Salkia Durga Idol. (TOI photo)

HOWRAH: The historic Salkia Barowari Durgotsav, first held by rebel soldiers of the sepoy mutiny of 1857 and their civilian helpers, retains its traditional essence as it turns 143 this year. Historical evidence suggests that this is the first community or barowari puja in the country and is organized by descendants of the 12 civilians who escorted several hundred mutinous Indian soldiers from their Barrackpore barracks and gave them shelter near their homes in Howrah’s Salkia.“There is evidence indicating that the country’s first barowari puja was organized in Salkia by freedom fighters who helped mutineers of 1857 flee their barracks in Barrackpore. The mutineers too participated in the puja. There is need for more research on this puja,” said Asian Society member Subhash Bandopadhyaya.“Visitors to the puja this year and residents of Salkia’s Kamini School Lane locality, the puja venue, will be asked to sign a mass petition to declare Bengal’s and the country’s first community or barowari Durga puja a heritage puja,” said this year’s puja committee president, Bani Singha Roy, who is a MMIC in Howrah Municipal Corporation.The puja was first held in 1872, 15 years after the sepoy mutiny. Sashthi fell on October 8 143 years ago. Most mutineers being Brahmins, the organizers decided against resorting to the traditional goat sacrifice on the day of ashtami as it fell on a Thursday that year. Instead, ashtami was observed by sacrificing a winter melon or chalkumro. Till date, organizers of the puja perform this same winter melon sacrifice every ashtami.In the year of inception of its puja, the 12 civilian freedom fighters collected 16 annas each as contribution for the puja. To this Rs 12, the mutineers too added a little, taking the total collection to about Rs 15. The first pandal was 10 feet high and eight feet wide. The idol was placed against a wooden structure that has been retained till date. All year round, this structure remains placed on a platform in the area.Historical records reveal that the 12 civilians from Salkia helped hundreds of mutineers escaping from their barracks in Barrackpore by escorting them on boats across the river Hooghly and gave them shelter. The rebel soldiers began fleeing their barracks after the British regained the upper hand over the mutineers in Barrackpore and elsewhere. The mutiny was on the ebb with the execution of Mangal Pandey, its ring leader.At that stage, 12 civilian freedom fighters from Salkia went the extra mile by helping several hundred mutineers fleeing their British officers in Barrackpore. The 12 arranged safe hideouts in Salkia for the mutineers, most of whom hailed from Uttar Pradesh. Shelter apart, the basic needs of the mutineers were also taken care of by these freedom fighters. With time, these mutineers mingled with the local populace and became locals.Records show that the 12 civilian freedom fighters were Gopinath Ghosh, Birendranath Santra, Bidhubhusan Banerjee, Maniklal Sanyal, Nilmoni Niyogi, Bijoy Gopal Mukherjee, Lalbehari Ray and Gourhari Ghosh. Historians have recovered a diary from descendants of Gopinath Ghosh. His descendant is secretary of the puja committee. The diary also says that these mutineers remained safe in Salkia for 12 years from 1857 till 1869. After 12 years, most mutineers from Uttar Pradesh returned home. A segment of them chose to remain settled in Salkia.