Ray Bari Durga Puja In Shantipur, Bengal, is famous for its unique rituals. The tradition of Durga Puja began, when an elderly woman of the house had the dream of Goddess Durga, around 500 years ago during the reign of King Shah Jahan, in the house of the Param Vaishnav Ray family.
Ray Bari Durga Puja In Santipur – Story
In the midday heat, a woman is walking briskly through the
courtyard. What's going on? Standing beneath the veranda, the woman wipes her
sweat-soaked, tired face with a cloth and asks for some water. The housewife
gives her a pitcher of water. But the woman does not drink that water. She
says, "The water in the pot beneath the idol, that holy Ganges water for
the puja, give me that." So, reluctantly, the house members hand it to
her.
After drinking the water, satisfied, the woman says,
"I’m leaving, Mother. My children are waiting outside the courtyard. I
must go a long way." And with that, she quickly walks away, just as she
had come.
The housewife comes to her senses and suddenly becomes
furious. "In this intense heat of Bhadra, how could those little children
be standing outside? Quickly, bring them some water and refreshments."
Water and refreshments are taken outside immediately. But
where is everyone? The roads around the village are eerily empty. Wondering,
the housewife thinks, How did they leave so quickly? How is that possible?
That afternoon, she sleeps and dreams. In her dream, the
Goddess is standing in her courtyard. The Goddess says, "I came to your
house, but you couldn’t recognize me."
The dream breaks, and the housewife wakes up, panicked. She
hurriedly grabs a cloth and, crying out to the Goddess, says, "Mother, you
came, and I didn’t understand. That was my mistake. How can I atone for this,
tell me?" The Goddess replies, "Perform my puja. You will regain what
you lost."
The housewife, in great distress, says, "Mother, you
know everything. The end of Bhadra is near, and there are only a few days left
for the puja. How will we make your idol and perform the puja? We don’t have
the means."
The Goddess reassures her, "Perform the puja with
whatever you have. But do it with all your devotion. Paint my form on a pot and
worship it. I will be pleased with that."
That year, the puja of Durga was performed with the
Goddess’s image painted on a pot. The idol was called Kulopatidurga (The
Goddess of the Family). This tradition of Durga Puja began around 500 years ago
during the reign of King Shah Jahan, in the house of the Param Vaishnav Ray
family.
The Ray family from Baganchara village in Shantipur
originally hailed from Gourbanga. After facing several challenges, they
eventually settled in the village of Baganchara in Shantipur. This village had
a strong tradition of Shakti puja (worship of the divine feminine power),
especially among the Vaishnav community. The name Baganchara itself comes from
the ancient worship of Bagdevi, and according to tantric rituals, this worship
was carried out by one of the twelve Bhuiyans, Chand Ray, the priest of the Kulo
(family) of this area.
Over time, as the puja of the Goddess began, the Ray
family's fortunes began to improve. Within a few years, they were able to build
a statue of the Goddess and begin regular worship. Gradually, a temple and an
eight-pitched roof (a traditional structure) were erected.
However, in this house, only the Goddess Mahishasuramardini (the slayer of the buffalo demon) is worshipped. Since the forms of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, and Ganesh have not appeared, there is no worship of them. Here, the Goddess is revered as Kulomata (The Mother of the Family).