In pics: Worship of Raj Rajeshwari to symbol of wildlife conservation at three ‘bonedi bari’ pujas

The Durga Puja of Kalyanpur Bandopadhyay family near Baruipur is around 275 years old. A ‘zamindar’ named Sahashraram Bandyopadhyay from Mahishadal in West Midnapore started this puja, and it has continued since. A plaque in the Durga ‘dalan’ indicates that this ‘bariri pujo’ began in the Bengali year 1157— the Gregorian year 1750

The puja happens in the five-arched Durga ‘dalan’ of the house, and one of the age-old family rituals involves a ‘mahasnan’ on Ashtami, Sandhi Puja and Navami, where the reflection of the goddess is bathed with ingredients from 21 silver small cups

Every year the Krishnanagar Rajbari’s Durga Puja attracts several visitors for its grandeur. Started by Maharaja Krishna Chandra Roy, this Durga Puja is more than 272 years old and all rituals take place at the ‘natmandir’ of the old estate

At this puja, Durga is worshipped as Raj Rajeshwari, and the warrior-like idol is astride a lion that looks much like a horse

In north Kolkata’s Hatibagan, the Kundu Bari Durga Puja is dedicated to mother nature. The family uses biodegradable material for their rituals and the goddess sits on a tiger here instead of a lion as a symbol of wildlife conservation

The organisers of this Durga Puja Joydip Kundu and Suchandra Kundu are conservationists and started the Puja in 2008 at their ancestral house, which is more than 130 years old