The Maliara Rajbari’s (royal family) Durga Puja is a 500-year-old traditional festival in Bankura district of West Bengal. An interesting history associated This Durga puja was started with the permission of Mughal Emperor Akbar and is still performed according to the scriptures! One of the special features of this puja is the firing of cannons during Sandhi Puja, which is a part of the royal tradition.
History of Maliara Royal Palace
The history of the Maliara Palace in the Barajora block of West Bengal’s Bankura district is fascinating. It is said, a Brahmin named Deo Adhurya, who came from Kannauj, crossed the Damodar River and arrived at the Maliara village of Bankura with the Panja (the right to rule in a specific area) of the Mughal Emperor Akbar himself. At that time, the western side of the Damodar was covered with dense forests. The small villages surrounded by forests were occupied by the local Akure community. Deo Adhurya, who set foot in Maliara village, brought the Akuras under his control and established the Maliara kingdom.
Gradually, with his intelligence and power, the boundaries of the Maliara royal family spread from the Damodar in the east to the Shali river in the west. Thousands of bighas of land in hundreds of mouzas came under the control of the Maliara royal family. The royal treasury flourished in a short time due to the huge income of the kingdom. In addition to the preparation of the king’s massive palace in Maliara village, a huge “Durga dalan” (hall) was built inside the royal palace.
Durga idol made of eight metals worshipped traditionally
It is said that almost immediately after the establishment of the kingdom, about five hundred years ago, Durga Puja began with great ceremony in the Durga hall of the royal family. Since the inception, Maa Durga’s “Ashtadhatu” idols made of eight metals, also called octo-alloy, composed of gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lead, zinc, and mercury. This sacred alloy is traditionally used for casting metallic idols in Hindu and Jain temples, and also for crafting devotional jewelry and architecture, such as Ashtadhatu kada (bracelets).
Durga Puja in Maliara royal family begins on day one of Navratri
According to royal family sources, worship in the temple of the Maliara royal family begins on the day after Mahalaya, i.e. on the Pratipada tithi, or first day of Navratri. In the past, every hour of the puja was marked by the sound of cannons, but now cannons are fired only on the juncture of Ashtami and Navami, which is known as “Sandhi Puja”.
During the royal rule, various cultural programmes were hosted during Durga puja. These included dance performance by courtesans (Known as Baijis) hired from Varanasi, Ramleela and other events, which were held in the premises of the palace for a few days of the puja.
Grandeur has faded but Durga Puja continues with past glory
The Maliara royal Palace has seen many ups and downs in the last five hundred years. The bricks of the once grand palace are falling apart. Having lost its kingdom, the Maliara royal family is now in the same condition as the other five families in the village. But even today, when Durga puja begins, this palace reveals its past traditions and nobility. Even after five hundred years, the glory of the puja has not faded even a little.
With the passage of time, the grandeur of the puja has faded a lot. After the abolition of the royal tradition, the royal family of Maliara has gradually become economically weak. The huge palace has become a ruin due to lack of renovation. The plasterwork is falling off the ancient temple. But the members of the royal family did not allow the rules and rituals of Durga Puja to be affected even a little.
A member of the Maliara Rajbari, said, “The pomp that was there earlier in the puja is now gone. But the rules and rituals of the puja are still the same. Although many new pujas have started in the area in recent times, the passion of this puja at Rajbari haunts the people of the area. Many people from far and wide flock to this ancient temple for a few days during Durga puja.”
