Latest / The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History / The Forgotten Goddess: Durga Puja and Nationalism in Colonial Bengal
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've covered a lot of Bengal's political and military history — the battles, the famines, the rebellions. But there's a cultural force that wove through all of it, especially under British rule, and that's Durga Puja. It started as a private ritual for wealthy zamindars, and by the early 20th century, it had become a massive public festival and a platform for nationalist sentiment. Luna: I've always wondered how a religious festival became so political. Lucas: Right. Let's go back to the late 18th century. The first really famous Durga Puja was organized in 1790 by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of the Shobhabazar Rajbari in Calcutta. He invited British officials, including Warren Hastings, to curry favor and show off his wealth. That was the old model — the barowari puja, meaning 'by twelve friends,' but actually it was still elite-sponsored. Lucas: Then, in the early 19th century, the festival started to become more public. By the 1850s, neighborhood committees were organizing sarbajanin or 'all-community' pujas, where everyone could participate regardless of caste or class. That shift was crucial because it democratized the festival. Luna: So when did the nationalist element really kick in? Lucas: The big turning point was the Partition of Bengal in 1905. Lord Curzon split the province along religious lines, hoping to weaken the nationalist movement. Instead, it sparked the Swadeshi Movement, which called for boycotting British goods and promoting Indian-made products. And Durga Puja became a key venue for spreading that message. Lucas: In 1905 and 1906, puja committees in Calcutta started using the festival to advocate for khadi and swadeshi. At the Bagbazar Puja in 1906, the idol of Durga was replaced by an image of Bharat Mata, the personification of India. That was a direct political statement. They also held meetings and fundraisers for the movement. Luna: Wait, so they literally changed the goddess to Mother India? Lucas: Exactly. And not just that — they incorporated tableaus depicting scenes of British oppression. For example, in 1911, at the Kumartuli Puja, there was a display showing the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. That was incredibly bold, given that the British were censoring the press and banning political gatherings. Lucas: Nationalist leaders like Surendranath Banerjee and Aurobindo Ghosh actively participated in these pujas. They gave speeches, and the puja pandals became de facto political meeting places. The British authorities were aware of this and tried to clamp down. They banned certain songs and kept surveillance on the committees. Luna: How did the British respond to that? Lucas: They tried to co-opt the festival too. Some British officials attended pujas to show they were not against Hinduism, but they also used police to monitor gatherings and sometimes denied permission for political displays. Still, the movement was too widespread. The festival was too deeply embedded in Bengali culture to suppress. Lucas: Women also played a crucial role. Sarojini Naidu, for instance, used the puja as a platform to mobilize women. She would organize processions and sell khadi items. The festival became a space where women could participate in public life in a way that was socially acceptable. Luna: So the puja was really a form of soft resistance. Lucas: Absolutely. It allowed people to express nationalism under the guise of religious celebration. Even after independence, Durga Puja continued to evolve. Today, it's a global festival, but its roots in anti-colonial resistance are often forgotten. It's a reminder that culture and politics are never really separate. Luna: That's a perspective I never had before. Thank you, Lucas. Lucas: It's a fascinating layer of Bengal's history. And it shows how a community can turn a tradition into a tool for change.