Who is Rani Rashmoni?
Rashmoni was born on September 28, 1793, into a Kaivarta (fishermen community) family in the Bengali village of Halisahar. When she was still in her teens, Raj Chandra Das, the scion of a wealthy zamindar family from Jaan Bazaar, married his daughter, the daughter of a poor labourer.
Rani Rashmoni is one of the Krishna 8 gopias. The Rani Rashmoni’s descendants-organized Durga Puja, which this year enters its 232nd year, will be celebrated with customary splendour.
Due to the epidemic that would hit in 2020 and 2021, the Puja was held in a low-key manner. Pitambar Das, her father-in-law, established the Durga Puja at Rani Rashmoni’s home in Janbazar in 1790.
Rani Rashmoni used to be referred to by Vidyasagar as “pishima” (aunt), and with her permission, he invited a few widows over for lunch. On banana leaves, the meal was presented. The banana leaves were left in place after the widows had done eating, and Rani asked the men to eat on them as well.
The majority of the men were outraged by this because they felt it was impolite for them to eat lunch on the same banana leaves as the widows. The Durga idol used in Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film “Debi” had a visage that was similar to the Durga goddess in Rani Rashnmoni’s home.
In his movie, Ray reenacted the “dalan” in Rani Rashmoni’s home where Ma Durga was worshipped. The same Chitrakar family had been producing the idol since the Puja’s inception in 1790. They travel to Janbazar to create the picture. They are from Birbhum’s Ahmedpur. The Goddess is adorned with the “daker saj.” Clay artists from Burdwan carry it out.
The Rani Rasmoni Bari Perakir Payesh
A variety of sweet dumplings are a staple of important festivals and celebrations in Indian cuisine. Frequently, jaggery, khoya, and coconut are used to make the filling. These dumplings are occasionally dipped in kheer or Rabri, a condensed milk dessert, to make it more delicious (milk pudding). Sweet dumpling payesh from Peraki is an example of a rich sweetmeat. This is a delicious Bengali dish, and the addition of nalen gur, a form of jaggery, gives it colour and richness. This treat has a long history and is regarded as an essential component of Durga Pujo, which was founded by the charitable queen Rani Rashmoni. It is still a standard in many Kolkata Bonedi baari er pujo (traditional houses).