‘Maa chose to stay’: The Durga idol that defied visarjan in 1767 still worshipped in Varanasi after 259 years

Durga Puja is entering its final phase, with devotees gathering at pandals for prayers, rituals and celebrations before bidding farewell to Goddess Durga. While most clay idols are immersed in rivers and other water bodies during visarjan, a centuries-old tradition in Varanasi tells a different story. At Purana Durga Bari, the Mukhopadhyay family continues to worship the same idol that, according to family lore, was never immersed because Maa Durga had chosen to remain in Kashi.

From Ritual Worship to the Final Farewell Durga Puja brings together devotion, elaborate rituals and community…