The 400-year-old Durga Puja in Gauripur, a small town here, continues to be a major crowd-puller. The descendants of the royal Barua family said they still follow the rituals from Shasthi.

In the morning, an idol of goddess Durga, made of asthadhatu, is carried from the temple at the royal palace at Matiyabhog to the Mahamaya field temple on the bank of Gadadhar river.

On Shashti, members of the royal family carry the idol to the riverside where it is placed on a boat before the rituals begin on the boat itself. Thousands of devotees witness the rituals every year from the riverbank. Following the rituals, the idol is brought back to the Mahamaya field temple and worshipped for the next four days.

Probir Barua, a member of the royal family, said there is a ritual to sacrifice pigeons and goats in front of devotees during the puja.

“We practise the custom every year. Local residents, irrespective of their caste and religious background, participate when the rituals are performed,” he added.

“Earlier, a huge procession with horses and elephant carriages on Shasthi used to be the main attraction of the Puja. But things have changed now. We continue the tradition to the best of our abilities,” said Barua.

An idol of goddess Mahamaya, made of kuhila or shola pith, (a milky-white spongy plant) is installed beside the main idol and worshipped for four days.

On Vijaya Dashami, the Mahamaya idol is immersed at the confluence of the Gadadhar and the Brahmaputra, while the main idol is brought back to the royal palace temple on Laxmi Puja with another colourful procession.

Following the immersion, other rituals are performed for the next three days at the royal palace.