- Bengali community’s Durga Puja in Prayagraj
- Historic Ramdal procession of Prayagraj
- Comparative analysis with Ayodhya & Varanasi Ramleela traditions
- The additional reflection on cultural harmony & social unity
PRAYAGRAJ: As autumn descends on the ancient city of Prayagraj, the air fills with devotion, music, and vibrant festivity.
The banks of the Ganga and Yamuna echo with chants of “Jai Maa Durga” and “Jai Shri Ram”, reminding one that this sacred city has always been more than a geographical landmark.
It is a spiritual heartland where traditions are not just remembered but lived.
In recent days, Prayagraj witnessed two magnificent spectacles of faith— the Durga Puja celebrations of the Bengali community and the majestic Ramdal procession organized by the Sri Mahant Baba Hathiram Pajawa Ramleela Committee.
Different in form but united in essence, both celebrations highlight the city’s extraordinary ability to weave diverse cultural threads into a single fabric of devotion.
Durga Puja: A Daughter’s Homecoming in Prayagraj
For the 1.5 lakh strong Bengali community of Prayagraj, Durga Puja is more than a festival—it is a homecoming. Rooted in the cultural soil of Bengal, the tradition arrived here nearly two centuries ago when the East India Company brought Bengali clerks to Allahabad.
By 1853, the first organized barwari puja had been established in Karnalganj, sowing the seeds of a living heritage that continues to blossom.
Today, nearly 70 barwaris (community-organized pujas) dot the cityscape. Some, such as the Karnalganj Kali Bari (almost 200 years old) and Mutthiganj Kali Bari (165 years old), remain bastions of tradition. Their rituals are meticulous:
- Pran Pratishtha (idol consecration)
- Pushpanjali (flower offerings)
- Sandhi Puja (the powerful invocation at the juncture of Ashtami and Navami)
- Dhunuchi Naach (ritual dance with incense burners)
- Bhog (sanctified meal)
- Darpan Visarjan (immersion through symbolic reflection)
- and finally, the immersion of Maa Durga’s idol into the Ganga, marking her return to her celestial abode.
As Dr. Radharani Ghosh, who migrated from Kolkata decades ago, observes, Maa Durga is not just worshipped as a goddess. She is adored as a daughter visiting her parents. For five days, our community comes alive with love, song, food, and faith. It is the soul of our identity in Prayagraj.”
The city’s puja pandals, some adopting modern themes with artistic displays, still echo the timeless Bengali spirit of Shakti worship and community togetherness.
Ramdal: The Living Epic of Lord Ram
Even as Bengali prayers rise to Maa Durga, the streets of Prayagraj resound with chants of “Ram Lakhan ki Jai!” during the Ramdal procession—a unique tradition where deities from the Ramayana are carried through the city in grand procession.
This year, the celebrations commenced with rituals at Patthar ka Shivala, Khuldabad, in the presence of dignitaries such as Cabinet Minister Nand Gopal Gupta “Nandi”, MP Ujjwal Raman Singh, and Mayor Ganesh Kesarwani.
After the worship, Lord Ram and Lakshman were enthroned on a silver palanquin (Chandi ka Hauda) and set forth to bless the city.
The procession’s journey was itself an odyssey, winding through Nakhas Kohna, Khalifa Mandi, Chowk, Batasha Mandi, Bahadurganj, Sulaki Chauraha, Ram Bhavan Chauraha, Mutthiganj, Tilak Road, Sheesh Mahal, Bharati Bhavan, Loknath Chauraha, Kotwali, and finally concluding at Bachchaji Dharamshala, Rani Mandi, late into the night.
The highlights were the nine vibrant tableaux (chaukiyas) depicting episodes of the Ramayana, including:
- Tadka Vadh (slaying of Tadka)
- Ahalya Uddhar (redemption of Ahalya)
- Ravan Darbar (Ravana’s court)
- Sita Swayamvar
- Sita Haran (abduction of Sita)
- Bali-Sugriv Yudh
- Kevat Prasang (crossing the Ganga with the boatman)
Each tableau was not just a performance but a spiritual reminder of dharma, sacrifice, and devotion.
As night fell, the city glittered. Streets glowed with colorful lights, devotional songs blared from loudspeakers, and youths captured the divine spectacle in selfies. Food stalls thrived along the procession route, turning devotion into a citywide carnival.
Prayagraj, Ayodhya, and Varanasi: A Sacred Triangle of Ramayana Traditions
The Ramayana lives in countless forms across India, but nowhere is the contrast and complementarity as vivid as between Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Prayagraj.
- Ayodhya celebrates with unmatched grandeur—millions of diyas illuminating the ghats, massi, ve dramatic enactments, and the spiritual aura of Ram Janmabhoomi itself.
- Varanasi’s Ramnagar Ramleela is a centuries-old theatrical marvel, where entire neighborhoods become open-air stages for weeks of episodic storytelling.
- Prayagraj’s Ramdal, however, stands apart in its mobility. Instead of the devotees going to Ram, it is Ram who travels to his people, blessing every lane, every home, and every heart.
This living epic makes Prayagraj’s Ramleela not just a performance but a citywide pilgrimage in motion.
A City Where Traditions Breathe Unity
What makes Prayagraj extraordinary is not only its sacred geography—the Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati—but its ability to nurture plural traditions of devotion.
On one hand, the Bengali community’s Durga Puja embodies maternal love, cultural memory, and Shakti devotion. On the other hand, the Ramdal enshrines Ram Bhakti, public celebration, and moral storytelling.
Together, they reflect a truth often forgotten in today’s polarized times: India’s strength lies in the coexistence of diverse faiths, rituals, and expressions of devotion.
In a world increasingly torn by division, the sight of Maa Durga worshipped with love by migrants from Bengal and Lord Ram carried in procession through the ancient lanes of Prayagraj is a reminder that festivals are not just about gods—they are about people, community, and shared humanity.
As lamps flicker, conches blow, and flower petals rain down upon the idols, Prayagraj teaches us a timeless lesson: where there is faith, there is unity; where there is tradition, there is harmony.
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