Written by Nilanjana Guha with images by Soham Bhattacharya
Cossimbazar, sandwiched between Murshidabad & Berhampore was once a prosperous port on the Ganges. The town was well known for its silk & attracted many to move here, including Ajodhya Ram Roy who came from a village called Pirojpur to settle down in Cossimbazar. The Roy family subsequently built their home which slowly expanded & modified over the years to become the Cossimbazar palace. But once the East India company changed the course of the Ganga to directly link Murshidabad and Berhampore, Cossimbazar lost its importance & all that remains now are colonial structures of the past.
Once the zamindari system was abolished around 1950, the palace had to be shut down and the Roy family moved to Calcutta, returning only for festivals and special occasions. However, they went back to restore their family home & revamp parts of it into a heritage hotel.
The Durga Puja celebration every year is a tradition that they carried from their village in Pirojpur. The puja is held in the chandimandap or Durga dalan, a char chala roof at the garbhagriha where the deities are kept. The dalan is painted in white and yellow with huge chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling over the marble floor.
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