According to a national survey, fifteen cups of tea are consumed in India compared to one cup of coffee.

Gradually tea became a part of our daily life. It is also like that we Indians were unaware of potato, and tobacco,(Potato &Tobacco was introduced by Portuguese ) today without them the daily life of many Indians cannot be imagined.

Herbal tea has a centuries-old history in India. Even today there is a lot of custom in India to drink it, but today this drink is also called Kaadha. Consumption of decoction has its benefits. Herbals like black pepper, mint leaves, basil leaves, liquor ice, cloves, ginger etc are used in the decoction. India has historically been a stronghold of natural medicines and spices, so it is common for such beverages to become popular. Similarly, lemon tea is also very popular in India. In recent years, the increasing awareness of people towards natural beverages has made Kaadha very popular. It has been used as a medicine in colds. In recent times, its popularity has increased a lot in the outbreak of Corona. There will be hardly any home or hospital in India where this herbal drink is not being used.

CHAI

The extraordinary story of ordinary tea The story of tea was written in India during the Bengal rule of the East India Company. And within a few years it turned into a mass movement.
The East India Company was a commercial company, whose main reason for its arrival in India was the trade of spices. After the Battle of Plassey in Bengal, the East India Company’s feet were firmly established in Bengal. During this time, efforts were made by the people of East India Company to grow tea in India. It is believed that tea plants were first planted in 1787 by a British, Mr. Kydd, in a garden called Shivpur in Howrah. This was a failed attempt. Later at one place Mr. Kydd admitted that the climate of Howrah was not suitable for the growth of tea leaves. By the year 1820, some prominent Bengali families (Prince Dwarkanath Tagore) were also engaged in the tea leaf business in Assam in an effort to grow tea leaves in Bengal and its surrounding areas.

In 1864, India’s tea leaves were sold for £3 million by the Assam Company at an auction in Mincing Lane, London, England. This was just a beginning.

This was the effort of the East India Company and the famous Indian businessman of that time to capture a part of the tea market in England. Gradually these efforts paid off, by 1870 the share of China’s tea market in England was 90%, after thirty years it was 10%, this was possible due to the development of tea gardens in India and Sri Lanka. Till then the practice of drinking tea had not started among Indians, it is believed that the trend of tea was slowly starting in the city of Kolkata, India. Kolkata was then a rapidly growing British city in India. The political and economic capital of India. Kolkata was also called the White City in those days because the population of white people in the main area of Kolkata was more than the native people, and Kolkata had more white people than any city in Asia. The British people had a habit of drinking tea according to their English tradition, gradually this habit was being adopted by the elite Indians also. In those days, association with British families and eating with them was common in the famous and prosperous houses of Kolkata, as a result many customs and traditions were adopted conveniently by the noble Indians, among them the habit of drinking tea. was involved.

Tea and Nationalism

In those days a new industry was also spreading rapidly in Bengal. That was the printing industry. For the first time in India, the trend of books, newspapers was increasing, many British and Indian businessmen of Kolkata were also seeing the possibility in this new business. Due to the spread of education, the number of educated people in India was also increasing. The old gurukul system of education (which was largely based on Hindu traditions) and Muslim education which was based on madrasas was now getting out of date. Western education and employment based on western education were increasing, a new intellectual class was emerging among Hindus. (Muslims were keeping distance from this education system) This new intelligentsia was to some extent British in language, lifestyle and food, but inspired by Hindu culture, religion, and the spirit of patriotism. Many of these intellectuals did not accept to work under the British government and started working independently in journalism, Hinduism and social reformer. There was also a lot of drinking tea among such people, due to which soon the tag of white people’s beverage was removed from tea.

Tea Break চা বিরতি

Bengalis have tea in their and blood and nobody can do anything about it. Bengalis will never forget that coffee smells like burnt shal leaf, while Darjeeling tea tastes like champagne. Sankar- The Monk as MAN

Rabindra Nath Tagore, a prolific nationalist of the time, and world-renowned Writer, Poet, Philosopher ( first Indian who received the Nobel prize of Literature )
Dwarka Nath Tagore was his grandfather, who started the tea business in India with the British people. He was counted among the tea lovers of that time. He has shared his love of tea with people many times.

Swami Vivekananda A young sannyasi(MONK) whose popularity was at its peak in those days, a voice that was a ray of hope among the nationalists, was a tea lover. This young monk left an impact on the world’s finest minds of his time.
The uncivilized image of Hindus and India in the West and America, which was based on some prejudices, was broken by this great sannyasi, not only kept the true picture of India in front of the world, but also introduced the world to yoga and meditation for the first time. The great scientist Nikola Tesla, writer Aldous Huxley, Tolstoy, Ja de Salinger Rockefeller, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Arvind Ghosh, Nivedita, Jamshedji Tata, Vimal Mitra Shachindranath were influenced by his ideas. Vivekananda’s habits were always the subject of discussion in those days, especially among the youth and the intelligentsia in Kolkata. Swami Vivekananda, along with other poets, writers, and intellectuals associated with the Rama Krishna Mission, have mentioned the popularity of tea at many places due to Vivekananda’s influence. Swami Sardananda once jokingly told Swami Vivekananda’s younger brother Mahendranath that the habit of drinking tea to the people associated with the Math is due to your brother Vivekananda. For more information related to this topic please visit:- https://nithinks.com/2021/01/11/is-vivekananda-still-relevant-today-national-youth-day/

BELUR -MATH HOWRAH (KOLKATA )

Tilak the Chaiwala of Belur :-

Once Tilak, (LOKMANYA BALGANGADHAR TILAK)the great nationalist of that time, came to Kolkata. Tilak came to Belur Math to meet and discuss with Swami Vivekananda. On the request of Swami Vivekananda, Lokmanya Tilak made tea for all the people present in the Math. Undoubtedly, this tea party is ranked among the most historic tea parties in India.
This incident is mentioned by Shankar in his famous book the monk as man
Giving the details of this incident, Sankar has told that’ Tilak had brought nutmeg, mace ,cardamom ,cloves, and saffron with him. He boiled these things together, added the tea leaves, milk and sugar ,and made tea.’ This incident shows that Our current Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose father had a small tea shop, and whose childhood is spent selling tea, he is not the only chaiwala in Indian politics.

BODHI- DHARMA

There is a belief in china that in the fifth-sixth century, a monk from India, Bodhidharma, reached China for the propagation of Buddhism. He is credited to propagate Buddhism in china. It is believed that Bodhidharma spent nine years meditating in a cave, due to constant waking and not sleeping, Bodhidharma was feeling sleepy, due to which Bodhidharma cut off his eyelid in anger and threw it away. A few days later a tree grew at the same place. The leaves of that tree had a special quality – drinking a drink made from the leaves of that tree did not cause sleep and felt energized. This was the first tea plant.

Tea Capital of India :- Undoubtedly Kolkata is the tea capital of India. From the planting of tea leaves to the cultivation, export, acceptance of tea in the society, everything is built in the history of Kolkata itself. Although tea shops will be found in every city, nook, street square of India, but the variety of tea found in Kolkata is rare. The way of serving tea is also varied. From plastic glasses, glasses, fancy cups, to clay pots.
Many shops in Kolkata still make tea in the old style kiln, but the tea found at these shops is usually strong tea. (This is the Indian version of Britain’s sailors tea) The taste of tea in a cup made of clay changes completely, the smell of earthy aroma in strong tea – wonderful.
In Kolkata, the use of milk in tea is also less, in Kolkata tea leaves are more important, after taking a few sips of tea, it is understood that the whole game here is of tea leaves.

Cultural Capital of India & Some very unique tea shops:- Varanasi is not only the cultural capital of India, it is also called Mini Kolkata or Mini Bengal. The reason for this is a large number of Bengalis here. Most Bengalis live in one city outside the state of Bengal, then it is Varanasi. The trend of tea in Varanasi has come from Kolkata itself. Here too many old tea shops serve tea in earthen cups. (KULLHADA) But there is a fundamental difference in the tea found here – milk is used more in the tea here. Apart from this, basil leaves, ginger, bay leaves are commonly used in tea here. In their taste and aroma, it reduces the taste of tea leaves . There is one more thing that is worthy of praise at the tea stalls in Varanasi – the special attention to cleanliness. A small tea shop on the side of the road also washes the utensils used for making tea with hot water several times a day. In Varanasi, tea is a beverage to be consumed at any time, and at any place.

“I think Banaras (Varanasi) is one of the most wonderful places I have ever seen. It it has struck me that a westerner feels in Banaras very much as an oriental must feel while he is planted down in the middle of London”. (MARK TWAIN)

*Swami Vivekananda’s painting at Varanasi Ghat*

MAHASAMASHAN AND TEA SHOPS

If one is not familiar with the traditions and philosophy of Hindu religion, then the tea shops and tea drinking places in Varanasi can surprise him.
The most unique seems to be the hundreds of tea shops on Samashan. In Hinduism, the last rites of a dead person are performed on the banks of rivers or water bodies, in Varanasi also on the banks of the holy Ganges there are two very ancient ghats Manikarnika and Harishchandra, both these ghats are used for cremation. There are many tea shops on both the ghats. On Manikarnika, there are more tea shops than shops of materials used in cremation. The funeral rites never stop on Manikarnika, day and night. Similarly, tea is available at any time at the tea shops here. The well-wishers of the deceased who come to attend the last rites can also be seen drinking tea at the time of the last rites of the deceased. To know the thousands of years old tradition of Varanasi’s Samashan, Aghori please visit:- https://nithinks.com/2021/03/26/rangbhari-ekadsi-masan-holiashes-of-dead-persons/ This is a normal reaction. The use of tea was once banned in Hindu monasteries considering it to be a stimulating beverage, today drinking tea is a common practice among Hindus in any religious activity. Many Hindus do not consume grains during the fast, they only survive on fruits, but tea is also drunk during this time. To know the story and tradition related to fasting in Hindu festivals please visit:- https://nithinks.com/2021/03/14/mahashivratrishiv-barat-and-varanasi/ I would like to end this post with these words of Swami Vivekananda.

READ THE VEDAS AND UPNISSHADS, AND DRINK TEA –NO HARM IN IT!