Before there were community pujas there were family ones. The bonedi bari — the mansions of the Bengali gentry, built on trade, zamindari and the company’s business — held their own Durga Puja in an interior courtyard, the thakur dalan, and many still do.
These are quieter, older and stricter than the street pujas. The idol is usually ek chala — the whole family of deities on a single backdrop — rather than the separate figures of the modern pandal. Several houses allow visitors during the five days; some ask you to write ahead.
The names
Places, pujas and people, with what each one is| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sovabazar Rajbari1757 | Sovabazar, north Kolkata | Raja Nabakrishna Deb’s house. The 1757 puja, held after Plassey, is the one usually credited with beginning the Kolkata tradition. |
| Chhatu Babu Latu Babu Bari1770s | Beadon Street, north Kolkata | The Deb family house; one of the great old pujas. |
| Laha Bari1800s | Thanthania, north Kolkata | A Kolkata merchant family’s puja, still held. |
| Hatkhola Dutta Bari1794 | Hatkhola, north Kolkata | One of the oldest continuous family pujas in the city. |
| Rani Rashmoni’s house1800s | Janbazar, central Kolkata | The house of the woman who founded Dakshineswar. |
| Sabarna Roy Choudhury Bari1610 | Barisha, Behala | The family that sold the three villages to the East India Company; their puja is said to predate the city. |
| Shibkrishna Daw Bari1840s | Jorasanko | A merchant family’s thakur dalan. |
| Jorasanko Daw Bari1800s | Jorasanko | One of the Jorasanko family pujas. |
| Mallick Bari1800s | Bhowanipore and north Kolkata | Several Mallick family houses hold their own pujas. |
| Bhowanipore family pujas1800s | Bhowanipore | The southern equivalents, generally later than the northern ones. |
Worth knowing
- These are private houses opening their doors. Behave as a guest.
- Ek chala — the single-backdrop idol — is the marker of an old family puja.
- Bhog is usually offered; take it if it is offered and do not ask for it.
- Several houses prefer you to write or call ahead. Heritage walk operators arrange access.
- They are at their best on Ashtami morning, before the street crowds build.
More on Durga Puja
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