19 hrs ago
Bengal Family Continues Three-Century Tradition of Shared Worship
A family in Bhalia village has held Durga Puja for about 300 years.
During the festival, a Hindu priest performs the evening Arati.
At the same time, a Muslim muezzin recites the Azaan.
Both happen under the same mandap.
The family says an ancestor began this tradition so local Muslims could be included in the celebrations.
Muslims also gather there to pray.
The practice happens on all four days of Durga Puja.
The family says it is a way to bring people together.
The Sarkar family of Bhalia village has maintained a three-century-old Durga Puja tradition.
During evening Arati, a Hindu priest offers lamps while a Muslim muezzin recites the Azaan under the same mandap.
The practice takes place on all four days of Durga Puja.
Family history says zamindar Babu Ram Sarkar began the tradition to include the Muslim community in the celebrations.
Muslims gather in the mandap for prayers, and the family says the ritual promotes love, unity and brotherhood.
- Who
- The Sarkar family of Bhalia village, a Hindu priest, and a Muslim muezzin; local Muslims also gather for prayers.
- What
- The family holds Durga Puja Arati and the recitation of the Azaan under the same mandap.
- Where
- Sarkar Bari in Bhalia village, Arambagh subdivision, Hooghly district, West Bengal.
- When
- During all four days of Durga Puja; the family says the tradition began three centuries ago.
- Why
- According to the family’s account, the tradition began to include the Muslim community in the celebrations and continues to promote unity.
Key facts
- Family
- The Sarkar family, whose ancestral home is known locally as Sarkar Bari.
- Village
- Bhalia, in Arambagh subdivision of Hooghly district, West Bengal.
- Age of tradition
- About three centuries.
- Founder named in the account
- Babu Ram Sarkar, described as the family’s zamindar at the time.
- Shared rituals
- Durga Puja Sandhya Arati and the recitation of the Azaan take place together under the mandap.
- Duration
- The practice is followed on all four days of Durga Puja.
- Family members quoted
- Hena Sarkar, Sudharsana Sarkar, Pritam Sarkar and Srikanta Sarkar.
Quotes
Sudharsana Sarkar, Pritam Sarkar and Srikanta Sarkar
Members of the present generation of the Sarkar household
“We can’t miss this unique practice of bringing together both communities under the same Durga Puja mandap during all four days of the Puja, spreading the message of love, oneness and brotherhood and breaking all orthodox religious barriers that divide humanity.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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