5 hrs ago
572-Year-Old Konnagar Durga Puja Ends With Ilish Bhog
The Ghoshal family in Konnagar has held a Durga Puja for more than 570 years.
It began in 1454.
The family makes the goddess’s idol at home and prepares some of the offerings itself.
On Dashami, the goddess is given a special meal made with hilsa fish.
Long ago, the idol was taken onto the river at night on two boats for immersion.
After a villager was reportedly attacked by a tiger during one immersion, the family began doing it in the daytime.
The old boat ritual no longer happens, but the family’s idol is traditionally the first to leave for immersion in Konnagar.
The family also continues to host cultural programmes and plays.
The Ghoshal Bari Durga Puja began in 1454 and is now more than 570 years old.
Family member Param Subho Ghoshal said the family was recognised as zamindars during Akbar’s reign.
The family makes the idol in its Thakur Dalan and prepares offerings such as naru; on Dashami, it serves a special hilsa bhog.
The idol was once immersed at night from two boats, but the family switched to daytime immersion after a villager was reportedly attacked by a tiger.
Music, theatre and jatra have featured at the family home; a 2025 play focused on Bengali language and identity.
- Who
- The Ghoshal family of Konnagar, including family member Param Subho Ghoshal.
- What
- The family’s centuries-old Durga Puja and its rituals, including a Dashami hilsa offering and evolving immersion practices.
- Where
- Ghoshal Bari, Konnagar, West Bengal, and the Hooghly River for immersion.
- When
- The Puja began in 1454; the article also describes its 2025 celebrations.
- Why
- The family continues the Puja and its cultural traditions; immersion moved to daytime after a villager was reportedly attacked by a tiger.
Earlier practices
Current practices
Immersion
Earlier practices
The idol was once taken into the river at night on two boats, which gradually separated.
Current practices
The boat ritual has ended; immersion now takes place during the day, and the family’s idol is traditionally first to leave for immersion in Konnagar.
Cultural celebrations
Earlier practices
Music, theatre and jatra once accompanied the Puja, with artistes including Ustad Burdul Khan and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay performing there.
Current practices
The family now keeps the cultural tradition going through programmes and plays, including a 2025 production about Bengali language and identity.
Key facts
- Puja origin
- 1454, during Sultan Bahlul Lodi’s reign
- Age
- More than 570 years
- Location
- Ghoshal Bari, Konnagar
- Dashami offering
- A special hilsa bhog
- Idol-making
- The idol is made in the Thakur Dalan
- Former immersion ritual
- The idol was taken into the river at night on two boats
- 2025 cultural programme
- A play centred on Bengali language and identity
Quotes
Param Subho Ghoshal
A member of the Ghoshal family.
“The immersion, meanwhile, has a darker chapter. Earlier, the idol would be taken into the river at night on two boats, which would gradually separate, allowing the idol to enter the water. After a villager was reportedly attacked by a tiger during one such immersion, the family began immersing the idol during the day. The boat ritual has since disappeared, although the Ghoshal Bari idol traditionally continues to be the first to leave for immersion in Konnagar.”
telegraphindia.com
“During the British era, the family received an annual grant of Rs 750 for the celebration — a tradition that, according to family members, continues to be commemorated even today.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
Related news
Howrah Family Preserves Its 300-Year-Old Abhaya Durga Puja
Harakutir Bari’s Durga Puja Evolves From Baithaks to Reels
Bengal Family Continues Three-Century Tradition of Shared Worship
Six Essential Kolkata Experiences During Durga Puja
Durga Puja Debate Intensifies Under West Bengal’s New BJP Government
Rohit Dasgupta Recreates Kolkata’s Durga Puja Spirit in London
Chandigarh Halts Raja D King’s Proposed iPhone Langar
Historian Reframes Chand Bibi Beyond Warrior Queen Legend
Why Akbar’s Din-i-Ilahi Failed as a State-Building Strategy
BV Doshi's Pritzker-Winning Vision Shapes IIM Bangalore Campus
