Agartala, October 17: Preserving a centuries-old family tradition rooted in history, the 165th Durga Puja is being celebrated this year at the residence of Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy. The annual worship reflects the family’s enduring commitment to religious customs and rituals passed down through generations.
Speaking about the history of the Puja, Singha Roy said the tradition originated in the family’s ancestral home in Samanrajgram, located in the erstwhile Comilla district of East Bengal, now in Bangladesh, before Partition.
“Our ancestral home dates back to the period before Partition, when the area was part of East Pakistan. Our original family seat was in Samanrajgram in Comilla district. At that time, the region had historical links with the Maharajas of Tripura, and Comilla district also fell under the jurisdiction of the Maharaja. In that sense, historically, we consider ourselves people of Tripura,” he said.
The Finance Minister said his grandfather initiated the Durga Puja, and evidence of its origins can still be found in a stone inscription at the family residence. His grandfather passed away in 1943 at the age of over 82, and the family has continued the tradition since its inception in the ancestral homeland.
He explained that the Puja was subsequently carried forward in Tripura, maintaining its religious significance and traditional character. Over the years, the responsibility of organising the annual worship passed from his grandfather to his father, then to his elder brother, and eventually to him.
“This is not an ordinary Puja. We follow strict rules and prescribed rituals, and every ceremony must be performed properly at the designated time. We also observe a strict fast, abstaining even from water until the rituals are completed. These customs have been followed by our family for generations for the well-being of all family members,” Singha Roy said.
Emphasising the importance of preserving the legacy, he said the family would continue the tradition in the coming years.
“Even when I am no longer here, the next generation will carry forward this tradition,” he added.
The annual Durga Puja thus remains a symbol of the family’s historical roots, religious faith and commitment to safeguarding its ancestral heritage.