The Forgotten Goddess: Durga Puja and Nationalism in Colonial Bengal

In this episode of The Hidden History of Bengal, Lucas and Luna explore the transformation of Durga Puja from a private aristocratic ritual into a powerful symbol of Bengali nationalism under British colonial rule. They trace the evolution from the zamindari barowari pujas of the 18th century to the first public sarbajanin puja organized in 1790 by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of Shobhabazar Rajbari, who invited British officers to curry favor. The conversation then pivots to the early 20th century, when the Swadeshi Movement after the Partition of Bengal in 1905 turned Durga Puja into a platform for anti-colonial resistance. Lucas discusses how nationalist leaders like Surendranath Banerjee and Aurobindo Ghosh used the festival to promote khadi, boycott British goods, and fund revolutionary activities. He highlights the 1906 Puja at Bagbazar in Calcutta, where images of Bharat Mata replaced traditional idols, and the 1911 Puja at Kumartuli that featured a tableau of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The episode also covers the role of women like Sarojini Naidu and the use of puja pandals as spaces for political meetings. Luna asks about British reactions, and Lucas describes crackdowns and censorship, including the banning of political songs and the surveillance of puja committees. The episode concludes with the post-independence evolution of Durga Puja into a global cultural festival, reflecting on how a religious celebration became a vehicle for national identity and resistance. #DurgaPuja #BengalNationalism #SwadeshiMovement #PartitionOfBengal #RajaNabakrishnaDeb #ShobhabazarRajbari #Bagbazar #Kumartuli #BharatMata #JallianwalaBagh #SurendranathBanerjee #AurobindoGhosh #SarojiniNaidu #ColonialCalcutta #BengalRenaissance #AntiColonialResistance #FexingoHistory #History #BengalHistory #PalaEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo