New Delhi: It is October, that time of the year when Bengalis all over the world would indulge in the celebration of Durga Puja. For the Bengali community, nothing gets bigger than this puja which is held with pomp and splendour not just in Bengal but in many other parts of the world.
The Durga Puja, which goes on for five days, is a festival with rich history and heritage. There are many Durga Pujas in Bengal which have an interesting history, and one of them particularly has connections with Jodha Bai, the chief queen of Mughal Emperor Akbar. In this article, we will take a look at this Durga Puja which traces its roots to the Mughal Empress.
The Durga Puja of Jodha Bai in a corner of Bengal
The Durga Puja in question takes place in Barasat, a town in West Bengal located near Kolkata. It is a tale which has been passed down through generations, the tale of Jodha Bai being the chief patronage of this Durga Puja. In some sources of history, Mariam-uz-Zamani, the favourite queen of Akbar is commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai.
She was Akbar’s principal Rajput wife and also the chief queen. During the initial rule of Akbar when Bengal was yet to become a part of the Mughal Empire, 12 zamindars or bhuiyans ruled the region. While Akbar had no problem in subjugating 11 of them, he faced a problem with Pratapaditya, the defiant ruler of Jessore. Jahangir, the son of Mariam-uz-Zamani and the successor of Akbar sent Man Singh as the subedar of Bengal to defeat Pratapaditya.
The main strength of Pratapaditya was with Shankar Chattopadhyay, the commander of his army. Shankar was a devout follower of Jessoreswari Maa Bhavani. Man Singh defeated Pratapaditya and his general Shankar Chattopadhyay with a large army and sent the duo to the emperor in Delhi. While Pratapaditya passed away in the army camp at Varanasi, Jahangir sentenced Shankar to life imprisonment.
Shankar began to spend his days in prison by reading scriptures. Soon the occasion of Mahalaya came, which signals the beginning of the Durga Puja. On Mahalaya, a person offers the water of the Ganges river to the ancestors. Shankar was a devout Brahmin and wished to do a tarpan on Mahalaya. However, Jahangir rejected his appeal for permission and Shankar went on a hunger strike. Soon, Jodha Bai got to know about his hunger strike and she was already impressed by Shankar’s chanting of Sanskrit verses.
Meanwhile, Jodha Bai dreamt that she should worship Goddess Durga. She requested Jahangir to free Shankar, and the emperor obliged. Jodha Bai urged Shankar to worship Ma Durga after he returned to Bengal. After coming back to Bengal, Shankar settled in Barasat and started the Durga Puja as requested by Jodha Bai. Also, as per reports, she used to send her offerings to Shankar’s Durga Puja. Reportedly, the Durga Puja which Shankar started on the request of Akbar’s chief queen still takes place in Barasat. While speaking to the Millenium Post, Sraboni Chatterjee, a present member of the family of Shankar’s descendants, said that the Puja is credited with giving women their dignity.
The Durga Puja, which goes on for five days, is a festival with rich history and heritage. There are many Durga Pujas in Bengal which have an interesting history. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
