Bangaon of North 24 Parganas district in Bengal is home to a unique Durga Puja in which Two-armed Durga is worshipped and instead of impaling Mahishasura, She is depicted as rescuing a man drowning in the sea. Goddess Durga is worshipped in the form of Kamala Kamini. The description of this Kamala Kamini form of Durga is found in the Mangal Kavyas (narrative poems). The puja is performed by The Da family belonging to the Gandhabanik community. They are descendants of Dhanapati Saudagar, the original Kulatilaka (foremost) of the Gandhabanik caste.
The idol of Goddess Durga is in the Ekchala (single-frame)
style. Goddess Durga is surrounded by her four children: Lakshmi, Saraswati,
Kartik, and Ganesha. One might think, The Goddess has only two hands, and with
them, she is not slaying the Mahishasura (buffalo demon). Instead, she is
rescuing a helpless person. It is in this peculiar form that the Kamala Kamini
Durga of the Da family, the Goddess Durga of Srimanta Saudagar, has been
worshipped for nearly three hundred years.
Story Of Two-Armed Goddess Durga
Dhanapati Saudagar a non-believer had the darshan of Goddess
Durga during his voyage but had to face numerous problems including
imprisonment in Sri Lanka but the goddess finally rescued him and his son. The
idol worshipped in the puja is like the one he had darshan.
Dhanapati Saudagar was a wealthy and arrogant merchant who
worshipped only Shiva and refused to honor the Goddess. On a voyage to Sri
Lanka, his pregnant wife begged him to pray to the Goddess for his safety, but
he refused. In response, the Goddess decided to teach him a lesson.
While sailing, Dhanapati saw a woman in the sea striking two elephants with her fist. He thought it would impress King Shalibahan, so he told the King the story, despite his companions' warnings. The King didn’t believe him and, when they couldn't find the scene again, had Dhanapati imprisoned.
Years later, Dhanapati’s son, Srimanta, searched for his
father in Sinhala. He too saw the same woman, Kamala Kamini, but made the same
mistake and was imprisoned. The King was furious and sentenced them both to
death.
In desperation, father and son prayed to the Goddess,
recalling how their mother had once invoked her protection. The Goddess finally
appeared, saving them both from the water and anger of the King. Through their
ordeal, Dhanapati learned the value of humility and devotion to the Goddess,
not just Shiva.
The Dream That Started The Durga Puja
A dream was seen by the progenitor of the Da family, Krishnachandra
Da. This was nearly three hundred years ago when they lived in the village of
Bainchi. It was there that the idol of the Mother in this form was created and
the worship began. In the idol Goddess is depicted as holding Srimanta's hand,
as if pulling him out of the water. The exact form from the dream has been
meticulously brought to life in the idol.
Bangaon Durga Puja
The clay work begins the day after Janmashtami. The idol is
slowly constructed. On the day of Ashtami, Kumari Pujo (worship of a virgin
girl) is celebrated with great pomp. After the Dhunuchi Nāach (incense burner
dance) on Navami, Narayan Seva (feeding the poor/masses) is arranged for the
general public.
However, this particular worship in Bangaon is 54 years old. When Krishnachandra Da's descendant, Ajit Da, moved to Bongaon, the Goddess permanently came there in 1971. Their worship began there. In this way, the Goddess has been continuously receiving worship.
