GUWAHATI: The Na-Gosain Hauli Durga Puja, organised by the Na-Gosain family in Rajaduar, North Guwahati, will be held from October 16 to 21, marking its 203rd year. The puja is observed in an austere spiritual setting without extravagant displays.
The family traces its lineage to Gangeswar Gosain, son of Na-Gosain Acharya Ramananda, the diksha guru of Ahom Swargadeo Lakshmikanta Singha. His descendants, including Maujadar Govindeswar Goswami, continued the tradition, which the family has maintained over generations.
The family follows both Shakti and Shaiva traditions. Animal sacrifice, once part of the puja, was discontinued in the 1880s, and clay idols of Goddess Durga have been worshipped since 1901.
In that year, Maujadar Govindeswar Goswami brought renowned sculptor Nabin Ghosh from Bengal to make the idol. The work was later continued by Ghosh's son, Ramesh Chandra Ghosh. The sculptor's family received land from Goswami and later embraced Assamese traditions and culture. In 2023, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the Mahanabami Puja during the celebration of its 200th anniversary, a press release said.
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