Durga Puja in Cooch Behar

One of the oldest Durga pujas of Bengal. It has been said that this puja is started in 1510, by the founder of Cooch dynasty Raja Biswa Singha on the same year of his accession to the throne with the help of his younger brother Sishya Singha.The gigantic sized Durga sculpture, popularly known as Borodebi The Great Goddess, made with clay comprises only Maa Durgas image with Mahishasura and JayaBijaya, her consorts excluding her childrens sculptures is vermilion red in colour. As a part of tradition, humansacrifice is done there in the night of Ashtami on a secluded puja attended only by the members of the royal family which still has been observing. Obviously, now it took a ritualistic form only offering blooddrops from one of the royal family member everyyear. Other than this, many buffaloes, goats, pigeons are sacrificed in front of the deity. Not only the royal family, all the people of Coochbehar regarded her as the supreme deity, calling as Borodevi Suprememother.