Written by Aditi Dubey
At Bhowanipur 75 Palli, Durga Puja is more than a celebration – it is a living symbol of religious bonhomie and togetherness. The festival begins with an extraordinary act of trust, when a century-old mosque of Afghan Pathans, standing right beside the Puja club, grants its neighbours a rare privilege.
Every year, as the Puja season arrives, the wall separating the mosque and the Durga Puja pandal is temporarily broken down with the mosque’s written permission to make space. Once the Durga Puja celebrations are over, the wall is carefully rebuilt brick by brick, ready for the next year.
What makes this tradition remarkable is not just the consent, but the wholehearted participation of the Afghan Pathan families who live within the mosque premises. They not only approve the arrangement but also contribute financially to the Puja.
For Hayat Khan, a resident of the mosque and member of the Afghan Pathan community, this annual practice reflects the essence of coexistence. “Yes, we break the wall every year because it is a big festival for our Hindu brothers and sisters and they need a larger place to celebrate. If we have a privilege but our neighbours are suffering, will we be happy? And it is only a matter of 10–15 days of celebration so it makes no difference,” he says.
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Khan proudly recalls his family’s 120-year presence in the neighbourhood and their contribution to the Puja’s 61-year history. “We’ve helped and celebrated all the years of the club’s Puja and they have done the same for us during our festivals like Ramzan and Eid,” he says.
For him, mutual respect sustains the bond: “Every person has their own belief and I cannot change anyone’s personal belief, but this is my personal perspective: if their celebration is not harming me, why should I unnecessarily try to harm their celebration and happiness? If they want some space in my house too, I can allow them to stay. They have always treated us well, so there is no point in being rude to them either.”
For Subir Das, secretary of the Bhowanipur 75 Palli club, this tradition is the soul of Durga Puja: “It is a whole mix of community coming together and doing puja.”
A Puja Beyond Boundaries
Durga Puja in Kolkata has always been a festival that transcends religion, but Bhowanipur 75 Palli embodies inclusivity in its very fabric. Located in a Sikh-dominated neighbourhood, the Puja begins every year with Khuti Pujo – the foundational ritual – attended not just by local devotees but also by religious leaders across communities including Parsis, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. “Not just the common man, the preachers – they came and blessed our puja,” says Das.
Located in a Sikh-dominated neighbourhood, the Puja begins every year with Khuti Pujo attended not just by local devotees but also by religious leaders across communities including Parsis, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. (Photo: Specially arranged)
Inclusivity also extends to the hands that create the festival. Artisans who design the pandals, kaarigars who craft intricate zari and thermocol installations, are mostly Muslims. Local businessmen, families, and residents from every background contribute, transforming the Puja into a shared responsibility. “One won’t be able to make out who is coming from which religion,” Das notes. “Irrespective of any religion, people come out for pandal hopping. They might not offer Pushpanjali but they will eat prasad or at least definitely pray for positivity,” Das says.
Themes that Empower
Every year, Bhowanipur 75 Palli selects a theme that goes beyond decoration, aiming to inspire reflection. This year, the Puja honours Noti Binodini, the pioneering 19th-century Bengali theatre actress. Her journey mirrors the spirit of Durga Puja itself – a triumph of courage over stigma.
At a time when women on stage were stigmatized, Binodini challenged the male-dominated theatre world, earning recognition from Rabindranath Tagore, Girish Chandra Ghosh, and Ramkrishna Paramahansa, who blessed her talent. Yet, despite her brilliance, she faced social ostracism.
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“Since Durga Puja is all about women empowerment and good over evil, it was also the sort of devil that society was playing then, but she broke that shackle,” explains Das. He adds that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s move to rename North Kolkata’s historic Star Theatre as Binodini in 2024 makes the theme even more relevant this year.
The Festival of All
Durga Puja — most often affixed with the word Sarbojonin and in Hindi as Sarvajanik, which literally meaning “for all” – finds its truest reflection at Bhowanipur 75 Palli. Differences blur into insignificance during the festival. “I might not read Qalma, but I ever love biryani,” Das remarks with a smile, capturing the spirit of inclusivity.
For Das, the festival is both exhausting and rejuvenating. “Managing the puja for over 30 years, it is a battery recharger for me,” he says with a smile. The sweat and dedication behind months of preparation culminate in moments of collective joy, only to begin again: “The moment it is Dusshera again we wait for our Maa next year.”
The Larger Meaning
The Bhowanipur 75 Palli Durga Puja is more than a neighbourhood celebration. The shared wall with the Afghan Pathans’ mosque, broken and rebuilt every year, has become a metaphor for Kolkata’s resilience and harmony in diversity.
In times when divisions often dominate headlines, this Puja reminds the city – and the country – that festivals can dissolve boundaries and renew faith in togetherness.
(Aditi Dubey is an intern with The Theorist)
