About this Bonedi Bari Durga Puja: Using the words of Halley Goswami, how the Goswami Bari Durga Puja started and Rituals followed by them. Durga puja, with all its paraphernalia has been a topic of my passion, ever since childhood. As a kid, I used to celebrate a kid's pujo' in front of a self painted image. In my late school years I finally embarked on an ambitious project of making a clay pratima myself. My friends came forward enthusiastically to lend a helping hand .. and soon we were organising a full fledged durgotsav at our home. Even today I sculpt the murti myself, beginning in July after kathamo puja in rathayatra. In the next three months devi slowly takes shape under our watchful eyes. Even her saaj jewellery is hand made in home. And it is me who presides as the purohit to worship our dearly loved mother. Right before pujas the family gets busy preparing traditional sweets. The rituals begin from Shasti. On saptami Navapatrika or Kolabou is taken to Ganges for her bath. Every day, Devi is given a elaborate bathing ceremony where rare items such as waters of seas, rains, dew drops, ganga, saraswati river, pilgrimages and clay from various sources such as from doorstep of a king's palace, prostitutes quarters, temple, yajna-shala etc are needed. All these items are personally hand collected by family members and friends all year round. Kumari puja is done on the morning of ashtami with devotion. That night, at the juncture of Ashtami and Navami devi is worshipped as Chamunda during Sandhi puja. Hailing from Vaishnav lineage our family does not sacrifice animals. pumpkins and gourds are sacrificed instead. On dashami devi is offered a bhoga or dadhikarma and 'panta-bhaat' as per ancient traditions of Bengal. The boron starts at noon and after sindoor khela and dhunuchi nach she is bid a tearful farewell in Ganges. Returning home, everyone bows down to the ghat and partakes 'shantijal'. After that we sit down to a feast of pantaa-bhaat, kochur shaak, maach(fish is barred for the nine days of navaratri, starting from pratipad)and dadhikarma and sweets. Not to forget siddhi, without which the puja is supposedly left incomplete. Ekadasi morning leaves all of us grief stricken and sad. But the preparations of upcoming year start right after and continues for the next 11 months. Bolo Durga maai ki jay.
Address: Gopal Nagar road , Alipore.
Contact Person: Sri Halley Goswami.
Contact Person's Email: halleygoswami@gmail.com
Durga Puja Location: Alipore.
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