According to legend, whenever Maa Durga descends on Earth, the Goddess dresses up in saree and jewellery at Shib Krishna Daw’s house in Jorasanko, eats her ‘Bhog’ at Abhaycharan Mitra’s house in Kumartuli and enjoys dance performance at night at Shobhabazar Rajbari.
Shobhabazar royal family’s Durga Puja
Two separate Durga Pujas at the two mansions of Shobhabazar royal family are organised by descendants of Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb (10 October 1733 – 22 December 1797), who was a close friend of Robert Clive, the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency.
The Pujas at both houses of Shobhabazar Rajbari (Descendants of Nabakrishna Deb’s son Rajkrishna Deb and adopted son Gopimohan Deb) have managed to retains its uniqueness amid the craze for theme-based Durga Puja in Kolkata. During the festival, the palaces are flocked by visitors from different parts of Bengal and even tourists from other countries. The gates of these two royal palaces facing each other remain open for everyone during the five days of Durga Puja.
Lord Clive was the Chief Guest at Shobhabazar royal family’s Durga Puja
Durga Puja was organised with great pomp and show by royal and affluent families of Kolkata in the British era. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 brought several changes in the socio-economic and political spheres of Bengal. The Battle of Plassey, fought on June 23, 1757, was a pivotal conflict between the British East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah. The British, led by Robert Clive, won the battle due to a conspiracy within the Nawab’s own camp, orchestrated by his general, Mir Jafar, who betrayed the Nawab and retreated with his forces.
Durga Puja at Shobhabazar Rajbari began on this year, making it over 268 years old as of 2025. This annual festival was initiated by Raja Nabakrishna Deb and is considered one of the oldest Durga Puja celebrations by aristocratic families in Kolkata.
It is said that during Durga Puja, Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb would invite the gentlemen to Shobhabazar Rajbari and spend a huge amount of money on entertainment. Robert Clive was also invited to the puja at the royal palace as one of the Chief Guests. Nabakrishna did not leave any stone unturned for Clive’s hospitality.
Durga Puja took place a few days after the end of the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Lord Clive was the chief guest of that puja. Courtesans were hired from Lucknow, Kashmir, Persia and other places for dance performance to entertain guests throughout the nights of Durga Puja. Gradually, over the years courtesan dance was replaced by drama and musical performance at night. Despite all this, Goddess Durga’s puja procedure was carried out strictly according to the scriptures and with complete discipline.
Rajbari’s “daughter” Goddess Durga stays behind curtains
Goddess Durga is considered as the daughter of this royal family, and hence her idol stays behind curtains. This arrangement is so that outsiders are not able to see the mother’s face directly.
Bhog
Durga Puja follows Vaishnavism. So rice is not offered to Goddess Durga in her ‘bhog’. The offering comprises various types of fried and dry food, including snacks like samosas, kachoris, nimki and sweets like gaja, jalebi and pantua. Visitors can also buy this food offered as bhog.
Animal sacrifice
The palace of the ‘Boro Torof’ or descendants of Gopimohan Deb had a tradition of animal sacrifice during the puja. But it is said that the custom was stopped by Gopimohan Deb’s son Radhakanta Deb. Before the sacrifice, a frightened goat took shelter at Radhakanta’s feet, following which he said that anyone seeking shelter cannot be killed. The ‘Chhoto torof’ or descendants of Rajkrishna Deb had a tradition of animal sacrifice in the recent past as well, which was stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
