Siliguri, 27th December: The 43rd year of the customary Bana Durga Puja was grandly celebrated in the deep forest of Baikunthapur in Rajganj this year. Annually, the goddess Bana Durga is worshipped late at night in the deep forest located near Cheulibari on the full moon day of Paush, the tenth month of the Hindu calendar.
According to reports, devotees were not permitted given the puja being held late at night and the location being a dense forest. However, a crowd of devotees began to gather early in the morning and participated in the customary rituals. Additionally, the food offerings were also distributed among the devotees.
Notably, the location of Devi Chaudhurani and Bhavani Pathak’s memorial site, also known as Dillibhita Chadar Khal, was also referred to in the novel ‘Devi Chaudhurani’ by renowned Indian novelist, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. At an early stage, the local Rajbanshi community began worshipping at the location and the Puja was known as the ‘Thunthuni Puja’. Later, around 43 years ago, a committee was constituted, and Bana Durga Puja has been organized ever since.
According to Puja Committee Secretary Raju Saha, the puja is held at night every year along with the organization of a fair. He added that thousands of devotees converge from all across North Bengal. Furthermore, he stated that there was a complete ban on the gathering of devotees in the forest due to the puja being organized late at night. As a result, the pilgrims started arriving in the morning.