Cooch Behar, 23rd September: In continuation of the 500-year-old tradition of “Raj Amal” (Time of Maharajas), Cooch Behar’s Historic Boro Devi Mayna Kath Puja commenced on Radha Ashtami. The occasion witnessed the presence of Pawan Kadian, DM Cooch Behar, Deotra Trust Board member Jayanta Chakraborty, Duar Bakshi, and other dignitaries.
On Friday night, Maa Rupi Mayna Kath was brought from Madanmohan Bari to Boro Devi Bari in Cooch Behar following all ritualistic practices. Subsequently, Mayna Kath was replaced by undertaking a special puja. Following this, Mayna Kath would be aired for three days.
After 3 days, the work of making an idol of Boro Devi will be started by a member of a family of hereditary painters. The work would be supervised by Prabhat Chitrakar, starting with straw and clay. The idol-making work will be completed on the day of ‘Mahalaya’. As a tradition, the eyes of the Devi would be donated by Maa Durga on ‘Mahalaya’.
A tradition, started by the Maharajas of Cooch Behar, at the end of the month of Shravan, on Shukla Ashtami Tithi, the worship of Boro Devi begins with Mayna Kath Pooja at Dangrai Temple in Gunjabari, Cooch Behar. There, the Matri-Rupi Mayna Katha is clothed and beautifully decorated and brought to the Madan Mohan Bari.
After worshiping there for a month, on Radha Ashtami Tithi, Mayna Kath Puja and the work of idol making of Boro Devi begins with devotion. This ritual continued even this year. The idol of Boro Devi is drastically different from other idols of Goddess Durga. The skin color of Boro Devi is red and mounted on a tiger. Additionally, ‘Jaya’ and ‘Vijaya’ accompany Boro Devi as part of the idol.
