18th October 1980
am-Krishnanagar with Subir visited various puja pandals. Conversation with S-all the pujas probably started in big families and in Bengal in 16th c or before (just after the Buddhist period) popular started. At end of 18th c first sarvajanin Dp held in Chandanagar in Sabana Chaudhuri's house perhaps for both. Then it started in Krishnanagar, Shantipur and Calcutta. Krishnanagar's sarvajanin Dp is older than Cal Dp. Krishnanagar was then the cultural centre of Bengal. S thinks that the first sarvajanin puja in the Devanath school area (at end of 18th c). Families became separated, hard to maintain the family puja so sarvajanin puja was then held. We went to this Devanath school area and the image was ekchala and standard with modern lion. The puja was being held just outside a building open air almost. This area is in the city centre. We went to one family puja which had been started quite recently (in a Bangladeshi family) and the inverted image in ekchala with modern lion and traditional postures and colours was being worshipped in a fairly small area. To the right of the image was a standard Dakina Kali of usual style (presumably it was installed during sadnhi puja and so the one in Prodip's studio which was completed that way would probably have been for then). I'm not sure whether the immersion of the Kali would take place at the same time as Durga.
We went to a Durga temple next to the house of Mr Mohit Roy (i.e. on E.A.Gait Road) and this had been built in the 1950s. Inverted image being worshipped by Bangladeshis there. I was told that 7 goats had been sacrificed that day. No Kali image. This image was ekchala.
In one sarvajanin pandal I was told by Subir that cucumbers were sacrificed instead of goats (this is the fruit I saw being cut in the Banerji household).
At Mr Mohit Roy's house we had a look at his mini-museum. He has quite a few terracotta objects-a Mahisasuramardini included, some wooden objects and a wooden griffin lion from a 17th c Chandimandap, some letters and a grant letter from Raja Krishnachandra , some manuscripts including part of Ananda Mangal, some Chandi and Tantrasara, some folk items, some ivories, coins, photos of temples. He has written a book in Bengali. He agreed with my idea that the mrinmayi puja started in the 16th c for brahmanical reasons: propaganda. Later at the house of Mr Das, a writer, we discussed this thing about the Brahmins. Das told me that after the Buddhist period when the Senas wanted to introduce the caste system they were at a loss because everyone had become more or less undifferentiated due to Buddhist influence so they made caste according to profession only. The Kulins were an exception because they were selected according to pre-arranged character merit. They suffered because of not being allowed to marry non-Kulins initially. Das is Bangladeshi. At one time Nadia extended into areas which are now in Bangladesh. Taherpur was the capital of Raja Kangranarayan and it is in Bangladesh. Ray told me that there is information on him in the Rayshahi University/museum (documents).
I was then told by Subir that Raja Krishnachandra had been imprisoned in Murshidabad several times for failing to pay rent, both in the time of Murshid Quli Khan and Sirajuddaula. Subir also told me a bit about his family. Originally it came from Rajasthan but has now been in W.Bengal for 14 generations. First settled in the Hooghly district then moved to Nadia district. Came to W.Bengal 400 years ago. Became connected with the rajas of Nadia (Krishnanagar).
19th October 1980 - Shibnibash and Krishnanagar rajbari
21st October 1980 - Calcutta, Nafar Kundu Road
22nd October 1980 - Kumartuli and Kalighat
27th October 1980 - Kalighat and Patuapara
29th October 1980 - Asu Datta's house
30th October 1980 - Tarakeswara, Radhanagar, Gopalnagar, Krishnanagar
31st October 1980 - Tarakeshwara and Kolimbar village