Colonelganj, Indian Girls’ (City), Attarsuyia and Lukerganj Barwaris, among the city’s oldest community puja committees, are once again observing the festival in 2026 with rituals and cultural practices rooted in their long histories. Prayagraj: While elaborate gates and theme-based pandals have become a defining feature of Durga Puja in Prayagraj, four century-old Barwaris continue to keep the focus on tradition.
The committee was formally formed in 1853, when devotees decided to move the worship from individual homes to a community celebration. The president of this oldest barwari of the city, Shankar Chaterjee, said the puja may have been held occasionally earlier, but 1853 marked its beginning as an organised community event.
Even basic requirements such as cotton carpets and utensils were not available on hire, and Motilal Nehru and his family provided the necessary items, he said. The Colonelganj Barwari is celebrating its 174th Durga Puja this year. Its first organised puja was held at the residence of Ram Chandra Banerjee, in the outer verandah of his house near Bhardwaj Ashram. The venue remained there for about two decades before being shifted elsewhere and finally, by the early 1920s, moved to the large plot opposite Anand Bhawan. In those days, celebrations included folk songs and Bengali Jatra performances. Hindi dramatist Bhartendu Harish Chandra also staged a Hindi play during the festival and acted in it himself, Chaterjee added. The Lukerganj Barwari, meanwhile, reflects the strong Bengali presence in the locality, which was named after British officer Luker. The Barwari, formed as part of the area’s Bengali community, is known not only for Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja but also for fairs, dramas, dances and other cultural programmes, keeping the festival connected with the city’s cultural heritage.