An introduction to the history of Uttarpara Ramghat Sarbojanin Durgotshab
The year was 1909. Exactly 106 years back the wind of change was blowing across Bengal in the wake of 19th Century Renaissance. School, colleges, libraries were being opened in various parts of Bengal development in all spheres of life, specially in literature and culture had taken wings. Uttarpara Joykrishna Public Library was established in 1859. the first school for teaching English, which is now known as Uttarpara Government High School
Following this development, a few local educated young men established “Uttarpara Saraswat Sammilan”, the heritage library in 1909.
During that time, Bengal ’s Greatest Puja was held at the homes and palaces of the Jamindars and other rich people in Uttarpara. Although there was family Pujas, yet the citizens of the locality took part in the celebrations freely. The first Sarbojanin Durga Puja of the people, by the people and for the people was held in “Saraswat Sammilan Library”. It was a land mark event in the history of not only Uttarpara but the entire Hooghly district as this was the first such Puja in the district.
This Puja continued uninterrupted till 1949, when the small one-room “kachha”-room of tin roof was being replaced by a “pucca” two-storied building to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of books and members of the library.
It was planned to discontinue the Durga Puja which was held inside the library for two years of construction.
And then came forward a team of young men of the locality who took over the puja form Saraswat Sammilan and held it in adjacent Ramghat, which is another heritage Bathing Ghat of Uttarpara. Among the first group of these young men were Lalit Mohan Mukherjee, Parimal Chatterjee, Dilip Kumar Chatterjee, Arun Chatterjee, Arun Banerjee, Sukumar Chatterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Ram Kamal Thakur, Amulya Bhusan Chakraborty and few others. Many of these pioneering men are dead now but one of them Sri Sukumar Chatterjee is still alive and is the President of the Puja Committee.
After about 21 years, these pioneers got old and the responsibility of organizing the Puja was taken over by the youthful members of the eminent club of Uttarpara, “FRIENDS UNION”, under the guidance of the then secretary Late Goutam Chatterjee. Till today they are organizing this Puja, expanded the celebration manifold and took in to the glory of being one of the most prestigious Puja of Uttarpara. For a number of years, this Puja was declared the best among other Pujas of the locality and many trophies were offered by Uttarpara Merchants Association.
Ramghat Sarbojanin Durgotshab is today only three years off from attaining the crowning glory of Centenary. Although a few years off, plans are afoot by the members of Uttarpara Friends Union Club to hold the Centenary with all befitting glittery and glamor. People of Uttarpara are keenly looking forward to that glorious event.