Asansol. The Sarkar family of Bhalia village in the Arambagh subdivision of Hooghly district has been spreading an amazing emotional beauty of communal harmony during Durga Puja celebrations for years. Both the Durga Puja Sandhya Aarti and Azan are organized in the same pandal. Local villagers call it the Sarkar Bari Durga Puja.
Hena Sarkar is the eldest member of the organizing family. She shared that their family Durga Puja was started three centuries ago by the then-landlord Babu Ram Sarkar. There was a large Muslim population in his region as well. In the early days, Muslim families kept themselves away from Durga Puja. To include them in the joy and festivity of the puja, the landlord initiated a new arrangement. During Durga Puja, when Sandhya Aarti takes place in the evening to offer lamps to the Goddess, right after that, the Azan calling for Islamic prayer is given from the pandal itself. Even today, Sandhya Aarti takes place amidst the beats of dhol, sound of conch shells, and ringing of bells, while Muslims recite the Azan. Afterwards, the Muslim community gathers in the pandal to offer Namaz and becomes a part of Durga Puja. This tradition is followed on all four days of Durga Puja. Most family members live in Kolkata, but during Durga Puja, everyone comes to their ancestral home in Bhalia to celebrate the festival. She stated that they cannot give up this unique tradition of bringing the two communities together under one Durga Puja mandap on all four days of the puja. This tradition sends a message of love, unity, and brotherhood, breaking all orthodox religious barriers that divide humanity.
