PUJA

Sacrifice at Baro Devi  puja in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 7: Hundreds of devotees witnessed the sacrifice of buffalo, goats and pigeons that were offered to the Baro Devi at the Debibari temple in Cooch Behar on the occasion of Mahastami, today.

 

Baro Devi is a special form of Goddess Durga worshiped by the Cooch Behar royal family. The idol is totally different from other models of Devi Durga. It was learnt that Maharaja Nara Narayan initiated the puja in 1533 AD. According to sayings, the Mararaja saw the Devi in this form in his dream. He introduced the puja of Baro Devi and the clay-image was made following his description as he saw the Goddess in his dream. Till now the image is identical to the first one to keep the tradition alive. As a hereditary act, Punyeswar Chitrakar of Chitrakar family of Dodeyarpar was entrusted to make the idol this year.

 

The puja of Baro Devi is performed under Cooch Behar Debottar Trust Board, the guardian body of all temples and religious places of erstwhile Cooch Behar State. The DTB is running under the state tourism department.

 

The tradition of human sacrifice (Nara-Boli) is still on at the puja of Baro Devi of Cooch Behar. Since human sacrifice is not possible these days, that tradition is maintained symbolically by sacrificing a human image made of rice-powder on the Maha-Astami night during Gupta-puja (secret worship). Human blood is needed to perform the Gupta-puja. A man from Roy family of Kaljani village supplies the blood by piercing his fingers as a hereditary act. The Cooch Behar Debottar Trust Board pays him for the act.

 

It is said that human sacrifice was a reality at the regime of Maharaja Nara Narayan. Once he reportedly sacrificed 150 persons to Baro Devi and for that act he had earned fame in those days. Later, the system became discontinued, but the tradition of human sacrifice is still followed by symbolic sacrifice.

 

Sacrifice is a major part of the Baro Devi puja. Goats, buffaloes, hogs and numerous pigeons are sacrificed here. Sacrifice of hog is a speciality of Baro Devi puja, which is done during Chaliya-Bariya puja ritual.  

 

Though Raj-days gone, the rituals and systems for performance of the Baro Devi puja and the construction of the clay-image are almost similar to the earlier days, under the Marxist rule too. The Debottar Trust Board, running under state government patronage, is very much cautious in keeping all the traditional rituals on as-is-where-is basis.

 

The puja of Baro Devi ends on Maha-Navami. The large image is sliced into pieces and immersed at Jamuna (Lamba) Dighi. In those Raj-days the Maharaja, sitting on the royal elephant, had to set a Khanjan (wagtail) bird free on Bijoya Dashami during Yatra-puja ritual. The last time a Khanjan was set free in 1969.

 

A fair is also organised during the puja days encircling the age old Baro Devi temple at Debi Bari in Cooch Behar. Numerous devotees and puja viewers from distant places come to witness the puja and offer anjali to the Baro Devi. Visiting and offering of pranam to the Devi is a must for all devotees and pandal hoppers. []