Barowari
Encyclopedia
Barowari refers to the public organisation of a religious or other festival, mainly in West Bengal
. This is extensively used for Durga Puja
. The word "Barowari" came from the words "baro", which means 12, and "yari". Much earlier in 1790, 12 Brahmin
friends in Guptipara, Hooghly, had decided to institute Community Puja. Subscriptions were raised from neighbours. Thus started baro-yari or Barowari Puja in Bengal which gained popularity in leaps and bounds. Initially, Durga Puja
was an occasion for the rich Babus
of Kolkata
, later individual initiatives declined as collective enterprises came to replace it.
In more recent times, the nomenclature ‘barowari’ is being replaced by ‘sarbajanin’ (meaning all inclusive). The Barowari festival is the opposite of household festival organised privately, but often allowing the participation of outsiders. The Barowari festival is organised with funds raised from the public at large through donations or subscriptions.
was held at Guptipara
, when some men were stopped from taking part in a household Durga Puja. Twelve of them formed a committee and organised a barowari ( in Bengali
baro means twelve and yar means friend) puja (worshipping). There is a difference of opinion about the year of worship – 1761 or 1790.
The Sabarna Roy Choudhury
family has been celebrating Durga Puja
since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha
. It is possibly the oldest organised festival in the Kolkata region. Today altogether seven Durga Pujas are being held in the family. Out of these, six are at Barisha while the seventh is at Birati
. The Pujas which are held at Barisha are that of - Aatchala, Baro Bari, Mejo Bari, Benaki Bari, Kalikingkar Bhawan and Majher Bari. Other than the Durga Puja, the family organizes Chandi Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, Dol Yatra and Rath Yatra
utsav.
Nabakrishna Deb
started the Durga Puja in Shobhabazar
Rajbari in 1757. He set a pattern for the puja which became a fashion and a status symbol among the upcoming merchant class of Kolkata. The number of Englishmen attending the family Durga Puja became an index of prestige. Religious scruples fell by the wayside. The nautch
girls were mostly from Muslim
gharana
s. The Englishmen attending the dance-parties, dined on beef and ham from Wilson’s Hotel, and drank to their heart’s contentment.
Rani Rashmoni
used to celebrate Durga Puja at her residence
with traditional pomp, including all-night jatras (folk theatre), rather than by entertaining the Englishmen with whom she carried on a running feud. After her death in 1861, the sons-in-law took to celebrating Durga Puja in their respective premises.
There are number of other household Durga Pujas in Kolkata.
. Other barowari Durga Pujas that followed it closely were Shyampukur Adi Sarbojanin
in 1911, Sikdarbagan (in the Shyambazar
neighbourhood) in 1913, Nebubagan, which later became Baghbazar sarbojanin, in 1919, and Simla Byam Samiti in 1926.
Barowari Durga Pujas are celebrated in over 2,000 pandals in Kolkata.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. This is extensively used for Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
. The word "Barowari" came from the words "baro", which means 12, and "yari". Much earlier in 1790, 12 Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
friends in Guptipara, Hooghly, had decided to institute Community Puja. Subscriptions were raised from neighbours. Thus started baro-yari or Barowari Puja in Bengal which gained popularity in leaps and bounds. Initially, Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
was an occasion for the rich Babus
Babu (title)
The term babu, also spelled baboo, is used in modern-day South Asia as a sign of respect towards men. It is a derivation of bapu which means father. The honorific "ji" is sometimes added as a suffix to create the double honorific "babuji" which, in northern and eastern parts of India, is a term of...
of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, later individual initiatives declined as collective enterprises came to replace it.
In more recent times, the nomenclature ‘barowari’ is being replaced by ‘sarbajanin’ (meaning all inclusive). The Barowari festival is the opposite of household festival organised privately, but often allowing the participation of outsiders. The Barowari festival is organised with funds raised from the public at large through donations or subscriptions.
Etymology
The first publicly organised Durga PujaDurga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
was held at Guptipara
Guptipara
Guptipara is a rural town under Balagarh police station in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly District in West Bengal, India.Guptipara is under the Pandooah Telephone District Area and the STD Code is 03213.-Geography:Guptipara is located at...
, when some men were stopped from taking part in a household Durga Puja. Twelve of them formed a committee and organised a barowari ( in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
baro means twelve and yar means friend) puja (worshipping). There is a difference of opinion about the year of worship – 1761 or 1790.
Household pujas
There were numerous household pujas, particularly Durga Puja, in various parts of Bengal. Generally such pujas allowed others to participate in the worshipping but the organisation and other matters were obviously with the family taking the initiative and spending money for it.The Sabarna Roy Choudhury
Sabarna Roy Choudhury
Sabarna Ray Chaudhury family were the Zamindar of the Kolkata area, prior to the arrival of the British. On November 10, 1698, they transferred, by lease, their rights over the three villages – Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur - to the East India Company...
family has been celebrating Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha
Barisha
Barisha is a residential locality of Kolkata , West Bengal, India. Historically, it one of the oldest boroughs in Kolkata. It was the abode of the great Sabarna Roy Choudhury family. Barisha is known today for being the home of the Indian Cricket idol Sourav Ganguly...
. It is possibly the oldest organised festival in the Kolkata region. Today altogether seven Durga Pujas are being held in the family. Out of these, six are at Barisha while the seventh is at Birati
Birati
Birati is a neighbourhood in the North Dumdum municipality area, in the North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is located at the east of Calcutta , beside the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum...
. The Pujas which are held at Barisha are that of - Aatchala, Baro Bari, Mejo Bari, Benaki Bari, Kalikingkar Bhawan and Majher Bari. Other than the Durga Puja, the family organizes Chandi Puja, Jagadhatri Puja, Dol Yatra and Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra
Ratha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July. Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area...
utsav.
Nabakrishna Deb
Nabakrishna Deb
Nabakrishna Deb , founder of the Shovabazar Raj family, was instrumental in a plot against Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula...
started the Durga Puja in Shobhabazar
Shobhabazar
Shobhabazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal.-History:...
Rajbari in 1757. He set a pattern for the puja which became a fashion and a status symbol among the upcoming merchant class of Kolkata. The number of Englishmen attending the family Durga Puja became an index of prestige. Religious scruples fell by the wayside. The nautch
Nautch
In North India, Nautch is one of several styles of popular dance, performed by girls known as "Nautch girls". The word Nautch is an anglicized version of नाच , a word found in Hindi and Urdu , and several other languages of North India, derived from the Sanskrit, Nritya, via the Prakrit, Nachcha...
girls were mostly from Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
gharana
Gharana
In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes changes substantially from one...
s. The Englishmen attending the dance-parties, dined on beef and ham from Wilson’s Hotel, and drank to their heart’s contentment.
Rani Rashmoni
Rani Rashmoni
Rani Rashmoni was the founder of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Kolkata, and remained closely associated with Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa after she appointed him as the priest of the temple...
used to celebrate Durga Puja at her residence
Janbazar
Janbazar is a neighbourhood in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. The two century-old house of Rani Rashmoni, the central attraction in Janbazar, is still used by descendants in the family.-History:...
with traditional pomp, including all-night jatras (folk theatre), rather than by entertaining the Englishmen with whom she carried on a running feud. After her death in 1861, the sons-in-law took to celebrating Durga Puja in their respective premises.
There are number of other household Durga Pujas in Kolkata.
Barowari Durga Pujas
The twentieth century witnessed the emergence of the publicly organised or community Durga Puja. The first barowari Durga Puja was organised in Kolkata by Bhowanipore Sanatan Dharmotsahini Sabha in 1910 at Balaram Basu Ghat Road, BhowaniporeBhowanipore
Bhowanipore or Bhabanipur is the oldest locality of South Kolkata. It is located just south of the Lower Circular Road . It is the second largest locality in South Kolkata after Ballygunge...
. Other barowari Durga Pujas that followed it closely were Shyampukur Adi Sarbojanin
Shyampukur
Shyampukur is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. As a neighbourhood, it covers a small area but its importance is primarily because of the police station and the assembly constituency.-Etymology:...
in 1911, Sikdarbagan (in the Shyambazar
Shyambazar
Shyambazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. The area, under Shyampukur police station of Kolkata Police, has been, along with neighbouring Bagbazar, the citadel of the Bengali aristocracy, in a part of what was earlier known as...
neighbourhood) in 1913, Nebubagan, which later became Baghbazar sarbojanin, in 1919, and Simla Byam Samiti in 1926.
Barowari Durga Pujas are celebrated in over 2,000 pandals in Kolkata.