A dance drama instead of a formal bodhan (unveiling the face of the Goddess). A Rudra Veena recital in place of a sandhya arati.

Durga Puja at a palatial north Calcutta home does not have rituals. Instead, the offerings to the goddess are in the form of music, dance and the arts.

Thakurbarir Sarodotsav, an autumnal performing arts festival, turns three this year.

The venue is Tagore Palace on Prasanna Kumar Tagore Street in Pathuriaghata. The celebrations began on Mahalaya (Wednesday) evening as the majestic courtyard of the 140-year-old home turned into a grand theatre.

Tagore songs, a dramatised representation of Sukumar Ray’s Abol Tabol and puppet theatre marked the event on Mahalaya, titled Anandamela. The inaugural day was meant for children. More than 400 people, including their parents, were present.

A series of performances is lined up from October 10 to 13. On October 13, the Goddess will be immersed after an Ananda Yatra.

“I am more nervous than before. When we started, this burden was not there,” said Souraja Tagore, 40, the main organiser.

Souraja, a Bharatanatyam dancer, is a descendant of Darpanarayan Tagore. Darpanarayan’s brother was Nilmani Tagore. The Tagores of Jorasanko are the direct descendants of Nilmani. The most famous Tagore, Rabindranath, is the great great grand uncle of Souraja. The two are five generations apart.

Saptami (October 10) evening will feature a dance drama — Tagore’s Valmiki Pratibha, which tells the story of a murderous bandit who transforms into a great poet.

The evening will open with chants by Rabindrasangeet artiste Manoj Murali Nair. The festival is being co-curated by Daakghar, a music platform headed by Nair.

“This festival was conceived with a vision to take our culture forward, to take it to the younger generation. It is heartening to see we are on the right track. These are difficult and toxic times. We hope our offerings will provide a breath of fresh air in these difficult times,” Nair told this newspaper.

The highlight of October 11 (Ashtami and Navami fall on the same day this year) is a Rudra Veena performance by Madhuvanti Pal, a Calcutta-based musician.

Madhuvanti has broken a glass ceiling by playing the Rudra Veena, an ancient string instrument with a long tubular body, two gourds and a fingerboard known for its deep bass resonance. For long, the Rudra Veena has been viewed as a male instrument.

Legend has it that the Rudra Veena was created by Shiva when he was contemplating Parvati’s beauty.

Madhuvanti is aware of the essence of Thakurbari Sarodotsav.

“I am honoured to be part of this festival.... Rituals are never the only mode of worship,” she said.

Nabami Nishi, a dance production with a collage of popular classical puja songs, will be the toast of Dashami (October 12). The performance will feature pupils at Koothambalam, a Bharatanatyam institute that Souraja runs at her family
home

The puja will have a formal immersion ceremony this year. Following the Ananda Yatra, a procession playing Tagore tunes, the idol will be immersed at Prasanna Kumar Ghat of the Hooghly, near Nimtala.