Bengal: Vidyasagar's legacy lives on in Hooghly's 186-Year-Old Durga Puja

By Hemant Jacob Hooghly, Oct 15 (UNI) A nearly 186-year-old Durga Puja at Bainchigram Bihari Lal Free School in Hooghly carries a legacy that extends beyond religious tradition, tracing the transformation of a zamindar's estate into an institution for education and public welfare through its association with social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The school, situated in Pandua, stands on premises that once belonged to the Mukhopadhyay zamindar family. Although the family's wealth and influence have faded, the annual Puja continues to bring worshippers to the premises, where ageing buildings and dwindling funds stand alongside traditions passed down through generations. The…