100 Years of Mandalay Jail Durga Puja: How Netaji Bose Made It a Symbol Against British Rule

100 years of Mandalay Jail Durga Puja

100 Years of Mandalay Jail Durga Puja: Navratri and Durga Puja are more than just festivals, they are the spirit of justice over tyranny, truth over lies and victory over adversity. They transcend religious, social and cultural boundaries and resonate with all communities in India and the world.

The nine day long Navaratri (Durga Puja) festival celebrates Goddess Durga’s (the symbol of divine feminine power, strength and protection) nine forms or avatars, each of which represents a different aspect of her power.

Durga Puja has always been a celebration of culture and a socio-cultural event. After Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula’s defeat in 1757, Raja Nabakrishna Deb’s big Puja at Sovabazar Rajbari in 1790 made Durga Puja the number one festival among Bengalis and Hindus worldwide.

The first “barowari” or community Puja was arranged in Hooghly by twelve friends from Guptipara. This helped to make Puja a public holiday and was the inspiration for open celebrations.

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In our history Bharat’s gurus also recognized Durga Puja as a unifying force. When Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose’s guru held Durga Puja at Belur Math in 1901, he combined religious observance with re-establishing Bharat, i.e. Sanatan Dharma. Bipin Chandra Pal held “Swadeshi Puja” in 1905 and promoted local products and opposed British imperialism.

Later on the festival was used to boycott foreign goods. In 1908 Aurobindo Ghosh used Durga puja to infuse life into Indian independence from British occupation. The spiritual energy of the festival was channeled to recruit soldiers for the freedom movement.

Subhas Chandra Bose was unique among these historical figures for his blending of nationalism with spirituality. Beyond devotion, Bose’s active participation in Durga Puja was a symbol of resistance and struggle against colonialism. This was like Shri Ganesh Puja in Maharastra and Gujarat which became a nursery for freedom fighters.

Bose led Baghbazar Sarbojanin Durga Puja from 1928 and gave nationalistic flavor to the festival, taking small steps towards the larger freedom movement. Due to his influence Swadeshi movement got a boost during Puja and promotion of local products and self reliance.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s most notable contribution came in 1925 when he was in Mandalay Jail in Burma. Like the great revolutionaries Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai, Bose turned his spiritual practice into social action. Durga Puja in Mandalay jail was not just a ritual; it was a defiant statement against the barbaric British colonial rule.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose convinced the British government to allow the inmates to celebrate the festival despite the authorities’ initial opposition, proving the human spirit’s resistance to injustice.

In a letter to Basanti Devi, the wife of his guru Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das he wrote that Durga would come and reduce their suffering. The Mandalay Puja was a big deal and the prison was transformed into a sacred place where freedom fight was combined with spiritual freedom.

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Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was determined to hold the festival no matter what the circumstances showed that he did not think it was just a religious festival but played a big role in shaping India’s destiny.

Netaji continued the tradition by celebrating “Azad Hind Puja” in 1942 and said Goddess Durga represented not only the victory of good over evil but the struggle for Indian independence.

In a letter to his mother, Bose wrote “Bharat Varsha is God’s favourite place for incarnation and holy land where God himself would appear time and again to teach humanity the way of right living.”

As we celebrate Mandalay Jail Durga Puja's 100th year, let’s pay homage to Subhas Chandra Bose’s spirit and the festival itself.

Durga Puja has become a reminder that justice and freedom can cross even the toughest of barriers and one can seek the blessings of the divine mother in the most unexpected of places – even a colonial prison.

The fact that Durga Puja is now recognized by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage” is a proof of its universal appeal; and Indian government’s Ministry of Culture was instrumental in getting this recognition.

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