COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 29: The community Durga puja of Mahamaya-pat in Dinhata turns into its 116th year. It is one of the oldest pujas in Cooch Behar district after the Baro Devi puja of Cooch Behar royal family. 

According to sayings, the then ruler of Cooch Behar, Maharaja Nripendra Narayan took an initiative to lay rail track from Jainti in Dooars to Rangpur (now in Bangladesh) through Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Dinhata. For that work a number of labourers came from different areas. Huge quantity of stones and boulders were also carried in from distant areas. It is in 1885-86. One day the labourers engaged in the rail-laying job found a large snake that was trying to guard a round shaped luminous stone. On that day Devi Mahamaya asked the labourers to worship Her. The incident created a furore in those days. The labourers then started worshiping the round shaped stone as the idol of Devi Mahamaya, according to the sayings.  

There was a different story too. A labourer got fainted after a lightning-like incident when he struck that stone during earthwork with a spade. Others rushed to him and nursed him to recover from the shock. After hearing the story they decided to offer puja to the luminous stone. The stone is still getting puja at the same place in the Mahamaya temple situated near Dinhata railway station. Later, locals of Dinhata town came forward for community Durga puja that started at Mahamaya-pat in 1891. On behalf of Maa Mahamaya-pat Committee Mr Bibhu Ranjan Saha said that the puja is still going on maintaining all age-old rituals and devotion. A mela (fair) is also organised during the puja-days. Religious cultural programme is arranged this year too as in previous years. []