Calling Durga Puja a grand festival of Bengalis is an understatement to describe the fervour of Sharadiya season! In a Bengali household, people call it “Durga Pujo” or “Dugga Pujo”. Growing up as a Bengali girl in the heart of North Kolkata, I have been blessed to be a part of the Durga Pujo rituals since childhood at my maternal uncle’s house; we call it ‘Mamar bari’. The devotion, love, belief, respect, care, and happiness they have in their hearts for Uma (another name for Maa Durga) is beyond imagination.
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So, while most of you would be familiar with the iconic Durga Puja pandals as must-visit places, whether it’s at Maddox Square, Bagbajar Sarbojonin, Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra or Jorasanko, have you ever wondered how a typical, traditional Barir Puja–or a Durga Puja at an ancestral household–in Kolkata is organised? More importantly, while you might be lining up to taste street foods and Bhoger Khichuri-Labra at these pujas, have you ever wondered about the exclusive menus at these traditional household Durga Pujas?
From Dhaka To Kolkata: The Story Of A 130-Year-Old Durga Puja
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Our family Durga Puja takes place in North Kolkata, Maniktala, but its origins lie in the Bikrampur division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. This puja has been a part of our family tradition for generations. The same priest, or Thakurmoshai as we call him, and his family have been performing the rituals for nearly 130 years now. Earlier, when the entire family of about 75 people would gather for the puja, we barely needed to step out for pandal hopping. These days, the numbers have gone down slightly, but the essence of the puja remains unchanged. Every year, some of our family members still travel to Kolkata just to be part of this celebration.
Dadu (maternal grandfather) and Dida (maternal grandmother) have always been meticulous about every detail of this Barir Puja. From choosing the dhaaki (the traditional drummer) to ordering the idol of Maa Durga from Kumortuli, they made sure everything was perfect. Even now, family members manage the arrangements, including all the necessary accessories for the puja. For five days—Sasthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami—our home is filled with joy, tradition, and food.
The menu is one of the most important aspects of our puja, and Dadu took great pride in planning it. During the first three days, from Sasthi to Ashtami, we have a traditional vegetarian Bengali menu. On Navami and Dashami, non-vegetarian dishes are introduced. I remember how Dadu himself used to cook each dish offered to Maa Durga, with me as his little helper. I still remember how I used to assist him with the cooking essentials, listening to the importance of every dish for puja, and trying to remember what goes into the pot first after adding oil for his special recipe of echorer tarkari (jackfruit curry)! Thanks to him, I have memorised every ritual and every day’s menu by heart.
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For years, Bamunthakur (our cook) and his team have taken care of the meals, but Dadu's personal touch has always been irreplaceable. And the sweets! Every day, we have at least four types of homemade sweets—rosogolla, kalakand, sandesh, dorbesh—prepared with love by my mom, aunt (mashi), and the children in the family. The tradition of food and festivity has stayed alive through all these years, keeping the spirit of our family Durga Puja, intact.
Barir Durga Pujo Menu: From Sashthi To Dashami
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The Menu Of Sashthi
With ‘Bodhon’ of Maa Durga, a ritual in Durga Puja to awaken the deities, the sasthi morning begins. The breakfast menu for the day includes Ghee-e-vaja Luchi, Chholar dal, and Malai Sandesh. The delicious smell of desi ghee and the softness of malai sandesh save their space in our hearts forever.
The lunch menu of the day starts with Steamed Rice, Shaag, Shukto, Crispy Alu Bhaja, Pumpkin Fritters, Daaler Bora (Lentil fritters), Shona Moong Dal and Gandhoraj lebu. Then it’s followed by Chhanar dalna (Bengali Paneer Curry), Gobindobhog Potol er Rosha (Pointed gourd with gobindobhog rice), Tomato Chutney with dates and dry fruits, Sabudana papad, Rajbhog, and Dorbesh.
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Beguni (Eggplant Fritters), Alur Bora (fried potato balls) and Milk Tea add a special note to the evening adda, followed by a wholesome dinner menu. Generally, after having a heavy meal throughout the day, it’s kept a bit lighter with Moong Dal er Khichudi, Alur Dom, and Payesh (rice kheer).
The Menu Of Saptami
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As soon as the morning starts with Saptami puja, post anjali (offering to Maa Durga), the breakfast session begins. Calling it a ‘session’ is quite justified because of the menu. The breakfast platter includes large-sized Daalpuri, Echorer Tarkari, Alur dom, Soojir Halua (Sooji halwa), Ranga Alur Payesh (kheer made out of sweet potato), and Kalojam. Before lunch starts, a Dhaak bajano competition is mandatory!
The more exciting menu for lunch includes homemade traditional Bengali dishes. To list it out, steamed Basmati rice, Shukto, Shaak, Begun bhaja (Eggplant fry), Banana fritters (Kolar bora), Potol bhaja (Fried parwal), Uchhe bhaja (Fried bitter gourd), Alu Bhaja (Fried potato), Sabji dal (Lentils with vegetables), Chhanar kofta, Dhokar dalna (Bengali recipe with lentil cakes), Potol posto, Peper chutney (Chutney made with raw papaya), Papad, Dudhpuli (A traditional pithe from Bengal), Makha sandesh (A handmade sandesh prepared with fresh chhena).
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The evening snacks for Saptami come with a variety of homemade vegetable chops, puffed rice, beguni, and malai tea. The concluding dinner menu of the day includes Rice, Dal, Potol er Dorma (Stuffed parwal) with cottage cheese filling inside, Kumror Chhokka (Curry with pumpkin and soaked grams), and chhanar payesh as a dessert.
The Menu Of Ashtami
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To me, the day of Mahashtami has always been about “Pujor Anjali” wearing a favourite saree from Maa’s closet. The night before Ashtami, when everyone around the house was busy arranging for the next day's rituals, it was my part to make Maa sit and find me the right saree. Every year, after Ashtami’s Anjali, breakfast gets a bit delayed, and we start the day with a brunch rather. Luchi, Chholar Dal, Sada Alur Tarkari, Khichudi, Alur dom, Payesh, Chandrapuli, and eight more dishes are prepared for the menu. In the late afternoon, when the Sandhya Arati starts, all the family members and their friends come together for a small musical event.
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Apart from the milk tea, Pakoda, and vegetable chop, the special addition to the Ashtami snacks menu is dry Ghugni made with yellow chana, topped with grated coconut, coriander leaves and bhujiya. The Ashtami dinner menu is simple with Yellow Pulao, baby potato curry with peanuts and payesh.
The Navami Menu
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Following Sondhi Puja, Navami begins. The term 'sandhi' denotes a junction, while 'puja' signifies worship. Sandhi puja is conducted at the intersection of two time periods: the final moments of Ashtami and the first moments of Navami. The mandatory ritual of Navami is to present 108 lotuses to Durga. As the last day of the puja nears, the food menu gets a bit spicier and more delicious. The morning of Navami kicks off with the sumptuous Stuffed Chhanar kochuri, Peyaj diye alur tarkari (Potato curry with onion), and a bowl of dudhpuli (Bengali pithe).
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By the time the breakfast streak gets over, the terrific smell of mutton cooked without garlic, and fish curry gets its hold over the olfactory organs. The lunch menu reaches its irresistible quotient with steamed basmati rice, Shukto, moong dal, begun bhaja, Katla Kalia (Fish Curry) and Bengali mutton curry prepared with no onion garlic. The dessert section remains a bit special as well with laal mishti doi, chomchom and kheer sandesh. Almost every year, the Navami lunch menu gets a bit heavier and we start dozing off in the afternoon. So, post-nap, our pandal hopping starts.
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The dinner for Navami includes Basanti Pulao, Echorer dalna, Mutton, Chhanar jilipi, and Rosogolla. No matter how early or late we return, having dinner together at home is a must. We stay up all night and prepare ourselves for the fact that soon, we all have to get back to our regular lives. It always hurts to bid adieu to Maa Durga, who is more like the daughter of the house to us, but that’s how it goes. To keep up the spirit throughout the night, we continue with chitchat, Adda, and, at the end of the night, start preparing for Dashami Pujo.
The Menu of Dashami: “Abar Esho Maa”
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Thakur Boron is an important part of the Dashami pujo. The purpose of the Debi Boron ritual is to bid farewell to the goddess. We draw a betel leaf on our palms and touch it to the goddess's face during this ritual. This is a representation of the goddess wiping away any tears from her face as she prepares to depart from her parents to join her husband.
The Dashami breakfast and lunch are merged into a brunch. The menu is as follows ghee-fried luchi, rice, deep-fried sweet potatoes without salt, bori (dried pellets) made of posto (poppy seeds), kalonji, peanuts, different lentils, an assorted plate of pickles including tamarind, green mango, aamshi or dried mango, Maach Bhaja, Shorse diye Punti Maach, murighonto, macher matha diye dal, tamarind chutney (ombol as we name it), Chaaler Payesh, Rosogolla, Narkel Sandesh and Nelekata Pithe (a kheer stuffed sweetmeat prepared with fried flour coating.)
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The rhythm of the dhaak changes to “Thakur thakbe kotokkhon thakur jabe bisorjon” (It’s a Bengali dhaak tune depicting that Maa Durga will soon leave for her home in Kailash), as soon as thakur boron comes to an end. As Dida used to say, “It’s always hard to believe that your daughter leaves the house so soon!”, it still echoes inside when we have to go for Bisorjon or immersion of the idol to the Holy Ganges.
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With the recurring hope, “Aschhe Bachor Abar Hobe” (This Bengali phrase is used with the hope that Maa Durga will arrive the next year), the time to wish “Shuvo Bijoya” by touching elders’ feet, kolakuli (adorably embracing each other) and mishti mukh strikes!
While most Indians are familiar with Durga Puja celebrated at public pandals, this story provides a peek into Bonedi Barir Puja or Durga Pujas celebrated at ancestral homes over centuries in Bengal. For more on a similar 650-year-old Barir Puja in Arambagh, Hooghly, click here.