Jaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Matrurupena Sansthita. Come Puja, this nondescript village resonates with the chanting of the ‘sloka’.
Boudapur, situated on the banks of the river Salandi in Randia panchayat, turns into a holiday home for all those natives settled outside the district. They turn up to participate in the traditional celebrations, which have been taking place here since time immemorial.
Here the Puja is organised by one Bengali family while the rest of the villagers participate. The tradition was first started here by one Muralidhar Dey in the 17th century. But the Deys immersed the idol along with the ‘medha’ in 1844 in the absence of a male member to carry on the tradition. But the Puja continued.
In the later part of the century, four Bengali families _ Dey, Dutta, Das and Chand _ made the village their home and continued the tradition. Now about 50 Bengali families live here.
This year the Sinha family installed the idol of the Goddess in their ancestral bungalow where all the rituals are performed as per the tradition and the villagers participate.
According to Aswini Sinha, the village population increases by nearly 60 per cent during the Durga Puja as all the natives settled outside make it a point to come here too. Sinha, settled in London, visits the ancestral house every year during the Puja to keep the tradition alive. A special dinner, ‘Grama Bhoji’, is also organised during the four-day celebrations.